Feudalism Poster

Feudal Europe

Feudalism is a political system that was based on alliances for land and in return military service.

Feudalism was established by William the Conquerer

as a way to award his Norman supporters for their help

in his conquest of England.

There was a certain way that each of the levels

interacted with each other. The King was at the top of the pyramid. He had all of the claim of all the land, but he also gave the land to important nobles. These nobles, in return, pledged their loyalty to the king and promised to serve and protect the King, especially in times of war. Some land also went to less-powerful military men (knights) who were called vassals. The vassals were also like the nobles, because they swore to fight for the king in exchange for their land. The backbone of all this were the peasants and serfs. They were the ones who did all the work. They were not allowed to leave the land without permission because they belonged to the land.

Vassals are people who swear their fealty to the king and in return the King gives them a piece of land called a fief. The vassals were expected to pay for their land by providing their services to their immediate lord.

A fief is a vassal's source of income, granted to him by his lord in exchanges for his services.

A manorialism is a system in which the lord of the manor would exploit the serfs and tenants at his estate.

Homage is part of the contract between a lord and his vassal,

where the vassal has swear that he will provide monetary and military

support, as well as special duties, like serving on the lord's court.

Chivalry is also known as the Knight's Code of Chivalry,it

is more of a system of morals that knights live by, qualities

idealized by Knighthood. For example, bravery, courtesy,

honor, and gallantry towards women.

Feudal System Strengths:

-King's will win the loyalty of a bunch of fighters by having an exchange,

military and monetary support for land.

-If a noble gets made a prisoner of war then his life is saved

Feudal System Weaknesses:

-There is a sort of slave-system going on (serfs)

-All the rights and privileges go to the nobles

If I lived during the Middle Ages, I would prefer to have been a Knight because although it sounds really glamorous, it isn't. You have to work hard to attain knighthood, and it becomes immensely satisfying when you reach knighthood. Also, protecting the realm and others like that appeals to me more than the other choices.

If I lived during the Middle Ages, I would definitely not wanted to have been a lady because they do not have any fun in their lives at all. There is nothing interesting in embroidering and doing nothing but sitting around all day waiting for their husbands to get home and stuff like that. It would have been very very boring, and I'd much rather live the life of a knight.

Serfs

Peasants

If I lived during the Middle Ages, I would definitely not wanted to have been a lady because they do not have any fun in their lives at all. There is nothing interesting in embroidering and doing nothing but sitting around all day waiting for their husbands to get home and stuff like that. It would have been very very boring, and I'd much rather live the life of a knight.

Knight

Lord and the Lady

King