Medieval Society Kings and Queens Rulers Nobility Lords

Medieval Society • Kings and Queens • Rulers • Nobility • Lords and Knights • Controlled the land • Clergy • Church officials • Peasants • Majority of the population • Worked the land served the nobles

Feudalism • Political and social system based on the granting of land in exchange for loyalty, military assistance, and other services

Feudalism • Feudalism originated partly as result of Viking, Magyar, Muslim invasions • Kings unable to defend their lands, lands of their nobles • Nobles had to find way to defend own lands • Built castles, often on hills • Not elaborate structures; built of wood, used as place of shelter in case of attack

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

Feudalism • Knights were usually paid for their services with land • Lords divided their lands into estates called fiefs • Fiefs (land) given to knight vassals • A person granted land in return for loyalty or military service All nobles were vassals to the king

Feudalism Oath of Fealty • 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 • Had to promise to remain loyal; promise called oath of fealty

Feudalism Financial Obligations • 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 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

Feudalism • Knights • Chivalry • Code of ethics followed by knights • Honesty, fairness in battle, loyal, proper treatment of women

Constructing the Pyramid Feudal Power SERFS AND FREEMEN 9

Constructing the Pyramid of Feudal Power LESSER NOBLES (KNIGHTS) LABOR PROTECTION SERFS AND FREEMEN 10

Constructing the Pyramid of Feudal Power POWERFUL NOBLES LOYALTY AND MILITARY SERVICE LESSER NOBLES (KNIGHTS) LABOR LAND PROTECTION SERFS AND FREEMEN 11

Constructing the Pyramid of Feudal Power KING LOYALTY AND SERVICE LOYALTY AND MILITARY SERVICE LAND POWERFUL NOBLES LESSER NOBLES (KNIGHTS) LABOR LAND PROTECTION SERFS AND FREEMEN 12

Manorial System Feudal system was a political and social system. A related system governed medieval economics This system was called the manorial system because it was built around large estates called manors.

Manorial System Lords, peasants and serfs • Manors owned by wealthy lords, knights • Peasants farmed manor fields • Were given protection, plots of land to cultivate for selves

Manorial System Free people • Manors had some free people who rented land from lord • Others included landowning peasants, skilled workers like blacksmiths, millers • Also had a priest for spiritual needs

Manorial System • Manors were self sufficient – Most things needed for daily life were produced on the manor

Typical Manor: • Most of manor’s land occupied by fields for crops, pastures for animals • Middle Ages farmers learned that leaving field empty for year improved soil • In time, practice developed into threefield crop rotation system

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

Life in a Castle • 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 always

Life in a Castle Space • Nobles had to share space with others, including soldiers, servants • Private rooms very rare • Main room the hall, large room for dining, entertaining

Life in a Castle Bedrooms • In early castles, noble family bedrooms separated from main area by sheets • Later castles had separate bedrooms; latrines near bedrooms • Wooden bathtub outside in warm weather, inside near fireplace in winter

Life in a Village • life in a castle was preferable to life in a village • typical village family lived in a small wooden one-room house • roof was made of straw, the floor of dirt, and the furniture of rough wood • open holes in the walls served as windows.

Life in a Village Bedroom • 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

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

Life in a 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.

Manorial System • Serfs • Peasants who lived and worked on the lord’s manor • Were not allowed to leave the manor or marry without the lord’s permission • Were allowed to farm on the manor in return for work • Lords were required to protect the serfs

Manorial System • The life of a serf was harsh • Worked long hours • few lived past 35 years old • Based on heredity • You were a serf if you parents were

Manorial System The Harshness of Manor Life • Peasants pay taxes to use mill and bakery; pay a tithe to priest • Tithe—a church tax—is equal to one-tenth of a peasant’s income • Serfs live in crowded cottages with dirt floors, straw for beds

Manorial System The Harshness of Manor Life • Worked long hours • raising crops, livestock; feeding and clothing family • Poor diet, illness, malnutrition make life expectancy 35 years • Serfs generally accept their lives as part of God’s plan

Manorial System • Freemen • skilled workers who paid rent to nobles and could leave the manor • Ex. Blacksmith and millers