HANDOUT 17
1. Feudalism For 200 years after the death of Charlemagne, Western Europe was
battered by invasions. Hungarian tribes swept in from the east, Muslims controlled
Spain and threatened Italy, Vikings from Scandinavia attacked manors throughout
Western Europe. Basically Western Europe had fallen apart. In response to these
dangers, a military government emerged. The feudal system of rule by local lords that
were given land (manors) by kings in return for loyalty. The lord would then be in
charge of the people living on the land (peasants, serfs, knights, etc.) With no large cities
in Western Europe at the time people were willing to accept the rules of the lord and live
on manors in return for their safety. Most people lived on a manor which consisted of the
castle, the church, the village, and the surrounding farm land. These manors were
isolated, and for the most part there was not communication between one manor and
another, in fact trade had declined due to the chaos that had developed in Western
Europe. Most people born on feudal manors never left the manor and lived their life out
on that manor.
/Clergy
1. What does this chart tell you about feudalism?
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2. Why is this system different than the way our society works today?
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3. Would you want to live in this society? Explain.
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PEOPLE OF THE MANOR (IN YOUR OWN
WORDS)
a. Lord
b.Vassal
c.Knight
1. Lords: In feudal Europe a lord was someone that was given land by a local king or
queen. A person who controlled land and could therefore give land to vassals (which
were the people that lived on the land that they controlled). Usually they were given this
power by a local king. And they were the most wealthy person on a manor. Lords would
receive an education, and spend most of their days in a manor house, or castle. For fun
men would go hunting while the women would tend to the house. The lord made the
rules/ laws of the land and acted as judge/jury.
2. Clergy: The Catholic Church played a major role in all areas of medieval life.
Faced with tough lives of poverty, very little food, poor living conditions, people
turned to the Church for help and comfort. As a matter of fact the Church was
one of the few places that helped the poor by giving them a little food, such as a
loaf of bread for a family that had no food for dinner
3. Knights: in medieval Europe, an armored warrior who fought on horseback. All knights,
like all people from all walks of life in the Middle Ages, had to behave in a certain way.
This way was called the Code of Chivalry. The code said that all knights had to be brave
in battle. They had to keep their promises. They had to defend the church. They had to
treat noblewomen in a courteous manner. Over time, chivalry became the basis of good
manners in Western society. The knights were also in charge of policing the manor.
4. Peasants: Villages consisted of 10-60 families living in huts on dirt floors, with
no windows. Often, one end of the hut was given over to storing farm animals.
The peasant diet was mainly porridge, cheese, black bread, and a few home grown
vegetables. Peasants had a hard life, but they did not work on Sundays or on the
frequent saints’ days, and they could go to nearby fairs and markets. Peasants did
not receive a formal education. Life was much harder on the Serfs.
5. Serfs: Although not a slave, a serf was bound to a lord for life. He could own no
property and needed the lord’s permission to marry. Under no circumstances
could a serf leave the lord’s land without the lord’s permission unless he chose to
run away. If he ran to a town and managed to stay there for a year and one day,
he was a free man. However, the serf did have rights. He could not become
homeless if the manor’s owner changed. He could not be required to fight, and he
was entitled to the protection of the lord.
6. Vikings: Many Vikings were great travelers and sailed all over Europe
and the north Atlantic Ocean in their long ships. Some went as fierce pirate
raiders: they stole treasure and attacked local people. But most Vikings
who sailed overseas were simply searching for better land for their farms.
The Viking Age began about 1,200 years ago in the 8th Century C.E. and
lasted for 300 years.
H.W. ASSIGNMENT
1. DUE NEXT CLASS YOU WILL RECREATE A FEUDAL MANOR FOR THIS LESSON YOU NEED TO CREATE
A NAME TAG, THE NAME SHOULD BE CREATIVE. IT WILL BE DRAWN ON A WHITE SHEET OF PAPER AND
YOUR NAME TAG WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE DRAWING WITH THE 4” X 6” A INDEX CARD
Key: C= church’s field; L= Lord’s field; K= Knight’s field; S and P = serf and peasant field