Chapter 13
Section 2







Lord
Fief
Vassal
Knight
Serf
Manor
Tithe

Vikings invade from the North:




From about 800-1000 C.E. invasions destroyed the
Carolingian Empire
The Vikings (Northsmen/Norsemen) were a
Germanic people from Scandinavia, Northern
Europe
The Vikings worshiped warlike gods and took pride
in names like Eric the Bloodaxe and Thorfin
Skullspliter
Came through Europe pillaging and looting villages
all over Europe

Vikings Invade from the North
Vikings are not just invaders
 Also farmers, traders, and explorers
 Leif Ericson a Viking explorer reached North
America in 1000 C.E. nearly 500 years before
Christopher Columbus
 Around 1000 C.E. the climate in Scandinavia grew
warmer making farming much easier
 New generations of Vikings stayed to farm bringing
an end to most Viking raids

MAGYARS - EAST



Nomadic people from
Hungary
Reached as far West as
the Rhineland
Did not settle
conquered lands;
captured people to sell
into slavery
MUSLIMS- SOUTH


800-900 C.E. Muslim
goals were to plunder
Europe (steal)
Excellent seafarers
made it possible to
attack European Coast
ling from Northern
Africa

Feudalism Structures Society:



911 C.E. Charles the Simple; the King of France
negotiated a peace settlement with a Viking king
Rollo
Charles gave Rollo a large piece of land known as
the Northmen’s Land (Normandy) in return for a
pledge of loyalty.
Ushering in a new system of governing and land
holding called feudalism.

Feudalism Structures Society:
Feudal system based on rights and obligations
 A lord would give a land grant, or fief, to vassal in
return for military protection and other services
 Charles the Simple (lord) gave land (fief) to
Rollo (vassal) in exchange for loyalty

KINGS
Church Officials & Nobles
Knights
Peasants (Surfs)

A Self Contained World






A Manor is the lord’s estate (land)
Serfs were people who legally could not leave the
places they were born
Would work the lords land and take care of his
animals
In return was given housing and protection from
bandits
Rarely did a serf or peasant travel more than 25
miles from their manor
A peasant could stand in the middle of the manor
and see his entire world in a snap shot…





What Vikings Explorer landed in North
America nearly 500 years before Chris
Columbus?
Where did the Muslims invade Europe from?
What is a fief?
Where did the Vikings come from?
What group of people were at the bottom of the
Feudal Pyramid?