Feudal Manors: Formation, Types, and Practices in Medieval Europe
Formation of the Manors
The Crisis of Empire, produced by the feudal regime, was exacerbated by the ties of personal dependence that had begun in the previous period. The difference between the domain of high absorption is owned by the lord, who has public legal functions. If there is no serial connotation, it is dominion. The manor is a large area, not always geographically continuous, which brings us to one part of the Crown (spaces subject to the authority of the king) and other places of mastery (subject to the authority of a lord). It speaks of spaces but need not be homogeneous or consist of territories because they can be considered only on people. There is a unique form of constitution of estates:
- Transfers from kings as payment for services, constituting a real right in a foreign land. Often the lord goes too far and usurps benefits improperly.
- Royal donations.
- Quickness organized by the lord, real or prior grant initiative.
- Subsequent acquisitions of lords using the private (sales, barter, gifts, inheritances).
- Donations of small owners who seek protection, using the weak systems.
- Usurpation of communal lands, etc.
Pooling these forms of training domains, we often speak of three types of domains:
- Territorial Lordship: Large domains or estates, private ownership of a single subject, which not only exercises its right as owner but, by assignment or by usurpation, has authority over certain issues that go beyond the collection of rents.
- Jurisdictional Lordships: When courts, the lord is credited with the exercise of public law, especially in tax collection and exercise of the administration of justice, which excludes the royal official entry in the land to execute the tasks from office (immunities, preserve, privilege of non introitus). Not necessarily hold office on a territorial dominion.
- Mixed Lordships: Agree with the subject, the lord, a territorial and jurisdictional lordship.
Depending on the subject holder of the manor, one can speak of:
A) Ecclesiastical Manors: Bishops (episcopal tables), monasteries (Abadengo), and military orders. These domains were increased through donations, which accounts for a large geographical spread and variety in the form of exploitation, as well as the legal situation of the individuals subjected to this type of lord.
B) Noble Manors (or Ancestral): Appear on both of the licenses granted to repopulate the king to the nobles, as royal donations to which are attached by their own procurement, purchase, barter, gifts of wives, inheritance, etc., as well as through transfers from their land by farmers or by commendation, free or by formula, as the poor.
C) Behetrías: A special form of dominion, with less personal attachment to the lord, in which men are empowered to choose a behetría lord. If the election could be carried out between members of an aristocratic family, we talk about Lineage Behetrías. If they can choose among all the noble families of the kingdom, it is a Behetrías from sea to sea.
Uses and Abuses of Power
Many lords charged benefits that came from their usurping the king or the council, which was both use and abuse. In Catalonia, the use of performance was deepened, especially in a set of charges which were called the six Catalan misuses. Four are written (intestia, cugucia, exorquia, and personal eddies). Of customary were the arcia or arsine and spolia firm.
- Personal-Haven: For the peasant could leave the land he farms, owned by the lord. While attached to the earth as a belonging to it, may be sold or inherited as a membership of it. There was the possibility of redemption by payment.
- Intestia: Participation of the feudal lord in the flow was left to the death of the peasant if he will. It could be half as good if there were no descendants or a third if any.
- Exorquia: Amount equivalent to the part corresponding to a child’s self-concept if the peasant died childless. It is analogous to Maneri. Could not be applied in conjunction with the gut on the property of the same farmhouse.
- Cugucia: Fine was paid by the peasant to the lord when the peasant’s wife committed adultery. Dividing the property of the wife and one half was for the peasant and the other to the lord. If the husband’s consent, all goods were awarded to the lord. “After cuckolded, beaten.”
- Arxina, Arsi: Lord compensation in case of fire in the land cultivated by the peasant, by his negligence.
- Spolia-Signature: Rate it receives the lord for the peasant authorized to mortgage its assets as collateral for dowry or nuptial of his wife.
Jus is not found early evening or right of the lord to lie or spend the first night after the wedding on women of the settlers. Although stated in Concordia Project of 1462 and the Sentence 1486.