Manorialism
One component to the age of feudalism was manorialism. Manors were popular all across Europe in the Middle Ages due to how self-sufficient they were. This self-sufficiency was especially significant due to England's recent separation from Rome when it fell, leaving the citizens of England alone, without any form of government or structured society. Manors were large stretches of land, taken up mainly by fields, which were surrounded by forests. These were usually held by one Lord, who had complete control over the inhabitants, divided into several groups. The lower classes of these manors, mainly peasants and serfs, made up roughly 90% of the average manor. During these days, the forests surrounding the manors were very unsafe, for reasons such as thieves, wild animals, etcetera, so in exchange for using the lord's house as a safe house, the peasants would work the fields of the lords, providing crops and money that the lord could then give to the King.
The lives of peasants and serfs were very taxing; they worked most of the day, and would come home to their small, bare houses with very little money. Serfs were in no way slaves, however. They were provided with several things slaves could never have, including land. This land had to be worked by the family or group of serfs who owned it, but as long as they provided a sufficient amount of crops to their lord, they could do with it as they pleased. Furthermore, there were several laws that allowed peasants to leave their lords, such as one stating that if any peasant successfully hid from his or her lord outside the manor, they would be free. As time progressed, manors fell from father to son, and the bond between the worker and its master because weaker, straining the serf's sense of duty and loyalty to the lord. This form of self-sufficiency did not last, however. During the Bubonic Plague, when almost a third of the population died, manors faced the predicament of having too few peasants to tend to the fields, and were forced to let the remainder of their workers go. Although it eventually died out, manorialism was an extremely important aspect to both feudalism and the foundation of the Medieval society, which further proves the accuracy in naming the Middle Ages an age of Feudalism.
A manorial contract was a contract a man signed to pledge his loyalty to the lord. Usually, this manorial contract stated what land and form of housing the man would hold, and what taxes the man needed to pay to his lord, such as a rooster and two chickens at Christmas, or two days of working on the fields he was given during Lent. For example, in an example of a manorial contract in 1307, it states several rules the serf would have to follow, such as, "(He) May not allow his daughters to marry without the consent of the lord or the lord's bailiff. Neither may he permit his sons to enter the clergy without the lord's consent." These laws that the lord set for his serf ensured that he would control the serf's posterity. He does this by not allowing any decision that would make the son or daughter of a serf cease to work for his land, such as joining the clergy or marrying someone far away. This quote shows that the contract does not only hold power over a serf, but the serf's family as well.
On the diagram of a medieval manor, several things can be seen. Not only the amount of fields and the layout of the Manor, but the buildings, residential, and structures of one. For example, most diagrams of medieval manors show how much land is provided for the lord, where the Manor houses, graveyards and churches are, and also where the peasants live and work. A diagram provides much information about life on a Manor in the Middle Ages.
The lives of peasants and serfs were very taxing; they worked most of the day, and would come home to their small, bare houses with very little money. Serfs were in no way slaves, however. They were provided with several things slaves could never have, including land. This land had to be worked by the family or group of serfs who owned it, but as long as they provided a sufficient amount of crops to their lord, they could do with it as they pleased. Furthermore, there were several laws that allowed peasants to leave their lords, such as one stating that if any peasant successfully hid from his or her lord outside the manor, they would be free. As time progressed, manors fell from father to son, and the bond between the worker and its master because weaker, straining the serf's sense of duty and loyalty to the lord. This form of self-sufficiency did not last, however. During the Bubonic Plague, when almost a third of the population died, manors faced the predicament of having too few peasants to tend to the fields, and were forced to let the remainder of their workers go. Although it eventually died out, manorialism was an extremely important aspect to both feudalism and the foundation of the Medieval society, which further proves the accuracy in naming the Middle Ages an age of Feudalism.
A manorial contract was a contract a man signed to pledge his loyalty to the lord. Usually, this manorial contract stated what land and form of housing the man would hold, and what taxes the man needed to pay to his lord, such as a rooster and two chickens at Christmas, or two days of working on the fields he was given during Lent. For example, in an example of a manorial contract in 1307, it states several rules the serf would have to follow, such as, "(He) May not allow his daughters to marry without the consent of the lord or the lord's bailiff. Neither may he permit his sons to enter the clergy without the lord's consent." These laws that the lord set for his serf ensured that he would control the serf's posterity. He does this by not allowing any decision that would make the son or daughter of a serf cease to work for his land, such as joining the clergy or marrying someone far away. This quote shows that the contract does not only hold power over a serf, but the serf's family as well.
On the diagram of a medieval manor, several things can be seen. Not only the amount of fields and the layout of the Manor, but the buildings, residential, and structures of one. For example, most diagrams of medieval manors show how much land is provided for the lord, where the Manor houses, graveyards and churches are, and also where the peasants live and work. A diagram provides much information about life on a Manor in the Middle Ages.