![my feudal lord excerpt my feudal lord excerpt](https://bookquoters.com/i/book/md/e/77/2332.jpg)
The lord then surrendered the fief to him - invested him with it - by handing to him something that was representative of it, as a clod of earth or a bunch of ears of corn, or, especially in the case of the higher fiefs, a glove or a spear with a banner. The vassal knelt before his lord and, placing his hands in or between his lord’s, pronounced the oath of fealty or homage. The king or lord might give more of governmental rights to one vassal than to another.Ī certain ceremonial attended the act of investiture. To this it must be added that the rights and duties were in each case fixed by contract, although usage had induced a certain uniformity. Each prominent man, as a rule, was at the same time lord and vassal: lord toward his own vassals, and vassal toward his lord.
![my feudal lord excerpt my feudal lord excerpt](https://quotessayings.net/pics/my-feudal-lord-quote-by-zhuangzi-851103.jpg)
Thus a kingdom was broken up into an indefinite number of large and small fiefs. Such subinfeudation was extremely common. The first Prince of Wales is said to have been born here.Ī vassal could hand over part of his territory to a subvassal, who would then stand to him in the same relation as he himself stood to the king. CARNARVON CASTLE, WALESĪ famous medieval fortress, built entirely of hewn stone. But if there was no son or other person that could legally inherit from a vassal, the fief escheated to the one who had granted it, who might or might not transfer it to someone else. The hereditary succession was regulated by law or contract and could not easily be changed. Such land and possessions were called a fief (more rarely feud). The king could not refuse this except for very special reasons. The king, in a solemn ceremony, called investiture, surrendered to him the lands and rights which the deceased vassal had possessed, just as if they were now transferred for the first time. The son must, as soon as possible, present himself before the king and “pay him homage,” that is, profess himself the king’s “man” (Latin, homo, hence the word homage) or vassal. When the holder of such an office died, all his rights and duties, as if they were private property, passed on to his eldest son. When called upon, they were obliged to gather their fighting men and serve in the king’s army every year for a definite number of weeks. Their services, however, were not only administrative but military as well.
![my feudal lord excerpt my feudal lord excerpt](https://www.criminalelement.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/the-iris-fan.jpg)
Similarly the men who in the king’s name governed the various districts and provinces of the realm did not receive salaries as our officials do, but enjoyed the revenues from certain estates. The rulers drew their revenues not from taxes but from large landed estates (see § 438). In those times there was little money wherewith to pay salaries and other government expenses. Nor can they transmit their offices and the revenues connected with them to their sons as an inheritance. They cannot consider their office or position their own, as they do their houses or gardens. The administration and government of present-day states, republics as well as monarchies, is carried out by officials, appointed or elected, who serve for a certain term of years and receive a fixed sum of money called salary for their services. This chapter explains how the states of the Middle Ages came to be governed how this resulted in a difference of classes, nobility and workers how religion, which in all essential parts was the same as the Catholic religion of to-day, was looked upon and practiced.Ĥ67. Use the Search box above to find specific topics or browse using the Resources tab above. Use the link at the bottom of post to read the previous/following pages. Although some information may be outdated, the Catholic historical perspective it provides remains pertinent. The following is an excerpt (pages 354-368) from Ancient and Medieval History (1944) by Francis S.