Transcript Feudalism and Manorialism

Feudalism and
Manorialism
What’s the difference between feudalism
and manorialism?
What was life like on the manor?
How did noble life differ from serfs?
Vocabulary
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Feudalism- political and social system of western
Europe
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local government based on the granting of land for loyalty,
military assistance, other services
Fief- land given to a vassal from a lord
Vassal- person granted land from a lord in return for
services
Serf- peasants bound to the land where they worked for
a lord.
Manorial System
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Manorialism shaped the economy of much of Europe
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for safety and defense, people formed small communities around a central lord or
master
Most people (lords and serfs) lived on a manor, which
consisted of the castle, the church, the village, and the
surrounding farm land
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manors were isolated
manor usually located along a stream or river
Manorial System
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People had to produce everything they needed,
including food, clothing, and shelter
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Peasants gave the lord some of their crops (taxes) and
helped to farm his land
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Items such as iron, salt, wool, wine, and certain
manufactured goods, were purchased
Land was divided into 3 fields for growing grain
Only two of the three fields were planted at one time.
The third field could lie fallow, or unplanted, for a
season to regain its fertility.
Manorial System
Feudal System
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Feudalism provided social and political structure to the culture
of the Middle Ages
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King awarded fiefs to most important nobles for soldiers in the
king’s armies
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The lowest class of society was the peasants and serfs
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In exchange for living and working on his land, the lord offered his
peasants protection
Nobles divided their land among the lesser nobility, who became
their servants or “vassals”
Feudal System
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By 1100, certain nobles
had castles and courts that
rivaled the king’s
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serious threats if they were
not pleased with the king
The medieval church
owned vast land and had
their own vassals
Feudal justice
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Lords assumed the roles of judges in carrying out the laws of the
manor
A feudal trial was decided in one of three ways: trial by battle,
compurgation, or trial by ordeal.
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battle- could be a duel in which the outcome determined innocence or guilt
compurgation- oath taking; similar to character witnesses in today's trials.
ordeal- accused had to carry a piece of hot iron, plunge his hand in a pot of
boiling water, or survive extended immersion in cold water.
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If accused person's wounds healed quickly and well, he was innocent; if not, guilty
Peasant Life
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Peasants worked hard labor jobs and were heavily taxed
 Children as a source of farm labor
 The peasants were not free
 could not leave manor without permission
 Not allowed to hunt on the lord’s land, so rarely ate meat
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Serfs had short life expectancies due to disease, starvation,
warfare
Noble Life
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The lord spent most of his day managing and
organizing the manor
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Marriage as a way to advance fortune, status and land
Women's rights regarding legal property were
limited
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When married, her husband gained control over her
rights and money
cooking, baking bread, sewing, weaving, and spinning
Occasionally hunted, fought in battles