Overview of Feudalistic Society

1. Feudalism in Europe

2.  After the Treaty of Verdun, Charlemagne's
3 grandsons broke up the kingdom further
 Part of the territory becomes battleground
for attacks on Europe
 This leads to a rise in feudalism: military
and political system based on land
ownership and personal loyalty

3. Invasions
 Between 800-1000, invasions destroy the
Carolingian empire
 Muslims invade from the south
 Magyars invade from the east
 Vikings attack from the north

4. Living in Fear
 Invasions of Vikings, Magyars and Muslims
caused disorder and suffering
 Europeans lived in fear and constant
danger
 Central authority proved powerless
 Many turned to local lleeaaddeerrss wwiitthh tthheeiirr
oowwnn aarrmmiieess

5. How It Began…
 In 911, two former enemies faced each other in a
peace ceremony. Rollo was the head of the
Viking army and had been plundering the rich
Seine River Valley for years. Charles the Simple
was the king of France but held little power.
Charles granted the Viking leader a huge piece of
French territory, becoming known as Normandy.
In return, Rollo placed his hands between the
king’s hands and swore a pledge of loyalty.

6. A New Social Order
 Worst years of invaders attacks were 850-
950.
 During this time, rulers and warriors made
similar agreements in many parts of Europe
 The system of governing and landholding
called feudalism had emerged in Europe

7. Feudal M&M’s

8. Feudal System
 Based on mutual obligations
 A lord (landowner) granted land called a fief
in exchange for military protection and
other services
 Person receiving the fief was a vassal
 So, Charles the Simple was the lord, and
Rollo would have been the vassal

9. Feudalism
(the pyramid)
-The king-
-Claimed ownership of
land
-Granted land to Lords
(nobles)
-Gave land to vassals if
they fought for him
1
2
-Lord
(Noble)-
-Could gain
land from
King
-Could give
and control
land he got
3 -Knight-
-Was granted land
by Lord (Noble)
-Could live on land
as long as they
4 fought for the lord -Peasant-
-Worked the land for
little pay
-Bottom of the
pyramid

12.  The feudal system didn’t always work so
simply
 Relationships between lords and vassals
weren’t always clear cut
 The same noble might be a vassal to
several different lords
 Lords and vassals tried to use relationships
to their own advantage

13. Social Classes
 Status determined a person’s prestige and
power
 People were placed into 3 groups:
1) Those who fought- nobles and knights
2) Those who prayed- men and women of
church
3) Those who worked- the peasants
 Social class was usually inherited

14. Serfs
 Majority of people in Europe were peasants
 Most peasants were serfs
 Serfs were people who couldn’t lawfully
leave the place where they were born
 Even though they were bound to the land,
they were not slaves
 Lords could not buy or sell them

15. Manor
 The manor was the lords estate
 The manor system was the basic economic
arrangement
 Lord provided the serfs and peasants with
housing, strips of farmland and protection
from bandits

18. Life on the Manor
 Serfs tended the lords land, cared for his
animals and maintained the estate
 Peasant women shared the duties with her
husband
 Owed the lord certain duties like working 3-
4 days, and portions of their grain

19.  Rare for peasants to travel more than 25 miles
from manor in lifetime!
 A manor usually covered a few square miles of
land
 Consisted of the lord’s manor house, a church
and workshops
 15-30 families lived in the village on the manor
 Fields, pastures and forests surrounded the
village

20. Map of a Manor

21. Self Sufficient Manor
 Everything needed for daily life was
produced on the manor:
*crops
*fuel
*cloth
*leather goods
*lumber

22.  The only outside purchases were salt, iron
and a few unusual objects like millstones-stones
used to grind flour

23. Value of Peasants
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv0dKdhdRpM

24. Peasant Life on the Manor
 Since it was considered a privilege to live on the
manor, peasants paid a high price
 Paid a tax on all grain ground on the lord’s mill
 Was considered a crime to avoid paying taxes
 Paid a tax on marriage- weddings could only take
place with the lord’s consent
 All peasant families had to pay a tithe (church tax)
to the village priest (10% of income)

25.  Serfs and peasants lived in cottages with
only 1 or 2 rooms
 Would warm their dirt floor by bringing pigs
inside
 Families would huddle together on pile of
straw crawling with insects to stay warm

26. Simple Diet
 Peasant diets consisted of:
*vegetables
*coarse brown bread
*grain
*cheese
*soup

27. Manorial Food
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xff4Z5xMMro

28.  Serfs accepted their way of life, and viewed
it as part of church teachings
 Believed God determined a person’s place
in society

30. Modern Feudalism?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHFJEtP2iI0

31.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl12HA1ZmqI (peasant
makeover)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gvRYHUxrhQ (viking wipe
swap)
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/launch_gms_viking_qu
est.shtml
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=8qSkaAwKMD4&feature=rellist&playnext=1&list=PL9351F1206C
6AD31A (Viking band)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjRoJiz_6_U (Leif Ericson)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPDNjcN12Zw (viking feud)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta3F0JBnEqY&feature=related
(Viking food)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmrY7AgcrqA&feature=related
(sell monks)