Last Name:_______________________ First Name:_______________________ Date:_____________ Per.:____
Unit 1, Chapter 2, Part 3
The Development of Feudalism in Western Europe: Part 3 of 3 (Pages 26-29)
Mounted Armor Page Squire Rule Chivalry Peasants Serf Livestock Mill
2.3
Knights During Feudal Times
Knights were mounted1 soldiers of the medieval world. Most knights were rich
because owning a suit or armor for protection and a horse were very
expensive. They usually were vassals of more powerful lords.
Becoming a Knight
Knights Jousting
The path to becoming a knight took many years of training. A boy started as a page, or servant. At the
age of seven, a boy would leave home and went to live at the castle of the lord, usually a relative. Nearly
all wealthy lords had several pages living in their castle. A page also learned how to ride a horse and
received religious training from the local priest. During the first stage of training, pages spent much time
with the ladies of the castle. The ladies taught the young boys many skills such as how to sing, dance,
compose music, and play the harp. These skills were also important for knights to have.
Unanswered Question: What is one question you have about the paragraph above?_________
At about age 14 a young page became a squire. He spent most of his time with the
knight who was his lord. He polished his armor, sword, shield, and lance. He also took
care of the knight’s horse and did other simple jobs for the knight such as carry his
water for hand washing, carved his meat, and filled his cup when it was empty. Most
importantly, squires trained to be future warriors. They learned to
fight with a variety of weapons such as a lance (see above), and
battle-ax and mace. They practice by fighting in make believe
battles, but did go into real battles. They were expected to help
their knights put on their armor (see the picture to the right) and look out after him if
he was wounded in battle. In his early twenties, a squire could become a knight if he
was deserving. Sometimes, if a squire did particularly well in battle, he was made a
knight on the spot. In order to become a knight, the lord would place the flat side of
Being Knighted
his/her sword on each shoulder while the squire was kneeling (see picture to the left).
Rules: How can a squire become a knight? ____________________________________________
The Responsibilities and Daily Life of Knights
Being a knight was more than a job. It was a way of life. They lived by a strong rules of
Chivalry
behavior called chivalry. Knights were expected to be loyal2 to their church and lord,
be just and fair, and protect the helpless. They often paid respect to women, which
meant to be courteous and kind to women. Example of chivalry
Jousts and tournaments were a major part of a knight’s life. In a joust, two armed knights on horses galloped
at each other with their lances held straight out. This could be done for sport, exercise, or as a serious battle.
By the 14th century, or 1300s, knights began to wear plate armor because it offered better protection. The
institution3 of knighthood lasted until the 17th century, or the 1600s, when fighting changed with the growing
use of gunpowder and cannons. Knights who fought on horses and with swords were no longer needed.
1
Mounted means to ride on a horse
Loyalty: to have a strong feeling of support for someone
3
An institution can be an established custom or practice, such as being a knight.
2
2.4 Peasants During Feudal Times
Most people in the Middle Ages were peasants. They were not lords or
vassals. But, they did play an important part in feudal society as they
worked the land and created the food supply. This allowed lords and
knights time to prepare for war or actual fighting.
Serfs Working the Land
During the medieval times, peasants were legally classified as free or
unfree. Free peasants rented the land to farm and owed only the rent to their lord. Unfree
peasants, or serfs, also farmed the land, but could not leave the lord’s estate. In return, they
received a small plot of land of their own to farm. The daily life of peasants revolved around
work. Most peasants raised crops and tended to livestock (farm animals). But every manor also
had carpenters, shoemakers, metalworkers, and other skilled workers.
Perspectives: Would you rather be peasant or a serf? Why? I would rather be a_______________
because
Women peasants also worked the fields while caring for their children and homes. Serfs
always seemed to owe taxes. They had to pay a yearly payment called “head money”,
which was a set number for each person living on the estate of the lord. The lord could
also demand a tax called a tallage whenever he needed money. When a woman
married, she, her father or her husband had to pay a fee called a merchet. Serfs were
Grinding Mill
also required to grind their grain at the lord’s mill (the only mill in the village). The
miller kept some grain for himself and some for the lord. Lords could keep any amount they
wanted. Some serfs had their own small hand mill in their homes to avoid paying such high taxes.
Ethics (right or wrong): Were the lords acting ethically or unethically? Why? The lords were acting
because
As you can imagine, most peasants lived in small houses of one or two rooms. A typical peasant
home was made of wood and covered with straw or mud. Peasants had little furniture or other
possessions. There was a small fire in the middle of the main room, but with no chimney to let the
smoke out, so it was always dark and smoky inside. An entire family might eat and sleep in one
room that sometimes also had livestock (farm animals) inside. Peasants ate vegetables, meat
such as pork, and dark bread made of wheat mixed with rye and oatmeal. During the winter they
ate meat and fish that had been preserved in salt. Herbs were used widely, in part for flavor and
in part to lessen the taste of the salt or to disguise the taste of meat that was no longer fresh.
In your own words, find the meaning of the words below?
1) Armor:____________________________________________________________________________________
2) Mounted:_________________________________________________________________________________
3) Page:_____________________________________________________________________________________
4) Squire:______________________________________________________________________________
5) Rule:______________________________________________________________________________________
6) Chivalry:___________________________________________________________________________________
7) Peasants:__________________________________________________________________________________
8) Serf:________________________________________________________________________________
9) Livestock:_________________________________________________________________________________
10) Mill:______________________________________________________________________________________