Feudal Society1
Freemen and Serfs
Two groups of peasants worked on a manor. One was the freemen, or
peasants who paid the lord for the right to farm the land. They worked only
on their own strips of land and had rights under the law. They moved
wherever and whenever they wished. The lord, however, had the right to
throw them off the manor without warning.
The other group was the serfs. The serfs and their descendants were
the lord’s property. They could not move to another area, own their own
property, or marry without the lord’s permission. Serfs, however, could not be
driven off the land and did not have to serve in the army. It was not easy for
serfs to gain their freedom.
One way was to escape to the towns. If they remained in town for more
than one year, they were considered free. By the end of the Middle Ages,
serfs were allowed to buy their freedom.
As in Charlemagne’s time, the serfs worked long hours in the fields and
performed many services for the nobles. Serfs spent three days of the week
working the lord’s strip of land and the rest of the week caring for their own
strips. They gave part of their own crops to the lord. They also paid him for
the use of his grain mill, baking oven, and wine press.
In spite of the difficulties, a serf’s life had a few bright moments.
Sundays was a day of rest from work. At Christmas the lord paid for a great
feast and entertainment. Certain holidays were celebrated with singing and
dancing on the village green. When they could, the serfs took part in such
sports as wrestling, archery, and soccer.
By the thirteenth century changes were taking place. The peasants
began to learn better farming methods. They made more widespread and
better use of the three-field system of farming. They started to use a heavy
iron plow rather than the lightweight wooden plow. The horse collar was
invented, and peasants could use horses instead of slow-moving oxen to
plow their fields. All of this allowed the peasants to extend their fields and to
grow more food.
1
Cox, Greenblatt, Seaberg. Human Heritage A World History, Merill Publishing, 1989. Pages used: 358-360.
Name: __________________
Date: ________Period: ____
World History, Mrs. Fisher
Feudal Society: Serfs and Freeman
Directions: Read the information provided for you.
below using complete sentences.
Answer the questions
1. How many days a week does a serf work the lord’s land? (1 pt.)
2. What inventions in the 13th century helped change farming for
peasants? (1 pt.)
3. What is a serf? (1pt.)
4. What is a freeman? (2 pts.)
5. What are the differences between a serf and a freeman? (2 pts.)
6. How could serfs gain their freedom? (1 pt.)
7. What things did serfs need to ask the lord permission for? (3 pts.)
8. What could a lord do to a freeman without warning? (1 pt.)
9. What sports did serfs participate in, when they could? (1 pt.)