Chap 13.3 Slides Flashcards
What was the way of life during the early Middle Ages?
The Feudal System
How did Feudalism come about?
- Feudalism originated as result of invasions
- Kings unable to defend their lands, same with nobles
- Nobles had to find way to defend own lands
How were conquered land defended?
- King and Nobles built castles, often on hills
- used as place of shelter in case of attack
Who defended the castles?
Knights and Lords
What did the Nobles need?
What did the Knights need?
- 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
How did a noble become a knight?
- Only Nobles
- 21 years old
- Ceremonial Bath
- Protect God and king
- Build reputation in jousting and sword tournaments
What was the feudal system or feudalism build on?
Who got what in feudalism?
Feudalism = System of exchanging land for service
Knights were usually paid for their services with land
Land given to knight for service was called a ______
–Anyone accepting fief was called a ________
–Person from whom he accepted fief was his _______
•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
Knights’ promise to be loyal was called _____________
promise to remain loyal; promise called oath of fealty
What were the feudal obligations?
- 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
What were the financial obligations of the Knights?
- 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
What were the Lord’s Obligations?
- 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
Why was the Lord and Vassal relationship complicated?
- 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
Theoretically, everyone supposed to be loyal to whom?
Was this always the case?
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
What was the system that governed medieval economics?
What was this system build on?
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.
Who did what in the manorial system?
Lords, Peasants, and Serfs?
- Manors owned by wealthy lords, knights
- Peasants farmed manor fields
- Were given protection, land to cultivate for selves
Most people in the manorial system were ________.
This was known as ________
Serfdom
- Most peasants on farm were serfs, tied to manor
- Could not leave, marry without lord’s permission
Who were the free people in the manorial system?
- Manors had some free people who rented land from lord
- Also had a priest for spiritual needs
What was a typical manor like?
•Most of manor’s land occupied by fields for crops, pastures for animals
How was a manor like a small village?
- 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
What was life in a castle in the Middle Ages?
- 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
What were the rooms like inside a castle?
- 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
What was home like in a village?
- 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
What were meals like in the village?
- 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
What was the work of everyone in the village?
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.
