A Deeper Look at Feudalism PowerPoint #2

Monarchs  Top of the Feudal Society  Kings – Queens  Called lords – expected keep order and provide protection  Believed God had given them the right to rule  Power of the monarch varied greatly

 Few had the wealth to keep their own army  Relied on nobles to provide knights and soldiers

Nobles  Some very powerful and governed the fiefs as independent states  Monarch became a figurehead –had little power

Lords and Ladies  Members of nobility – highest ranking  Most lived in manors- some had more than one – lived in each for a few months out of the year

Manors  Main house – many people lived in the main house with the lord’s family  Built of wood or stone  Surrounded by out buildings, gardens and stables  Protected by high walls and sometimes a moat  Manor house was center of community

 When trouble occurred villagers entered the main house for protection  Served as a place of court  Special celebrations were held there – Christmas – harvest celebrations

Castles  Home for highest ranking nobles  Protection- strong walls, gates  Large size and central location made castles a strong visible reminder of the hierarchy – and barriers between classes

Design of Castles  Earliest castles made of wood – later stone  Surrounded by high fences  Strongest part – motte – built on the hilltop  A walled path linked motte to a lower court – bailey – most people lived  Castles later built of stone to withstand attacks of flaming arrows

 Became more elaborate  Tall towers- look out across the land  Main castle Storerooms library dining hall bedrooms for guests Lord and lady’s quarters

Responsibilities of Lord  Manage and defend land and those who worked it  Appointed officials to make sure villagers carried out their duties Farm the land Pay rent – form of crops

 Acted as judges in courts – fined and punished those who broke laws  Some held posts in the king’s government  Fought for higher-ranking lords/ supplied them with soldiers

Responsibilities of Ladies  In theory only men were a part of the feudal relationship  Some women did hold fiefs and inherit land  Only duty land owning women did not perform was fighting  Ran estates  Sat as judges in court  Sent knights to fight

Non-land owning ladies  Raising and training children own and other noble’s children  Overseeing households – some had hundreds of people Priests Master hunters Pages and squires (knights in training) Cooks Servants

Artists Craftspeople Grooms Musicians Jesters

Leisure time  Hunting  Hawking  Feasting  Dancing  Board games  Reading  Ladies – embroidery – decorative sewing

Hardships on Manor  Cold and gloomy – lit by candle – warmed by open fire  Little to no privacy  Fleas and lice infected all buildings  People bathed only once a week if that  Clothes were not washed daily  Disease  Ever-present danger of war

Knights  Mounted soldiers  Had to have some wealth  Suit of armor and horse very costly  Vassals of more powerful lords

Becoming a knight  Many years of training  Started as a page – or servant  At age 7 left home and went to live at the castle – often a relative  Learned how to ride a horse  Received religious instruction from priest  Spent much of initial time with ladies – learning to sing, dance, compose harp

 After 7 years as a page, became a squire  Spent most of time with a lord  Polished armor, shield and lance  Care for horses  Waiting on him at mealtime – carrying water, carving meat,, filing empty cup  Trained to be a warrior – fight with lance and sword

 Use a battle-ax and a mace  Practiced fighting  Went to real battles dress the lord Follow him to battle Care for him if lord was injuried

 In early 20s became a knight  Complex religious event Spent the night before in prayer Bathed in the morning Put on a long white tunic or shirt to show purity During ceremony – knelt before lord and said vows Lord drew sword and touched the soldier on each shoulder and knighted him

Chivalry  Strong code of behavior  Being a knight was a way of life  Means horse  Expected to be loyal to church and lord Just and fair Protect the helpless Respect women

Responsibilities of Knight  Jousts Two armed knights on horseback gallop toward each other with lances – try to unseat opponent from horse Done as sport, exercise, or serious battle  Tournaments Team of knights in one-on-one battle

Knighthood  Lasted until about the 17 th century  Gunpowder and cannons changed warfare  Knights fighting one on one was no longer effective

Armor  Heavy suits of metal  In the 11 th century – made of metal rings linked together  14 th century – plate armor – better protection

Peasants  Most of population  Worked the land  Freed the lords and knights to prepare for war  Two categories of peasants – free or un- free  Free – rented land from lord and only owed rent

Serfs  Un-free peasants  Farmed the lord’s land  Could not leave – owned by lord  Received a small plot of land to farm for themselves

Daily Life  Raised crops  Tended livestock  Worked as Carpenters Shoemakers Smiths- metal workers Other skilled workers

Peasant woman  Worked the fields  Cared for children and homes

Requirements of Peasants  Yearly payment – head money – fix amount per person  Some demanded a tallage whenever they needed money  Women married – she, father, or husband had to pay fee called merchet  Grind their grain in lords mill – lord kept any amount he wanted  Serfs found this so hateful that they hid small hand mills in their houses

Peasant homes  Small home  One or two rooms  Made of wooden strips covered with straw or mud  Little furniture  Fire in middle of room with no chimney  Animals were sometimes housed in homes

Peasant meals  Vegetables  Pork  Dark course bread make of wheat, rye, or oatmeal  Winter – ate meat or fish preserved in salt  Herbs were used to disguise the taste of meat that was no longer fresh