Feudal society
I. Hierarchy of Rulers
1. King - The top leader in the land was the king. The king could not control all
of the land by himself, so he divided it up among the Barons. In return, the
Barons pledged their loyalty and soldiers to the king. When a king died, his
firstborn son would inherit the throne. When one family stayed in power for a
long time, this was called a dynasty. Lords and Barons swore oaths of homage
to their kings.
Baron UK: bærən
pledge UK: pleʤ
báró
fogadalom/ megesküdni
Homage UK: hɔmɪʤ
hűbéreskü
Fief UK: fiːfhűbérbirtok
2. Bishop
The Bishop was the top church leader in the kingdom and managed an
area called a diocese. The Catholic Church was very powerful in most
parts of Medieval Europe and this made the Bishop powerful as well. Not
only that, but the church received a tithe of 10 percent from all the
people. This made some Bishops very rich.
Bishop UK: bɪʃəp
püspök
diocese UK: daɪəsɪs egyházmegye
Tithe UK: taɪð dézsma/tized
3. Baron / powerful noble/
Barons ruled large areas of land called fief. They divided up their land
among Lords who ran individual manors. Their job was to maintain an
army that was at the king's service. If they did not have an army,
sometimes they would pay the king a tax instead. This tax was called
shield money.
Fief UK: fiːf hűbérbirtok
Maintain UK: meɪnteɪn
Shield UK: ʃiːld
fenntart
oltalmi/védelmi
4. Lords / lesser nobles, knights/
The lords ran the local manors. They also were the knights and could be
called into battle at any moment by their Baron. The lords owned
everything on their land including the serfs, crops, and villages.
II. Manorial system:
1. The Manor
The centre of life in the Middle Ages was the manor. The manor was run by the
local lord. He lived in a large house or castle where people would gather for
celebrations or for protection if they were attacked. A small village would form
around the castle which would include the local church. Farms would then
spread out from there which would be worked by the peasants.
In medieval times, the house that the local lord lived in was called the manor
house. The manorial system gets its name from that. The person living in the
manor house (the local lord) is tasked with protecting the people in the local
village. In exchange the people in the village make sure the noble has all the food
and anything else he may want for himself or his family. Together, the lord and the
village made up a unit called the manor. This system of protection for provision
was called the manorial system.
Manor UK: mænər uradalmi/földesúri birtok
Manorial system földbirtokosi/uradalmi rendszer
Provision UK: prəvɪʒn gondoskodás
The local lord promised to protect people who served in his manor, because
medieval times were violent times and people needed protection from bandits and
wars. Peasants did not have time to learn how to fight, so they needed someone
who knew how to fight to protect them.
Serfs and peasants
The common people were divided into peasants and serfs. There was a huge
difference between being a peasant and being a a serf.
Serfs were bound to the land. They were almost like slaves. The people
could not be bought and sold, but they could not leave their land without
permission. Their land could be bought and sold. The land and all the food they
grew belonged to the manor (noble).
A serf's job was whatever the noble told them. As a carpenter, a blacksmith, a
baker, a farmer, and a tax collector, serfs did it all. A serf could buy their own
freedom if they could get the money, but where could they get the money? They
were uneducated and mostly unskilled.
Peasent UK: pesnt
paraszt
Serf UK: səːf jobbágy
Serfdom UK: səːfdəm jobbágyság
Peasants or free men were free.
Sometimes they owned their own business or small plot of land, again most were
uneducated and unskilled. They made a contract with the lord and when it finished
they were allowed to renew it or move to other manor.
Taxes: Everyone had to pay taxes. The peasants paid taxes to the lord or noble; they paid
taxes up to the local duke or count who paid taxes to the king. Sometimes the taxes were paid
in crops, sometimes in money, plus they had to work certain number of days every year for
the noble, and give present in special occasions.
Fun Facts about the Middle Age Feudal System
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Around 90 percent of the people worked the land as peasants or serfs.
Serfs and peasants worked hard and died young. Most were dead before
they reached 30 years old.
The kings believed they were given the right to rule by God. This was
called "divine right".