Blog Post 58: Chapter 11

Feudalism

• is a term used by historians to describe the governmental systems and the relationships between landowners and warriors 
• Warriors, known as knights, would pledge his allegiance to a lord, who would in turn given that knight land 
• Fief: Property; peace of land 
• Vassal: Servant, Knight , they take care of you 
• the lord would grant fief to the knight, who would then become the lord's vassal this was called the "feudal compact" 

Homage & knighthood 

• A vassal was required to pay a homage to his lord, usually this meant kneeling down and taking the lord's hands in his while speaking an oath of loyalty 
• Knight would start learning the way of "knight life" at age 13 or so 
• If the knight died the fief would revert to his son, though the lord would be the protector of that son / daughter 

The feudalization of the Church 

• Some clergy were known to fight as knights themselves

Feudal States 

• Barons: were lords of large territories who usually paid homage to a king 
• Your control of a larger area 
• Often a baron's army could outnumber that of a king, which kept a check on the king's power

The Manorial Estate 

• Medieval society was divided into 3 "estates": the clergy , the nobility, and the common people 
• Usually the peasantry framed in large plantations known as "manors" which were owned by a lord or lady of the nobility ( or a member of the clergy ) 
• To maintain the health of the soil the "three-field system" was used where 2 field were planted ( on the fall , one in spring ) and one field was left to reconstitute its fertility - then they were rotated 

The people of the Manor 

• The lord job was to oversee the crops, and just be a lord and run things 
• The wife / lady; ran the household oversaw servants, entertained guest and ran the manor when her husband was away 
• Most peasants were serfs
• They were bound to the land and their lords for "labor service" a few days each days 

 The Location and Appearance of Towns 

• Towns had fortified walls; to keep people in and keep those out, out 
• Residences also sprang up outside the walls in the suburbs 

Trade and Towns 

• Buildings for the craft guilds and the wealthiest families would also be in the center of the town 
• The life of townspeople 
• though townspeople were free, unlife serfs, they still had a hierarchy: merchants at the top, then skilled craftsmen and artisans, then unskilled laborers and apprentices 
• The leading families of the towns usually held all the governmental offices, though most adult males could vote 

The Guilds

• Merchants, craftsmen and artisans formed their own groups called guilds which regulated their trade and protected its members
• Craftsmen were classified as masters, journeymen, and apprentices
• Guilds participated in religious feasts and festivals social organizations and usually provided well for charities \
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