Feudal Society
700 A.D. – 1200 A.D.
(Chapter 24, pgs. 366-378)
 Central government collapsed after the death of
_____________________________. As the ____________________ invaded
Western European kingdoms, local nobles took over the duty of raising armies and
protecting their property. Power passed from kings to local lords, giving rise to a
system known as ______________________.
 The ________________, or religious leaders, also owned land and held power.
Members of the clergy taught Christianity, helped the poor and sick, and advised the
nobles who belonged to the Church. With Western Europe divided into thousands of
feudal territories, the Church served as a unifying force and exerted a strong
influence over the culture of the ________________________.
Land and Government
 Power was based on the ________________________________.
 Charles Martel began giving his soldiers _______________ (estates) as a reward for
their service and loyalty.
 After 800, the kings of Europe followed Martel’s example, tying land ownership to
military service and resulting in power and wealth for soldiers.
The Rise of Feudal Territories
 After Charlemagne’s death in 814, Europe had no
____________________________ and very weak kings.
 Around 900, the nobles took on the duty of protecting their land and people from the
Vikings.
 The peasants asked the nobles to protect them and in return, the peasants gave
their lands to nobles and promised to work for them.
 By 1000, the kingdoms of _________________________ were divided into
thousands of feudal territories.
 The noble who owned the land had the political power, making the laws for his fief
and disallowing the peasants any say in the government.
 As almost everyone believed that ______________ wanted it that way, few people
tried to improve society.
Lord and Vassal
 Feudalism was based on ties of _________________ and duty among nobles, who
were both lords and __________________ (nobles who served a lord of higher
rank).
 The tie between lord and vassal was made official in a special ceremony known as
the ___________________________________, in which the vassal promised to
serve the lord.
 Vassals had to help the lord in battle, make payments to their lord, and attend the
lord’s court.
 When a lord’s daughter married, or his son became a _______________ (warrior on
horseback), his vassals had to give the lord money.
The Nobility
 From the 800s to the 1000s, nobles and their families lived in one-room wooden
houses surrounded by ____________________, or high wooden fences built for
protection.
 The house consisted of one room with a high ceiling and a straw-covered floor. All
activity took place in ___________________________.
The Castle
 By the 1100s, nobles were living in stone houses, designed as fortresses, called
______________________.
 Within the castle walls was a ______________, or tall tower with thick walls, that
contained a great hall, many rooms, and a dungeon.
 Many people lived in the castle, including the _______________________________
who were responsible for the castle’s care and ____________________
Castle Life
 When nobles were at home, they looked after their estates, went hunting and fishing,
played games, and held court.
 Noblewomen were called ________________.
 Women were often married by ______________________, helped their husbands
run their estates, and were expected to have and raise children.
Knighthood
 Almost all nobles earned knighthood.
 Knights were expected to follow the___________________, rules stating that a
knight was to obey his lord, show bravery, respect women of noble birth, honor the
Church, help people, and to fight fairly against his enemies.
 The code of chivalry became the guide to behavior from which the
_________________________________________developed.
Training
 A noble began knighthood training at _____________ years of age.
 At the castle of another lord, he learned to be a____________, or a person who
helped the knights of the castle.
 At 15 years old, a page became a _____________ and was put under the care and
training of one knight.
 If the squire proved to be a good fighter, he was rewarded by being made a knight in
a special ceremony known as________________ , in which he promised to defend
the______________, his lord, and to protect the weak.
Tournaments
 Knights trained for war by fighting each other in__________________, or special
contests that test strength, skill, and endurance.
 The most popular event was the____________, in which two armored knights on
horseback carrying dull lances galloped towards each other, trying to knock the
other to the ground with his lance.
 While very popular, the cost of tournaments was high.
The Manor
 _____________________________________ all depended on the land for
everything.
 The land was divided into_______________, or farming communities.
 Manors were found on fiefs and were owned by nobles.
Daily Life
 The noble chose loyal officials to run his manor.
 One official, the __________________, tended the fiefs by visiting each regularly.
 Another official was the _____________ who managed the peasants in the fields.
 As poor transportation and frequent _______________ isolated manors, each
manor produced food, clothing, and shelter for themselves and the noble.
Freemen and Serfs
 Two groups of peasants worked on the manor:
 __________________, or peasants who paid the noble for the right to farm land,
worked only on their own strips of land and had ______________ under law.
 ______________ and their descendants also worked on a manor, but they were a
noble’s property.
 While serfs could not be driven off the land and did not have to serve in the army,
they could only gain their freedom by _____________________________________.
 In spite of the difficulties, a serf’s life had some bright moments.
 By the 1200s, peasants began to use a ______________________ of farming,
started to use a heavy iron plow, and employed the horse collar which enabled the
peasants to grow more food.