1 / 10

Feudalism and the Feudal Pyramid

Feudalism and the Feudal Pyramid. The foundation of Middle Ages society. Feudal Pyramid. European society resembled a chess game Kings/Queens were powerful, but not always the most powerful Bishops/Nobles tried to lessen royal authority Lesser nobles served as knights Most people were poor

mikkel
Download Presentation

Feudalism and the Feudal Pyramid

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Feudalism and the Feudal Pyramid The foundation of Middle Ages society

  2. Feudal Pyramid • European society resembled a chess game • Kings/Queens were powerful, but not always the most powerful • Bishops/Nobles tried to lessen royal authority • Lesser nobles served as knights • Most people were poor • Poor were known as serfs: like slaves as they are bound to the land they work (pawns in a chess game)

  3. Continued… • Royalty needed military to be strong • Landowners were often as powerful as royalty due to land assets • Landowners offered protection to others • In return, poorer served as Vassals (Lesser Lords) to the Lord • This became known as “Lord/Vassal Relationship” or “Feudalism”

  4. Feudal Pyramid

  5. The Medieval Manor • Manor: Lord’s estate • What did the Manor consist of? • 1,000 or more acres of land • Castle • Church • Peasant huts • Equipment for food making (ovens, wine presses) • Forests and farmable land

  6. The Medieval Manor

  7. Farming and Daily Life at a Manor • Feudalism was based on farming – simple tools and not efficient • People at this time did not know about crop rotation (planting different crops to replenish minerals) • Instead, they fallowed the land • Fallow: untilled/unfarmed land to restore fertility • Demesne: best farming land on the manor

  8. Continued… • Most serfs lived in a single thatched roof cottage – heat came from a center fireplace (cottage fires were common) • Both serf men and women worked hard –men = fields, women = household duties • Money was scarce due to little trade

  9. Castle Life • Castle was on the highest ground to protect from enemy • Surrounded by a moat: protective water around a castle • Great Hall: living quarters of the lord and his family • Keep: most secure/safest place in castle…where lord/family would go in case of/during an attack • Dungeon: place where prisoners were kept – were dark, dirty, and jail-like • Castles were made of stone – they were cold and were lit by candle light as there were not many windows

  10. Manor Life • Lord did administrative work • Steward: Lord’s chief advisor • Reeve: spokesperson for the lord and overseer of serfs • Constable: called meetings for the lord and enforced laws • Lord’s Wife: overseer of artisans and took lord’s power if he was away at battle • Serfs: Did the labor work at the manor

More Related