Learn about medieval rulers who controlled medieval society, Medieval nobility helped the king control peasants and commoners Read more about the Medieval People >>
Medieval Castles were a European innovation that originated in the 9th and 10th centuries... Read more about the Medieval Castles >>
The Sword was more than just a Weapon it was Symbolically tied to the Whole Concept of Knighthood Read more about the Medieval Weapons >>
Discover the Armour and Shields of the formidable 'Medieval Knight - *The Great Mounted Warrior Read more about the Medieval Armour | Shields >>
Discover medieval musicians like the Troubadours
Read more about the Medieval Music >>
Discover the early, high, and late medieval periods Read more about the Medieval Times History >>
Discover Romanesque Art *Illuminated Manuscripts and Much More Read more about the Medieval Art >>
Learn about the history of continental Medieval Europe in Medieval times... Read more about the Medieval Europe >>
The most famous Crusades of medieval times were the first four crusades to the Holylands. Read more about the The Crusades >>
Medieval architecture had distinctive architectural characteristics and designs Read more about the Medieval Architecture >>
The medieval period lasted for around 1000 years and is broken up into the early, high and late medieval periods. Read more about the Medieval Period – 1000 years of Intriguing History! >>
The feudal system and the lord-vassal relationship between Kings *Nobles *Knights as well as an understanding of the Lord *Manor *Peasant system are key concepts in understanding how medieval society worked.
Medieval people were organized into a feudal system where the wealthiest in society also tended to be the most important and powerful people who made all the rules.
A king would grant use of the vast areas of his land to high-ranking nobles such as a Duke (Vassal) in return for his loyalty, protection, raising of armies, and collecting taxes. This was the key concept behind feudalism, the person who provided the service for the higher status overlord was known as a vassal.
Feudalism in Europe image showing the Hierarchy of the Feudal system
Royalty *Kings *Queens *Prince and *Princess were very powerful positions in the feudal system and commonly had the most power. Early Kings commonly owned smaller ‘kingdoms’ than later kings who could control an entire country.
Under royalty such as Kings was the nobility, the highest-ranking noble was commonly a Duke.
Kings granted the use of large areas of land know as a ‘Fief or Fiefdom’ to nobles in return for their loyalty and service such as providing soldiers or an entire army.
*A ‘fief’ is an estate of land commonly a manor estate in medieval times, held on the condition of feudal service provided *usually military service* called a ‘fee’
A noble promised to serve and obey a king in a ceremony that was called ‘paying homage’.
Higher-ranking Nobles divided the huge areas of land granted to them by the king into smaller plots, the use of this land was then granted to lower-ranking Nobles, this included Knights.
Knights were highly trained and skilled armored warriors who commonly fought in the armies provided by the nobility for the king.
Knights spent their lives training for war from a young age in a structured system in which they were trained as *pageboys *Squires and eventually knighted in a dubbing ceremony.
Peasants usually worked on the manor estate fields for a lord (Noble). The majority of people in medieval times were in the peasant class and the most common peasant was the ‘Serf’ who commonly plowed the fields and harvested the crops grown.
Religion also played a very important role in medieval society and there were many very powerful Popes during the medieval period c.476 – 1500.
Pope, cardinal and bishop. Supreme catholic priests in cassocks.
Medieval Popes are commonly identified with the Crusades that took place between 1095 – 1291
Following the pope, in order of rank were Bishops, Priests, Monks, Nuns
Throughout medieval times, the Church had central importance in Europe and the Pope enjoyed the authority equal to rulers. During the early medieval times, this authority was even higher than rulers, considering that Europe was in a fragmented state.
However, during the middle and late medieval times, various disputes arose between the rulers and the Pope, in addition to schisms within religion itself, resulting in a gradual decline in the authority of the Church.
Feudal System Cartoon that gives information on how the Feudal system worked
A medieval king was the figurehead of the state during medieval times. The authority of a medieval king was relatively less during the early medieval times because of the influence of the Church and the authority of the Pope.
However, as the early medieval times gave way to middle medieval times, the authority of the medieval king continued to increase and he held absolute power over its subjects.
In early medieval times, kings ruled smaller ‘kingdoms’ such as ‘King Offa’ a powerful king in early Anglo-Saxon England and ruler of Mercia *Died in 796.
Over time kings became more dominant and ruled greater areas until they eventually became kings of entire countries.
