Feudalism Pyramid
Feudalism in the Middle Ages resembles a pyramid, with the lowest peasants at its base and the lines of
authority flowing up to the peak of the structure, the king.
Under Feudalism the King was only answerable to the Pope. Feudalism was based on the exchange of
land for military service. Life lived under the Medieval Feudal System, or Feudalism, demanded that
everyone owed allegiance to the King and their immediate superior.
Feudalism Pyramid - Fealty and Homage
During the Middle Ages a portion of land called a fief would be granted by the King. This reward would
be granted to him by his lord in exchange for his services. The recipient of the fief would be one of his
vassals. The fief, or land, was usually granted following a Commendation Ceremony. The commendation
ceremony was designed to create a lasting bond between a vassal and his lord. Fealty and homage were
a key element of feudalism.
Feudalism in England can be easily described through a pyramid:
At the top of the Feudalism Pyramid was the King
The King claimed ownership of the land
The King granted the land to important nobles - these nobles then pledged their loyalty by swearing to
serve and protect the king
The king also granted land to the less powerful military men (the knights) who were called vassals
The vassals also agreed to fight for the king in exchange for their land
The land was worked by the peasants or serfs. They belonged to the land and could not leave without
permission - the bottom of the Feudalism pyramid.
The Feudalism Pyramid - The Social Pyramid of Power
The good thing about the Feudalism Pyramid of Power was that is was possible for everyone to move
higher up the ranks of the pyramid and this is what everyone aspired to do. Medieval Squires and Pages
of the Middle Ages wanted to become knights. A Knight who proved valiant in battle or was successful at
jousting in tournaments could become wealthy. His wealth could pay for a castle. His importance in the
land would increase and he could then join the nobility. Powerful nobles aspired to be King - and the
Medieval history of the Middle Ages under the feudalism pyramid describes such coups.
Feudalism - The Pyramid of Power
The pyramid of power which was the Feudal system ran to a strict 'pecking' order - during the Medieval
period of the Middle Ages everyone knew their place. The order of rank and precedence in the Medieval
Feudal System was as follows:
The Pope
The King
Nobles
Knights / Vassals
Freemen
Yeomen
Servants
Peasants / Serfs / Villeins
The Feudalism Pyramid - The Pyramid of Power in the Church
The Feudalism pyramid also applied to the secular order of the church. Clerics wanted to be Bishops
who in turn would aspire to be made an archbishop. Archbishops in turn might become extremely
ambitious and aspire to become Pope. The Feudalism pyramid of the church would include the following
positions:
The Pope
Bishop
Arch Bishop
Arch Deacon
Abbot
Prior
Dean
Monks
The Feudalism Pyramid and the Pope
Feudalism was based on the belief that the land belonged to God - but that the Kings, who ruled by
Divine Right, managed the land and used it as they wished. However, under the Feudalism pyramid the
King was answerable to the Pope. The Pope, as God's vicar on Earth, had the right to intervene and
impose sanctions on an unjust King. Under the feudalism pyramid the Pope had the power to pronounce
judgement against a King, depose a King, forfeit his Kingdom, put another King in his place or
excommunicate a King. The power and pronouncements of the Pope played a major part in the History
of England. The Pope declared the Norman Invasion as a Holy Crusade and declared his support of
William the Conqueror against the claim of King Harold.
Social Hierarchy
Religious Hierarchy
Part 1
Complete EACH hierarchy pyramid.
1. EACH pyramid has 8 levels-label them in correct order-the most powerful people are at the top.
2. EXPLAIN the role of EACH level
3. then state how EACH role SERVES the role above and beneath them.
Part 2 Making generalizations
1. Based on the functions of the roles in the social pyramid what was the main purpose of this
hierarchy? What were the people working to do and why?
2. Based on the functions of the roles in the religious pyramid what was the main purpose of this
hierarchy? What were the people working to do and why?
3. How could some one evaluate if EACH pyramid was functioning successfully? What would
happen if the hierarchy did NOT function successfully?
Part 3- Conclusions
1. HOW does EACH pyramid relate to economics (People getting wealthy through money)?
2. Why is land important to BOTH pyramids?
3. Which group, in your opinion, is MOST important to the hierarchies? Why?
Fiefdoms in the Middle Ages
Land in medieval times was broken up into fiefs. A fief was a trust, rather than an ownership.
Your oldest son could inherit the fief, but you could not sell a fief in early medieval times.
A fief meant more than land. Each fief was a complete unit. That unit included at least one
village, huts for the serfs, the manor house or castle, and areas set aside to grow, feed, or catch
food - the fields, pasture land, and woods.
Fiefs with streams were greatly prized as streams insured fresh water and added fish to the diet
of those who lived on the fief. The only outsiders allowed to live on a fief were peasants.
Peasants were freemen. They could come and go as they wished, but where would they go?
War was everywhere. Peasants received protection and the use of a small piece of land on
which to build a home in exchange for work.
Frankish kings, starting with Charlemagne's grandfather - Charles Martel - had always rewarded
military service with land. If a noble died without heirs, the king would reassign that land to
someone else. The noble's family would be tossed out, to make room for the new family coming
in. The serfs stayed with the land. They were part of the fief. Their job was to do the work for
whomever owned the fief. In exchange, the fief owner promised the serfs would receive food,
shelter, and protection.
