1. Knights, Castles, and Kings…Oh My!

2. The Middle Ages The time period between Ancient and Modern times
No European countries exist
Without boundaries, kings need
help protecting their land

3. Feudalism A form of government based on loyalty
Designed to protect the king’s
land
Used throughout Europe, the
Middle East and Japan
Feudalism looks like a pyramid

4. The Feudal Pyramid:
SERFS AND FREEMEN

5. The Feudal Pyramid: LESSER NOBLES (KNIGHTS) SERFS AND FREEMEN LABOR
PROTECTION
SERFS AND FREEMEN

6. The Feudal Pyramid: POWERFUL NOBLES LESSER NOBLES (KNIGHTS)
LAND AND
PROTECTION
LOYALTY AND
MILITARY SERVICE
LESSER NOBLES
(KNIGHTS)
LABOR
PROTECTION
SERFS AND FREEMEN

7. The Feudal Pyramid: KING POWERFUL NOBLES LESSER NOBLES (KNIGHTS)
LOYALTY AND
SERVICE
LAND
POWERFUL
NOBLES
LAND AND
PROTECTION
LOYALTY AND
MILITARY SERVICE
LESSER NOBLES
(KNIGHTS)
LABOR
PROTECTION
SERFS AND FREEMEN

8. Feudalism: Break it Down
To help protect his land, the king
gives chunks of land to nobles that
he trusts
Fief: Chunk of land given to a noble
by the king
In return, the nobles stayed loyal to
the king and paid him with crops from
his manor

9. The Manor: A Noble’s Fief

10. All in a Knight’s Work To protect their fief, nobles give
pieces of their fief to knights that they
trust
In return, knights followed a code of
chivalry (honorable behavior), stayed
loyal to their noble, fought to protect
their noble and paid him with crops
from his land

11. Serf’s Down Forced to work for the nobles
Serf = Peasant (Lowest class in the Feudal pyramid)
Forced to work for the nobles
Forced to stay on the manor where they
lived
Forced to pay nobles with crops, in return, they get protection from the noble’s knights

12. The Power of the Church The teachings of the Roman
Catholic Church taught people to
accept their place in the feudal
pyramid
The Church taught that it was the
soul that mattered so hardships faced
during life would lead believers to
eternal life in heaven

13. The Ten Commandments of the Code of Chivalry
Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions.
II. Thou shalt defend the Church.
Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute
thyself the defender of them.
IV. Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born.
V. Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
VI. Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.
VII. Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God.
VIII. Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.
IX. Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone.
X. Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.
* Adapted for use from Chivalry by Leon Gautier