Feudalism

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Feudalism
--Feudal Relationships -King the all-powerful
overlord and land owner -Vassal aristocratic,
dependent, tenant who received land from a lord
in exchange for military service and other
expressions of loyalty -Lord noble who had the
power to grant land to vassals -Knight armored
warrior (a vassal provides their lords with
military service in the form of a knight for
certain periods of time) -Serf peasants who
worked on and were bound to the vassals land
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--The feudal system carried with it a sense of
form and manners that influenced all aspects of
the life, art, and literature of the Middle Ages.
This sense of formalism came to life most fully
in the institution of knighthood and in the
related practice or code of chivalry. --Problems
with Feudalism -The feudal system did not
always work. Secure in a well fortified castle,
a vassal might chose not to honor his obligations
to a weak overlord. The ensuing battles between
iron-clad knights around moated castles account
for one of the enduring images of the Middle
Ages. -As the population grew, an increasing
number of people lived in towns and cities,
making the feudal system obsolete. -Serfs were
bound to the land they worked. The had no
opportunity to change or advance in their
position. --The Black Death, or bubonic plague,
of 1348 to 1349 caused a labor shortage that
ultimately led to the serfs freedom and the end
of feudalism.
Caitlin Raines and Genna Linton