Feudalism
Feudalism as a Form of Political Organization
The Feudal Contract
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safety and for defense, people in the Middle Ages formed small communities
around a central lord or master. Most people lived on a manor, which consisted
of the castle, the church, the village, and the surrounding farm land. These
manors were isolated, with occasional visits from peddlers, pilgrims on their
way to the Crusades, or soldiers from other fiefdoms.
In this "feudal" system, the king awarded land grants or "fiefs" to his most important nobles, his barons, and his bishops, in return for their contribution of soldiers for the king's armies. At the lowest echelon of society were the peasants, also called "serfs" or "villeins." In exchange for living and working on his land, known as the "demesne," the lord offered his peasants protection.
This arrangement was perhaps clearest in England. William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066, claimed all lands. He kept one-fifth as crown lands, gave one-quarter to the church, and gave the rest to 170 Norman barons. In return, the barons had to provide the king a fixed number of mounted and armed knights. The barons, in order to meet their obligations, gave their land to lesser tenants. This continued on down the line until each knight held one manor, a large parcel of land.
King Arthur and His Knights
Legend tells that once Arthur became king of Britain, he embarked on a series of wars to guarantee Britain’s independence and security. Early texts state that he defeated the Saxons, Picts, and Scots, as well as overrunning Ireland and Iceland. Later, he battled the Romans.
Fealty and Homage
Feudalism was a contractual relationship in which each party was bound by certain obligations:
The obligation of the overlord or baron were to provide justice and protection for his vassal (peasants that lived and worked on his manor).
The obligation of the vassal were to do homage and fealty to his lord, to fight for his lord for forty days a year, to take his disputes to his overlord’s court, to pay a form of taxation.
Feudal Kingship
The essence of feudalism was anarchy. Real power rested with the baron, and kings had only nominal authority.
Kings were often elected by a council of barons and wise men of the kingdom.
Weapons of Medieval Warfare
During the Middle Ages, European society developed into a political and military system known as feudalism. Living under the threat of invasions from foreigners, the people of Europe also developed a different kind of weaponry. Mounted warriors, known as the cavalry, could move quickly and strike hard with axes, pikes, lances, and two-edged swords longer than those used by men on foot.
Chivalry
Originally, knighthood was a secular ceremony in which the vassal swore fealty to his overlord, but in the twelfth century religious vows were added, which meant that in breaking his feudal oath the knight was endangering his soul. This concept of the ethical duty of the vassal to the lord was necessary because there was no means by which the overlord could compel his vassal to obey him.
Coat of Arms
Originally used as a means of identifying knights in battle, the coat of arms serves to distinguish families, corporations, and even states and nations. The elements of a coat of arms draw on a rich vocabulary of symbols that are used to represent the identity of the bearer with accuracy and pride.
Feudalism as an Economic and Social Institution
The political structure of feudalism rested on an economic structure called serfdom. Serfdom was an effort to regulate the labor supply in an era when there was a shortage of labor and an abundance of land. The peasant was not a slave, but he was tied to the land. The lord of the land did not own his serfs, but he did own a percentage of the fruits of the land that were the product of the serf’s labor. The lord claimed a certain percentage of the serf’s labor (often three to four days a week) as well as a percentage of his productivity in the form of wheat, or other product. The serf was at the mercy of his lord and received justice only if his lord cared to give it.
Serfdom in the Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages in Europe, which historians date from about the 5th century to the 15th century ad, peasants became legally bound to live and work in one place in servitude to wealthy landowners. In return for working the land of the owner, known as the lord, these peasants, called serfs, received a crude house, a small adjoining plot of ground, a share of the surrounding fields, some farm animals, and protection from outlaws and other lords. The serf gave part of his own crop to the lord as payment of rent and was subject to many other payment obligations and taxes. Serfdom differed from slavery because serfs had the right to own property, could not be sold, and could theoretically purchase their freedom from their lords.
Health and Medicine in the Middle Ages
As the populations of medieval towns and cities increased, hygienic conditions worsened, leading to a vast array of health problems. Medical knowledge was limited and, despite the efforts of medical practitioners and public and religious institutions to institute regulations, medieval Europe did not have an adequate health care system. Antibiotics weren't invented until the 1800s and it was almost impossible to cure diseases without them.
There were many myths and superstitions about health and hygiene as there still are today. People believed, for example, that disease was spread by bad odors. It was also assumed that diseases of the body resulted from sins of the soul. Many people sought relief from their ills through meditation, prayer, pilgrimages, and other nonmedical methods.
The body was viewed as a part of the universe, a concept derived from the Greeks and Romans. Four humors, or body fliuds, were directly related to the four elements: fire=yellow bile or choler; water=phlegm; earth=black bile; air=blood. These four humors had to be balanced. Too much of one was thought to cause a change in personality--for example, too much black bile could create melancholy.