Vocabulary
a social structure marked by the dominance of the father in the family
Patriarchy
The economic and political system of medieval Europe in which land was exchanged for loyalty and service.
fuedalism
This person sat at the very top of the feudal pyramid and granted land to nobles
Kings (monarchs)
a person who receives land from a ruler and in return promises to fight for the ruler
vassal
relating to the Middle Ages in Europe
Medieval
The land given by a lord to a vassal in exchange for service was called this
fief
These powerful landowners were just below the king in the pyramid and often had titles such as duke, count, or baron.
Who are nobles (or lords)
a large country house and its surrounding land
manor
the upper or noble class whose members’ status is usually inherited
aristocracy
These peasants were bound to the land and could not leave without the lord’s permission.
serfs
These warriors pledged loyalty and military service to their lords in exchange for land or protection.
Who are knights
plowed but with nothing planted for a period in order to restore the land’s fertility
fallow
in a Christian church, people, such as priests, who carry out religious duties
clergy
The person who granted land in exchange for loyalty and service was called this.
Lord
These peasants worked the land and were not free to leave without the lord’s permission
Who are serfs
powerful families that hold fiefs and titles
nobility
decorated by hand with designs
illuminated
This pyramid-shaped diagram is often used to show the organization of feudal society, with the king at the top and peasants at the bottom.
feudal pyramid
This is the name of the entire system of exchanging land for service and loyalty, represented by the pyramid.
What is feudalism
a soldier on horseback who serves a king or other ruler
knight