Although fiefs were given to military men as rewards, fiefs came with certain obligations,
obligations beyond feeding and protecting the fief workers, the serfs. In exchange for ownership
of a fief, you had to promise certain things. If you owned a fief:
1. You had to promise loyalty to the king or to the lord who gave you the fief.
2. You had to provide military service. You did not have to fight yourself, but you had to send
men when needed.
3. You had to act as a host when your king or lord came visiting.
4. You had to contribute funds for a ransom if your king or lord was captured in battle.
5. You had to provide gifts of cash to help offset the costs of any of your lord's special
occasions, such as a wedding.
Fiefs were also awarded to counts and local officials. There was a lot of land available. Every
time two barbarian tribes went to war, the losers lost their land, and usually their lives. Their
families were tossed out, and their fiefs were reassigned to new owners. That is one of the
reasons war was so popular. War was the way to riches.
Annotated Map
Imagine that you are a lord and you just have been granted the fiefdom above. You must explain
to your king HOW you will use the fields, buildings, and natural resources to turn a profit for
both the king and yourself.
Part 1:
Provided in the chart below is a listing of the buildings and resources on your fief. (1) Explain
what the purpose of each building and resources and (2) HOW the buildings and resources will
help you make money.
Natural Resources
Farmland
Buildings
Forest
Orchards
Vineyard
Pasture
Steam/lake
Production fields
Fallow fields
Mall
Church
Barn
Gallows
Graveyard
Oven
Part 2:
Now rank the top four building(s) and resource(s) that will earn you the most money-state WHY
you think each building(s) and resources will earn you the most money.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Part 3:
You must now train a knight and PROVE to your king that you are a vassal that is good at
managing the fief. List and explain three resources that your knight can use to become a welltrained and equipped knight.
1.
2.
3.
Write a one paragraph letter that states HOW you will manage your fief and train and equip
your knight. Remember that if you DO NOT write a convincing letter your king will take the fief
away, you will become poor, and you and your family will be the laughing stock of the fief.
Chapels, Churches, Cathedrals
Chapels and Churches
In medieval times, religion controlled daily life. By 1350 CE, there was one church or chapel for every
200 people, with more churches being built all the time. All the important events of life took place in
the medieval church - baptism, confirmation, marriage, and burial.
Cathedrals
Cathedrals were fancy churches. It cost a fortune and several decades to build a cathedral.
Cathedrals were splendid, with no expense spared. They were built to honor God. In France alone,
between 1050 CE and 1350 CE, over 500 cathedrals and 1000 parish churches were built.
Most cathedrals were built in the shape of a cross. They had high arches and tall ceilings. Some
ceilings were 100 feet high. Underneath the cathedral, workers usually built a crypt, which was a
combination storage area for the town, and graveyard for the clergy. Only the most talented
craftsman were allowed to work on a cathedral. Some spent their whole lives building one church.
Workers were paid with food and housing. Some also received a little money to spend at tradesmen
shops in town. The talented peasants who worked on cathedrals lived a much better life than did
their fellow peasants on the farms.
Interior Decoration: Nearly all art in medieval times was created for religious purposes. Much of that
art was showcased in the larger churches and cathedrals. But it was hard to see it. It was very dark
inside. Even when the candles were lit, it was hard to see the many beautiful statues and religious
tapestries.
Stained Glass Windows
In medieval times, religion controlled daily life. Cathedrals were fancy churches. They were built to
honor God. Each town wanted their cathedral to be the most beautiful cathedral possible. A new art
form was designed - the stained glass window.
Stained glass windows were made of colored glass. They let in filtered light in many beautiful colors.
Each window showed a religious scene. These scenes told a story about the lives of Christ, the Virgin
Mary, and the saints. Since most people could not read, the use of stained glass windows did more
than add light and beauty. The church used them as an effective way to teach people about religion.
Holy Relic
To make each cathedral and each little church in the land unique, each had its own holy relic. A holy
relic is something that belonged to or was touched by Jesus or a saint. A treasured relic might be
bone fragment or a tiny piece of the cross. Tales of miracles that supposedly happened because of
the presence of a holy relic were very popular. Since there were a great many parish churches and
cathedrals, some of the relics may not have been real, but all relics had a story, and all were
treasured.
Gargoyles
Gargoyles were used as art and water spouts on cathedrals. The origins of the word 'gargoyle' are
derived from the old French word 'gargouille' meaning throat. In Architectural terms only the
creature serving as actual water spout is called a Gargoyle, otherwise is it known as a Grotesque. A
grotesque may function solely as decoration. Gargoyles were usually carved in the form of a
grotesque face, figure or frightening creature projecting from a roof gutter. Gargoyles were painted
and some were even gilded. Gargoyles might depicted any number of grotesque images including:
ugly human faces, animals, and mythical creatures.
The Chartes Cathedral in France
Stained Glass
Holy Relics-Mummified arm of
St. Denis-on display are
personal items as well such as
bibles, cups, and crowns.
Floor plan of a cathedral
Gargoyles used as
Water spouts
Now you must design your own Cathedral. You are required to:
1. Draw an image of a cathedral
2. Include the use of stained glass, gargoyles, and a relic in your image.
3. You MUST explain the PURPOSE of EACH item in a sentence per item (this includes the
Cathedral).
4. Answer the following question in at least one detailed paragraph: How did Cathedrals help
people follow Christianity in the Middle Ages? Each design element (the cathedral drawing,
stained glass, gargoyles, and relics) all HELPED people follow Christianity- you MUST state HOW
each design element helped.