Chap 13.3 Slides

Question 1

What was the way of life during the early Middle Ages?

Answer 1

The Feudal System

Question 2

How did Feudalism come about?

Answer 2

• Feudalism originated as result of invasions
• Kings unable to defend their lands, same with nobles
• Nobles had to find way to defend own lands

Question 3

How were conquered land defended?

Answer 3

• King and Nobles built castles, often on hills
• used as place of shelter in case of attack

Question 4

Who defended the castles?

Answer 4

Knights and Lords

Question 5

What did the Nobles need?

What did the Knights need?

Answer 5

• Nobles needed trained soldiers to defend castles
• Knights, highly skilled soldiers
• Mounted knights in heavy armor best defenders
• Being a knight expensive; had to maintain weapons, armor, horses, entourage
• Knights demanded payment for services

Question 6

How did a noble become a knight?

Answer 6

• Only Nobles
• 21 years old
• Ceremonial Bath
• Protect God and king
• Build reputation in jousting and sword tournaments

Question 7

What was the feudal system or feudalism build on?

Who got what in feudalism?

Answer 7

Feudalism = System of exchanging land for service

Knights were usually paid for their services with land

Question 8

Land given to knight for service was called a ______

–Anyone accepting fief was called a ________

–Person from whom he accepted fief was his _______

Answer 8

•Land given to knight for service was called a fief

–Anyone accepting fief was called a vassal

–Person from whom he accepted fief was his lord

Question 9

Knights’ promise to be loyal was called _____________

Answer 9

promise to remain loyal; promise called oath of fealty

Question 10

What were the feudal obligations?

Answer 10

• Lords, vassals in feudal system had duties to fulfill to one another
• Knight’s chief duty as vassal to provide military service to his lord

Question 11

What were the financial obligations of the Knights?

Answer 11

• Knight had certain financial obligations to lord
• Knight obligated to pay ransom for lord’s release if captured in battle
• Gave money to lord on special occasions, such as knighting of son

Question 12

What were the Lord’s Obligations?

Answer 12

• Lord had to treat knights fairly, not demanding too much time, money
• Had to protect knight if attacked by enemies
• Had to act as judge in disputes between knights

Question 13

Why was the Lord and Vassal relationship complicated?

Answer 13

• A Person could be both lord, vassal
• Some knights with large fiefs gave small pieces of land to other knights, created many levels of obligations
• One knight could serve many lords

Question 14

Theoretically, everyone supposed to be loyal to whom?

Was this always the case?

Answer 14

Fealty to King

Theoretically, everyone supposed to be loyal to the king

• In practice, not everyone loyal
• Some powerful nobles as strong as kings were supposed to serve, ignored duties as vassals

Question 15

What was the system that governed medieval economics?

What was this system build on?

Answer 15

The Manorial System

A related system governed medieval economics. This system was called the manorial system because it was built around large estates called manors.

Question 16

Who did what in the manorial system?

Lords, Peasants, and Serfs?

Answer 16

• Manors owned by wealthy lords, knights
• Peasants farmed manor fields
• Were given protection, land to cultivate for selves

Question 17

Most people in the manorial system were ________.

This was known as ________

Answer 17

Serfdom

• Most peasants on farm were serfs, tied to manor
• Could not leave, marry without lord’s permission

Question 18

Who were the free people in the manorial system?

Answer 18

• Manors had some free people who rented land from lord
• Also had a priest for spiritual needs

Question 19

What was a typical manor like?

Answer 19

•Most of manor’s land occupied by fields for crops, pastures for animals

Question 20

How was a manor like a small village?

Answer 20

• Each manor included fortified house for noble family, village for peasants, serfs
• Goal to make manor self-sufficient
• Typical manor also included church, mill, blacksmith

Question 21

What was life in a castle in the Middle Ages?

Answer 21

• Life in Middle Ages not easy, did not have comforts we have today
• Early castles built for defense not comfort
• Few windows, stuffy in summer, cold in winter, dark

Question 22

What were the rooms like inside a castle?

Answer 22

• Nobles had to share space with others, including soldiers, servants
• Private rooms very rare
• Main room the hall, large room for dining, entertaining
• Bedrooms - In early castles, noble family bedrooms separated from main area by sheets

Question 23

What was home like in a village?

Answer 23

• Most families slept on beds of straw on floor
• All shared one room with each other, animals
• Most glad to have animals to provide extra heat in cold winters

Question 24

What were meals like in the village?

Answer 24

• Peasant families cooked meals over open fire in middle of floor
• Typical meal: bread, cheese, vegetables, occasionally meat
• No chimneys, house often full of smoke; fires common

Question 25

What was the work of everyone in the village?

Answer 25

The family rose before dawn.

Men went to work in the fields; women did chores.

During harvest, the entire family worked in the field all day.