AGES of FEUDALISM
DARK AGES
Between 476 when the Turks sacked Rome and the beginning of 1,000 ad. Historians defined this era as such because mankind produced very few historical records or achievments during this period.
DRUDISM
Religion of Britain and Gaul in pre-Druid Bronge Age 2100 BC. which was eventually eliminated by Roman general Suetonius Paulinus in 58 AD. Britian and Wales still hold Celtic ceremonies of poetry and drama.
FEUDALISM
European social system based on exchange of land for military service which divided society into three groups; Clergy, Nobility, toiling class. Clergy believed God rendered men’s souls to them as he bestowed Kings with secular power over all, and leaving the Serfs and Villeins to toil for both.
MIDDLE AGES
17th c. German historian Christoph Keller termed this phrase describing the period between 400-1500 AD., listing characteristics of feudalism, Crusades, Christendom, Islamic supremacy for learning, Gothic Art which all lead intothe Renaissance era.
Early Middle Ages 4th-7th c. Dark Ages
Charlemagne’s Empire 8th century Christianity/Germanic Laws
Middle Ages 9th-10th centuries Feudalism & Tenure
High Middle Ages 11th-14th century Crusades and Churches
Renaissance 14th-16th centuries Exploration and learning
High Renaissance 15th-17th centuries Expansion to modern world
OLD WORLD Europe before discovery of Americas in 1492.
RENAISSANCE AGE 14th-16th c. ending the Middle Ages.
HIGH RENAISSANCE 1490-1520 art of da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo.
ELIZABETHAN AGE 1558-1603 refers to Queen Elizabeth I of England
EARLY 1400-1500
HIGH 1500-1527
LATE 1520-1558
TUDOR 1485-1603 English royal reign from Kings Henry VII, Henry VIII, and
Edward VI, and Queens Mary I and Elizabeth I.
Originating with Welsh squire Owen Tudor, died in 1461, father of Henry VII.
§ RENAISSANCE French for rebirth, term first used buy Vasari in 1550 denoting revival of the Literature and Art in Italy.
LANGUAGE ABBREVIATIONS
OE Old English OF Old French ON Old Norse
LAT Latin FR French GERM German ME Middle English
FEDUAL/Feudalism/Feudalize legal social system in medieval Europe, relating to a fief, even after the Norman Conquest there were still two systems kept.
1. ANGLO-SAXON LAWS applied to England's south and west counties
Held to a rigid feudal system
2. DANELAW applied to England's north and eastern counties, held to
free men working their land, not working a Lord's land.
FEUD abbreviation for Feudal vassal payment to lord for his going on Crusade,or a sons knighting.
FEUDAL CHARGES/Aids vassal payment to lord for his going on Crusade, sons knighting etc.
FEUDAL DEMESNE 14th c. OF 'demeine' or belonging to a lord', possession of one's own land not occupied by tenants. Also the realm of monarch, the private grounds of mansion, or manorial land that a feudal lord keeps for his own use.
FEUDALITYregime or feudal system
FEUDAL LEVY army a lord needs to meet obligations to field a number of knights and men-at-arms for 40 days service in exchange for land. A liegeman would go to the royalcastle with necessary warhorse, armament and attendants specified by contract.
FEUDAL LORD
AVOWRY lord of the manor
BASTARD FEUDALISM Lords annual payment to a vassal for his service
BOLD-GAETAL lords estate
FIEFDOM estate or domain of a feudal lord
INLAND/Demesne land center of a Lords estate retained instead of given out
LIEGE feudal lord over a vassal
LORDSHIP Nobility having certain responsibilities to the king in return for use
of grants l and/fiefs exploited with labor of a semi-free peasantry/serfs.
MANUMISSION act by which a Lord frees a serf
SAKE and SOKE right of jurisdiction claimed by some manorial lords
SOKELAND Danelaw for land to be property of occupying easants,
rather than the lord
SUZERAIN feudal Over Lord
SUZERAINTY control of one state over another
AVERAGE work done for a feudal lord by serf and oxen
BENEFICE grant of land/stipend given to an aristocrat Bishop, monastery,
for limited or hereditary use in exchange for services
BURAGAGE 12th c. English tenure holding land for king/lord for fixed rent
BURGAGE TENURE freeholder pays rent money instead of military
services
SOCAGE TENURE a freeman owing his lord money rent
SOKEMEN free tenants under manor jurisdiction, owing no service
to lord
BURGESS holder of land
CORVEE dues paid by a serf in return for use of his lord's land
ESCHEAT right of lord to take back lands held by vassal, or the holding of
a serfs land, should he either die without lawful heirs or suffer outlawry
FEALTY OATH a vassal's sworn vow of loyalty to a lord
ENEOFF take one into vassalage to render a service in return for fee/fief
EWAGE obligation of military service to a lord
ENFEOFFMENT held in return for feudal service
FEOFFMENT act of granting fief to vassal by giving dirt clod as symbolic gesture
SCUTAGE/Escuage 11th c. Latin for shield, money paid to a feudal Lord in
exchange for not serving military time. By 12th c. this practice became a fixed
sum allowing the King to dispense with his Barons and hire mercenaries.
