Feudal Society in the Middle Ages: A Hierarchical System
The Feudal Society
Origins of Feudalism
In the 9th century, Europe faced numerous invaders: the Vikings from Scandinavia established kingdoms in Northwest Europe; the Magyars from Asia raided Eastern Europe; and the Saracens from North Africa attacked Southern Europe.
Most people lacked the means to defend themselves against these invaders and sought constant protection. They found this protection from nobles who possessed private armies and fortified castles where people could seek refuge during invasions. In exchange for protection, peasants paid rent and taxes and worked on the nobles’ land.
This arrangement granted significant power to the nobles, sometimes even surpassing that of the king. However, they still acknowledged the king as the country’s ruler and paid homage to him. During the Homage ceremony, a noble pledged loyalty to the king, becoming the lord’s vassal.
Feudal society was characterized by stark inequality. At the top was the monarch, and his subjects were divided into estates, each with its own responsibilities and rights:
- The privileged estates: the clergy and the nobles.
- The non-privileged estates (the majority): artisans and peasants.
The Fief
In feudal society, towns declined in importance, and life revolved around fiefs. A fief was land granted to a vassal by the lord in return for military service. Each fief comprised:
- The Lord’s demesne and castle or manor house: The best land reserved for the lord.
- Holdings: Land provided to serfs (bound to the fief) and free peasants (who worked their own land), including villages, farmland, and forests.
Peasants cultivated their own food, gathered firewood, constructed roads and bridges, and paid the lord to use the windmill. Due to the lack of fertilizers, half the land was left fallow each year to restore its fertility, which reduced overall productivity.
Each fief was self-sufficient, producing its necessities, leading to a decline in trade.
Everyday Life: Nobility
Although nobles and peasants coexisted, their lives differed significantly. The lives of men and women also varied greatly.
Noblemen dedicated most of their time to military training and participating in tournaments. They also managed their estates. In their leisure time, they enjoyed falconry, and they were entertained by poets, musicians, jesters, and acrobats.
At the age of eight, noble sons were sent to live as pages with a knight from another family to begin their military training.
Noblewomen oversaw servants and domestic affairs. They spent much of their time indoors, playing music, sewing, and weaving. They also cared for their children. Girls received an education from their mothers, emphasizing obedience and the qualities of a proper lady.
Nobles consumed a diet rich in meat and fish.
Everyday Life: Peasants
The daily life of a peasant was arduous. They toiled from dawn till dusk and were not permitted to leave the fief without permission. Serfs, in particular, were bound to the fief and required the lord’s consent for activities such as marriage. All peasants paid taxes to the lord and a tenth of their harvest (the tithe) to the Church.
Their homes were simple dwellings, typically constructed from wood, adobe, and straw. Often, there was only one room, which they shared with their animals.
Peasants had limited leisure time, but they occasionally enjoyed weddings, fairs, and festivals.
Food was scarce, and their diet consisted mainly of bread and vegetable soup, with occasional meat or fish. Beer was the most common beverage, even for children.
Women worked in the fields alongside men and also managed domestic tasks, childcare, and weaving.
Everyday Life: Clergy
The Catholic Church played a pivotal role in the Middle Ages. The Pope in Rome was the head of the Church. Below the Pope, the Church was divided into two groups:
- Secular clergy: Did not belong to a religious order and included bishops and priests.
- Regular clergy: Members of religious orders who lived in monasteries (monks) or convents (nuns) led by abbots or abbesses. Members of each order wore a distinct habit.
Monks and nuns devoted their time to prayer, manual labor, and meditation. They also cared for the peasants who worked on their lands. Monasteries served as centers of learning, housing libraries and scriptoriums where manuscripts were copied and illustrated with miniatures.
The majority of educated and influential women in the Middle Ages were nuns.