Kings Nobles Knights Peasants
Kings: A king ruled over large areas of land. To protect his land from invasion, the kings gave part of his land to local lords (vassals).The vassals had to promise to fight to defend the king's land. Vassals ruled lands granted to them from the king. Those lands were called fiets and a vassal could give a portion of this fiet to vassals of his own.
Nobles: "When the empire collapsed, there was a king, but there was no formal organization to keep the people safe. The nobles filled this role". (Westernreservepublicmedia.org) If peasants farmed, or did the duties that the nobles asked them to do, the nobles would prescribe the people with protection and safety. The protection was most often from the knights, who were most likely the sons of the nobles.
Noblewomen: Noblewomen were the wives and daughters of nobles. The noblewomen were in charge of the household servants, and they watched over the children. The Noblewomen took care of the sick and homeless, and could own land. The only way a Noblewomen could own land was to inherit it from her father or spouse. When a Noble was away, the wife ruled the manor. The noblewomen could even send knights into battle if called upon.
Paying Homage: To pay homage, the vassal would appear before the lord with no weapons on him. He would kneel before the lord with clasped hands as in prayer which he stretched out to the lord. The vassal then swore the Oath Of Fealty. The Oath Of Fealty was "I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the lord, never cause him harm, and will observe my homage to him completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit."
Noble Definition: Belonging to a hereditary class with high social or political status; aristocratic.
Noblewomen: Noblewomen were the wives and daughters of nobles. The noblewomen were in charge of the household servants, and they watched over the children. The Noblewomen took care of the sick and homeless, and could own land. The only way a Noblewomen could own land was to inherit it from her father or spouse. When a Noble was away, the wife ruled the manor. The noblewomen could even send knights into battle if called upon.
Paying Homage: To pay homage, the vassal would appear before the lord with no weapons on him. He would kneel before the lord with clasped hands as in prayer which he stretched out to the lord. The vassal then swore the Oath Of Fealty. The Oath Of Fealty was "I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the lord, never cause him harm, and will observe my homage to him completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit."
Noble Definition: Belonging to a hereditary class with high social or political status; aristocratic.
Code Of Conduct: A knight was expected to have not only the strength and skills to face combat in the violent Middle Ages but was also expected to temper this aggressive side of a knight with a chivalrous side to his nature". (http://www.lordsandladies.org) The Code of Conduct was a system which went beyond rules of combat and introduced the concept of Chivalrous conduct. "A knight was expected to have not only the strength and skills to face combat in the violent era of the Middle Ages but was also expected to temper this aggressive side with a chivalrous side to his nature". (http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info)
Peasants: The peasants lived close together in one roomed houses in villages in a manor. Their small thatch-roofed houses would be grouped in an open space called "the green". "The only important buildings were the parish church, the parsonage, a milll, and a blacksmith's shop". (http://www.lordsandladies.org) The inhabitants of the town tried to produce everything they required in "order to avoid uncertainty and expense of trade". (http://www.lordsandladies.org) The peasants made their own clothes out of flax, wool, and leather. In general terms the land gave the peasants food and the forest provided wood for houses. The staples that needed to be brought in from a distant market were salt, iron, and millstones.
Life in a village was rough. Peasants worked from sunset to sundown, and they ate coarse fare. They suffered from many pestilences. "Under feudalism the lords and nobles of the land had certain rights over Medieval Serfs and Peasants which included the right of jurisdiction".
Life in a village was rough. Peasants worked from sunset to sundown, and they ate coarse fare. They suffered from many pestilences. "Under feudalism the lords and nobles of the land had certain rights over Medieval Serfs and Peasants which included the right of jurisdiction".