Feudalism and the Manorial System

Feudalism Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire turned to a system of small estates or manors. Feudalism -a political system in which kings and nobles granted land to other nobles in exchange for service, loyalty, or military assistance. By the mid 1000s it had become the way of life in Europe. There was no real strong central government, kings were dependent on the nobles.

Feudalism and Feudal relationships The person who granted land was called a lord. The person that received the land was a vassal. The grant of land was a fief. The fief could not be broken up, and became hereditary. It was given to the first born male heir. Primogeniture. Women could influence but had little real power. The church was also part of the system.

Feudal relationships Feudalism was a noble relationship between equals. Only nobles could be lords or vassals. The same man could be both vassal and lord. It was a personal relationship, with rights to the person above and below. Obligations of the vassal, to pay ransom, to house and feed the lord, attend weddings. Feudal justice- Trial by battle, oath taking, Trial by ordeal. Warfare - frequent and deadly for peasants.

Medieval Warfare Frequent wars plagued the Middle Ages. Kingdom vs. Kingdom or sometimes Vassal vs. Lord. The Knight or Medieval fighting man wore chain mail, an iron helmet, carried a sword and lance. Later Knights wore heavy armor plating. The Church tried to control warfare by issuing the Peace of God and the Truce of God. War was restricted to only certain days. This really didn’t work.

The Manorial System The manorial system was the economic equivalent of feudalism. Everything was done on the manor. Only iron, salt, and tar imported. The lord of the manor shared the land with several peasants. His land or 1/3 was called the domain. The cultivating process used three large fields. Only two were planted so that one could lie fallow. The three field system of cultivation.

Peasant Life/Noble Life Most peasants on the manor were serfs, bound to the land. There were a few skilled artisans who were free. Life was hard, the work was back breaking, and most peasants only lived to the age of 40. The diet consisted of black bread, eggs, cabbage, and some cheese. Very little meat was eaten. Nobles lived in castles. The source of protection. Early middle ages very simple earth and wood structures.

Noble Life and Chivalry The main part of the castle was the keep. This was a thick tower which often contained the great hall. For entertainment the nobility would often stage tournaments. People often killed or wounded in these games. During the 1100s chivalry or a code of conduct developed. To became a knight a boy served as a page, ( 7 – 13) and then a squire (14-17). Families often inherited family crests or symbols. Richard II’s White heart, the Fleur de-lis of the French Bourbons.