SERVITUM DEBITUM 40 day military service owed by a Vassal/Knight
FEUDAL PYRAMID king over sub-tenants
FEUDAL REGIME holding to a feudal system
FEUDAL SERVICE vassal holding land from a lord in exchange for military service
FEUDAL SYSTEM from lord to vassal, homage and fealty, and enfeoffment
FEUDARE Latin ‘feudatorius’ invest with feudal property
TENURE holding property as a tenant
TENANT/Tenant farmer works land for Lords protection
TENANT-in-CHIEF holding land directly from King. All Earls were
Tenants-in-Chiefs
MESNE TENANT vassal of a Tenant-in-Chief
UNDER-TENANT tenant holding land from lord/tenant-in-chief
VASSAL homage in exchange for Lord’s grant of land and protection
VASSALAGE condition of being someone’s subordinate
SUBINFEUDINATION vassal holder of land/fief grants parts to
sub-vassals, making vassals of his own.
VILLEIN/Feudal freeman owing services for land
LAND TENURE feudal tenure which a villein held land
FEUDARE Latin ‘feudatorius’ invest with feudal property
FIEF/Feoff estate of land held by homage and service to a lord
FIEFDOM OFFICERS
HAYWARD manorial official in charge of haymaking or harvest times
HOUSEHOLD KNIGHTS entourage following lord into war or tournaments,
aid in food and housing.
LIEGEMAN vassal who swore homage to his liege lord
MESNIE group of Knight Errants traveling and fighting in tournaments/war
with feudal lord of high noble bearing, such as William Marshall.
REEVE/Grave/Grieve officer of lord of manor oversees all
feudal obligations.
SERGEANT servant accompanying lord to battle, or horseman of low
status used as light cavalry.
SERGEANTY feudal tenure service to a lord, lower than a knight
FIEF-RENTE/Payments/Taxes annual money due a liege lord for use of his land
AID special obligation of vassal to provide money for his lord’s ransom,
marriage of a daughter, knighting of his son, or for going on Crusade.
BANALITIES fees a lord imposed on serfs to use his mill/oven/wine press
CHEVAGE payment for license to live outside the manor
DRINCLEAN tenants payment due a lord for ale
ENTRY FEE tenant payment for admission to a holding
ESTOVERS right to gather wood on a Lords estate
FAGGOT bundle of sticks/wood
FIREBOTE wood granted to the tenants by a lord for the purpose of fuel
HAYE-BOTE peasants right to take wood/thorns to repair fences
FORMARRIAGE/MERCHET serfs payment to lord when daughter marries to
nother manor
FOREST LAW right to hunt on land set aside for a Lord’s hunting
GAVELSEED grain/corn paid by peasants to a lord for land rent
GERSUMA fine to lord for permission to take possession of tenement
HENNESILVER payment of hens to lord
HERIOT tribute/gift, usually prized animal/possession given by tenant or
villein’s family to his lord at the tenant’s death, forgiven if he died in battle
HEUSHIRE house rent
HEWETHRY rent of sheep
HOST military service owed a Lord
INCIDENTS payments/services rendered by vassal in addition to regular rent
and feudal services including an inheritance tax (relief) and a death duty
INFANGENTHEF power of a lord to inflict capital punishment on his tenants
JUS PRIMAE NOCTIS/First Night right of a lord to sleep with bride of a
serf on the first night of their marriage, custom could be avoided by the
payment of a fine
LEASE FOR THREE LIVES lease of land for life to holder, his son or wife,
and a grandson
MANUMISSION act by which a lord frees a serf
MATSILVER payment of malt to lord
MEDALE drinking festival after the lord's meadows had been mowed
MERCHET payment due a Lord when a Villein sells cattle, sends son to
school outside the manor, or gave his daughter in marriage
MILLAGE/Multure payment to lord to use mill to grind corn
PANNAGE payment to let pigs forage in the lords woods
PASTURAGE/Pascuarium payment of Sor-penny for pasturing livestock
PINFOLD/Punfold lords pound for stray animals
STALLAGE payment for permission to have a stall in a market or fair
STINTING limiting rights to pasture
TAILLE levied by the king or any lord upon his subjects
THELONY toll levied on imports and exports
VILLEINS serf/peasant holding land tenure to pay socage to a Lord
WETHERSILVER/Weddersilver payment of a wether sheep or goat
to a lords flock
WINESILVER payment for personal service in lords vineyard