William the Conqueror was such a king, that he took control of England after the battle of Hastings in 1066.
During medieval times, the status of a medieval queen was important in that she was considered one of the closest confidants of the king.
As such, a medieval queen had access to all the secrets of the kingdom and exerted her influence to safeguard the interests of the king.
Her free time would generally be spent in the company of other ladies and maids.
A Prince is a male member of a monarch’s current or previous family. The title of Prince is also classed as being a noble title *often highest and is commonly a hereditary title.
A prince can be a male ruler of a kingdom in some circumstances.
The title of a medieval prince is a very general one and could be used to signify various kinds of rules.
Thus a medieval prince could be the son of the ruling monarch or a monarch of a certain area within a kingdom himself, although in the latter case the area was generally not large.
The king could also make the medieval prince responsible for a certain area within his kingdom.
During medieval times, the life of a medieval princess was not detached from the turbulent political affairs of the time.
Instead, more often than not, the princess actively participated in the politics and the affairs of the state.
Sometimes a princess would be wedded to the royal family of another country as part of a mutual treaty. Among other things, charity was one of the most important activities for a medieval princess.
Medieval society was defined by structures and everything was predetermined even before birth. People in the Middle Ages remained in the class they were born and raised in.
Out of the need to preserve Noble bloodlines and maintain the wealth and social standing of elite families, however, a set of strict succession and inheritance rules were imposed on and governed Medieval Nobility.
Though Nobles stood at the top of the feudal class system, just below the king and his royal vassals, there was hierarchy even within their own class.
The peerage of England differed greatly from that of France and Prussia. While England stuck to the five classes Duke and Duchess
France and Prussia luxuriously pursued other titles, adding more layers to the already complicated hierarchy of nobilities.
Nobility *Baron William Burghley
Vassals were important individuals who swore fealty and allegiance to a monarch or noble. The terms and conditions of the lord-vassal relationship were governed by the feudal system.
In exchange for their loyalty and protection, vassals commonly received portions of land otherwise known as fiefs.
There were two types of vassal *an upper group of powerful and influential nobles personally connected to the crown and a lower group of landless knights obliged to serve the peerage for the sake of resources.
A Knight could be a Vassal
Within the medieval feudal system, a Vassal was usually a high-ranking noble who provided a service ‘commonly military services’ such as a standing army ready to fight for the king, in return the king would allow the noble to use huge areas of his land, this area of land was called a fief.
The noble would then become a vassal of the king, commonly a personal ceremony would take place in which the lord would pledge his homage and fealty to the King in his new role as his Vassal.
In turn, these high-ranking nobles would commonly grant the use of smaller parts of this land to lower-ranking nobles in return for services rendered, these lower-ranking nobles would be classed as being vassals of the higher-ranking nobles.
In turn, Knights were often given land by higher-ranking nobility and provided military services, however Knights were often without land and fought for other rewards such as coins, silver, gold, and other valuables items.
A fief (Latin: feudum) was a key element of the feudal system (Feudalism) in which an overlord granted heritable property rights to his vassal, the Vassal held this property commonly ‘land’ in what was called fealty (fee)
This was a formal acknowledgment of loyalty to a lord – in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service (fee)
The lands held were commonly known as fiefs or fiefdoms.
In the high, and late medieval periods, the exact role of the medieval knight became well established and more connected with
Medieval Knights were well placed in the Feudal system, they were usually bodyguards or mercenary fighters for wealthy nobility, lords, and Kings and often received landholdings for their military services.
Knights were commonly granted parts of conquered lands which was divided up or they would have been paid in coins, precious metals or given some other rewards.
Knights could sometimes be described as vassals within the Feudal system a Vassal was a ‘Land Holder’ a person who had land given to them in return for military services, loyalty, and allegiance.
Medieval Knights were the warriors who fought for the King in order to defend his lands. Potential Knighthood candidates used to start their training at the age of seven years old at this time they were known as ‘Page Boys’.
Squires Served Knights
Page Boys became Squires around the age of fourteen years, during this time their development became more intense, training with weapons, they would participate in fighting on horseback.
A squire would eventually become a full-blown Knight around the age of twenty-one if he passed all his tasks! He gained the title of knight at a “dubbing” ceremony.
A squire pronounced knight in a dubbing ceremony
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