Feudalism

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Feudalism Chivalry

• Ch. 13 Sect. 2 3

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Feudalism

• Main Idea
• Feudalism, a political economic system based
  on land-holding protective alliances, emerges
  in Europe
• Why It Matters
• The rights duties of feudal relationships
  helped shape todays forms of representative
  government

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Invaders Attack Western Europe

• Vikings from Scandinavia
• - Worship warlike gods
• - Warriors, traders, farmers, explorers
• -Leif Ericson (N America in 1000)

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• Viking fighting in Europe ended
• - gradually accepted Christianity
• - warmer climate made farming easier

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Magyars

• Nomads from the east
• Superb horsemen
• Invaded around 800s

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Muslims

• Struck from the south
• 600s-700s wanted to conquer settle Europe
• 800s-900s
• wanted to plunder
• Europe could no longer look to central ruler for
  security

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Feudalism Emerges

• Agreements made in Europe
• - pledge loyalty in return for land (i.e.
  Charles Rollo)
• Feudal system emerges - based on rights
  obligations

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• For military protection other services, lords
  (landowners) gave fiefs (land) to vassals
  (nobles, bishops)

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Feudal Pyramid
Wealthy landowners such as nobles bishops
King
Vassals
Mounted horsemen who pledged to defend lords
lands in exchange for fiefs
Knights
Peasants
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Defined Social Classes (3 Groups)

• Nobles knights those who fought
• Church officials those who prayed
• Peasants those who worked

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Most peasants were serfs

• Serfs people who were bound to land they worked
  (could not leave place where born)

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Economics of Feudalism

• Manor lords estate
• Manor system was economic in nature

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lord provided serf with housing, farmland,
protection

• Women shared farm work with their
  husbands
• All peasants, free or serf, paid the
  lord certain duties

serf tended lords lands, cared for animals,
did other tasks
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• Serfs peasants raised or produced everything
  necessary for daily life crops, milk, cheese,
  fuel, cloth, leather goods, lumber

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Harshness of Manor Life

• Peasants paid taxes
• - taxes on grain, taxes on marriage
• Peasants paid tithe (1/10 of income) as church
  tax
• Serfs lived in crowded cottages
• Men, women, children of age worked
• Life expectancy 35 years

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Chivalry

• Main Idea
• The code of chivalry for knights glorified both
  combat romantic love
• Why It Matters
• The code of chivalry has shaped modern ideas of
  romance in Western culture

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Knights

• Armored soldiers on horseback
• Leather saddles stirrups
• Warring nobles vying for power
• Feudal lords raised private armies of knights

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• Knights were rewarded with fiefs
• Main obligation was to serve in battle
• 40 years of combat
• Lives revolved around training for war

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Code of Chivalry

• Courage in battle
• Three masters
• - feudal lord
• - heavenly Lord
• - his chosen lady
• Protect weak poor

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Knights Training

• Age 7 sent off to castle of another lord
  (waited on his hosts practiced fighting skills)
• Age 14 rank of squire (servant to knight)
• Age 21 full-fledged knight
• Traveled for tournaments (mock battles)

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Reality of Warfare

• Castles with massive walls guard towers
• Mantlet - Shielded soldiers
• Strategies poured boiling water, oil, or molten
  lead on enemy soldiers
• Archers

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• Battering Ram
• Trebuchet - Slingshot
• Tortoise - Protection from arrows
• Mongonel - Flung rocks

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Literature of Chivalry

• Epic Poetry
• Legendary heroes
• The Song of Roland
• Love Poems
• Songs
• Troubadours - Traveling poet-musicians
• Falsified knights and women

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Womens Role in Feudal Society

• Noblewomen could
• - inherit an estate
• - send knights to war
• - defend castles
• Most lives were limited

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• Peasant women...
• - endless labor
• - learned from mother
• - were poor powerless