Manor Life

1. Manor Life Life on a Manor in the HMA

2. The Feudal System • The Knights and Lords • Nobles needed trained soldiers to defend castles • Knights most important, highly skilled soldiers • Mounted knights in heavy armour as best defenders • Being a knight was expensive; had to maintain weapons, armour, horses • Knights demanded payment for services

3. The Feudal System – Who’s in charge? • Fiefs and the Vassals • Knights were usually paid for their services with land • Land given to knight for service was called a fief • Anyone accepting fief was called a vassal • Person from whom he accepted fief was his lord

4. Feudal Obligations of the Lords • Oath of Fealty • Lords, vassals in feudal system had duties to fulfill to one another • Knight’s chief duty as vassal to provide military service to his lord • Had to promise to remain loyal; promise called oath of fealty • Financial Obligations • Knight had certain financial obligations to lord • Knight obligated to pay ransom for lord’s release if captured in battle • Gave money to lord on special occasions, such as knighting of son • Lord’s Obligations • Lord had to treat knights fairly, not demanding too much time, money • Had to protect knight if attacked by enemies • Had to act as judge in disputes between knights

5. A 12th Century Manor

6. Inside a Manor Castle

7. A Typical Manor • Most of manor’s land occupied by fields for crops, pastures for animals • Middle Ages farmers learned that leaving field empty for year improved soil • In time, practice developed into three-field crop rotation system

8. Crop Rotation One field planted in spring for fall harvest Another field planted in winter for spring harvest Third field remained unplanted for year Small Village Each manor included fortified house for noble family, village for peasants, serfs Goal to make manor self-sufficient Typical manor also included church, mill, blacksmith A Typical Manor

9. Bedrooms Most families slept on beds of straw on floor All shared one room with each other, animals Most glad to have animals to provide extra heat in cold winters Meals Peasant families cooked meals over open fire in middle of floor Typical meal: brown bread, cheese, vegetables, occasionally meat No chimneys, house often full of smoke; fires common Life in the Village

10. Life in the Castle • Life in Middle Ages not easy, did not have comforts we have today • Early castles built for defense not comfort • Few windows, stuffy in summer, cold in winter, dark always • Nobles had to share space with others, including soldiers, servants • Private rooms very rare • Main room the hall, large room for dining, entertaining • In early castles, noble family bedrooms separated from main area by sheets • Later castles had separate bedrooms; latrines near bedrooms • Wooden bathtub outside in warm weather, inside near fireplace in winter

11. It’s All About Farming! • Read pg. 48 • Questions 1, 2 • These will be discussed and will help you for your upcoming project

12. The Peasant’s Diet • Read pg. 51 • Create a T-chart • Diet of people then vs. now • How might technology have influenced their diet?