The document describes aspects of medieval European society such as the feudal system of vassalage ceremonies, different classes of peasants like serfs and freemen, and the work of peasants on manors. It also discusses nobles who trained as knights from a young age and participated in tournaments, as well as the prescribed roles of noblewomen to marry and have children. Finally, it outlines religious orders for men like the Knights Templars and Hospitaller who took monastic vows while protecting pilgrims and the Holy Land.

1. UNIT 2

11. VASSALAGE CEREMONY
 HOMAGE:
 The vassal agrees to provide AUXILIUM et
CONSILIUM.
 INVESTITURE:
 The lord granted his vassal a benefice.

18. LORDSHIP

19. HOW DID
PEASANTS LIVE?
 There were different classes:
 Serfs: subjected to the Lord. Not free. Work but not paid.
Hereditary.
 Freemen: paid taxes, rent land but keep part of the harvest.
Free to make their own decisions.

21. THE PEASANT’S
WORK
 The whole family worked all day.
 They had very basic tools and no fertilisers.
 They had to use the fallow system (2 year rotation).
 The main production was cereal, but also fruits and
vegetables, and some families had animals (the
richer).

22. WHO WERE THE
NOBLES?
 There were rich and poor
nobles.
 Their main activity was
fighting. They started military
training from childhood. They
had to pass through different
stages to become a knight
(page, squire, and knight).
 They trained at tournaments.

23. NOBLEWOMEN
 Their function was to marry
and have children. They also
organised the servants.
 Marriages were arranged by
parents. If they did not marry
they went into convents.
 They had to obey their
husbands and rarely left the
castle.

24. NOBLEWOMEN

27. RELIGIOUS ORDERS
 The rule was the document in which
the order member duties were
contained.
 Some orders were closed (they
cannot go out of the monastery).
 Each order has its own habit.
 Some orders required their
members to beg.
 Others imposed absolute poverty.

34. • Established to protect
pilgrims and the Holy
• Knights who took the
monastic vows (poverty,
chastity and obedience) but
also the chivalric code.
• Most important orders:
Knights Templars, Knights
Hospitaller.