Feudalism & the
Manorial System
C13 S2 pp. 294 - 299
Objectives
• Explore how feudalism helped shape
political & social development in Europe
during the Middle Ages
• Identify the ways in which the manorial
system influenced economic growth in
Europe during the Middle Ages
Feudalism
• The system
– Lords- powerful nobles who granted land (fief) to lesser
nobles in return for loyalty & military assistance
– Vassals- did not own land; could further divide his land
(knights)
– Primogeniture – fief became hereditary, passed from vassal
to eldest son
Feudalism (cont)
• Warfare – private fights between feudal
lords
– Nobles- potential wealth & glory
– Most people- wars caused great suffering &
hardship
Feudalism (cont)
• Feudal justice
– Trial by battle- duel
between accuser &
accused
– Oath taking- people swore
the accuser/accused was
telling the truth
• Character witness
– Trial by ordeal- accused
underwent “ordeals” such
as plunging hand in boiling
water, immersion in cold
water, carrying a piece of
hot iron, etc
• If wounds healed quickly,
person was innocent
Manorial System
• Manors were large, self-sufficient
farming estates shared by lords &
peasants
– Included manor houses, cultivated lands,
woodlands, pastures, fields, & villages
The Manorial System
• Peasant life – serfs led very difficult lives
– Lords kept 1/3 of the land for himself,
peasants farmed remaining 2/3s
• Gave crops, helped farm, & paid taxes
– Could not leave land without lord’s permission
The Manorial System (cont)
• Nobles’ lifestyles – castle was the fortified
base
– Not luxurious; chilly rooms with thick walls &
small windows with no glass
The Manorial System (cont)
• Chivalry – rules that
dictated knights’
behavior
– Page > Squire >
Knight
– Expected to be
courageous, fair, loyal,
honest, gallant, &
courteous to women
Travel Agents
• Imagine that they work for a time travel agency.
You need to develop a brochure explaining
feudalism and the manorial system to travelers
who wish to visit medieval Europe.
• Brochures should include the following:
– definitions of terms, such as vassal, fief, and lord
– information about feudal justice and warfare
– a brief note about chivalry
• Include illustrations and graphic organizers to
help clarify the system of feudalism
• A graphic representation of the feudal hierarchy
would be particularly helpful.
• The purpose of your brochure is to prepare
travelers to exist within the political system they
Your Coat of Arms
• Your coat of arms should symbolize you
as person
– Consider past events, people, places, or
animals that are significant to you
– Also you should consider symbols that will
represent qualities/characteristics from the
code of chivalry you possess
Colors
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gold- Generosity and elevation of the mind
Silver or White- Peace and sincerity
Red- Warrior or martyr; Military strength
Blue- Truth and loyalty
Green- Hope, joy, and loyalty in love
Black- Constancy or grief
Purple- Royal majesty, sovereignty, and justice
Orange- Worthy ambition
Maroon- Patient in battle, and yet victorious
THE CHURCH
C13, S3 pp. 300-303
Objectives
• Describe how the church hierarchy fit into
society
• Explain how the practices of monasticism
changed
• Explore how the church influenced life in
medieval Europe
The Church Hierarchy
The medieval church had widespread political
power
I.
The church had a highly structured hierarchy
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Parish priests were lowest in rank, but could administer
sacraments
Bishops managed a group of parishes called a diocese
Archbishops had authority over all the bishops of the
archdiocese
Cardinals (Curia) advised pope on legal and spiritual
matters
Pope held supreme authority in the church
Monasticism
II. Monks
a)
b)
c)
d)
and nuns believed
that they had to
withdraw from the
world and its
temptations to live a
Christian life
Monks and nuns lived in
isolated communities
They chose to serve
God through fasting,
prayer, and self-denial.
Spent most of their days
in prayer
The Benedictine Rule –
rules to govern monk’s
lives
The Church & Medieval Life
III. Church rules and laws affected both the clergy and
the parish
a) The church had its own code of law, called canon law,
and its own courts
b) Church punishment might be excommunication, which
is being thrown out of the church
c) The church could issue an interdict against an entire
region, which would close the region’s churches and
prohibit the performance of marriages, burials, and other
sacraments there.
d) Parishioners paid tithes, or 1/10th of their income to
the church.
The Church & Medieval Life
(Cont)
Political role – pope was political & religious
leader
Economic & social role – some monasteries
were involved in trade
e)
f)
IV.
Problems of the church:
a)
b)
Lay investiture- practice of noble, such as a king
appointing a friend or relative to be a bishop or
abbot
Simony- practice of buying high church positions
V.
Effects of the Church
a) Positive
b) Negative
 Provided leadership that
the governments of the
time could not
 The church’s great
wealth and influence led
to internal corruption