Welcome to the Medieval Europe Time-traveler tour

guide!

This web page will provide you with information about Medieval Europe, specifically the Feudalist system and the social classes. It is important to be well informed

about the place and era you are traveling back in time to. As you know, please be careful to abide by your Time

Traveler guidelines to avoid any devastating “mistakes” that might just end up with future world going poof! No pressure, though.:) Please read on to learn about the

Middle Ages of Europe. I hope this will provide you with adequate information. Enjoy!

Medieval Europe Introduction:

Medieval Europe also known as the Middle Ages of the Europe, is referred to as the time period after the fall of Rome, from about 500 to 1350. The Early Middle Ages, from 500 to 1050, were filled with chaos and discord as the Roman civilization fell apart. Many people called them the Dark Ages due to the wars that raged everywhere because of the Viking, Muslim, and Magyar

invaders. However, all this was leading to a new civilization in Europe, the Medieval civilization. Medieval society was based upon the Feudalist system, a system of contracts and agreements between the members of each social class. These agreements and contracts were

traditional and became known as the feudal contract where one person gave a member of another social class something in exchange for something else. It could even be described as mutualistic

symbiosis. Trade declined drastically during the Middle Ages but later strengthened as a new Middle Class emerged. The decline in trade caused communities on fiefs to become independent

and self-sufficient which resulted in manors. Each of these manors was like a little island, isolated. The Feudalist and Manorial system were intertwined and became the foundation of the

political and economic system during the Middle Ages.

Social Classes:The Monarch:

As expected, the Monarch was at the top of the social hierarchy. However, monarchs had little power in the Middle Ages until later on, when they began to centralize the power during the High Middle Ages, from about 1000 to 1300. Sometimes, the Church and lords/nobles had as much power as the Monarchs, which indicates the little power they actually had. The Monarchs were a part of the Feudalist system as well. They signed feudal contracts with powerful lords and gave them land or an estate called a fief in exchange for loyalty, military service, and regular fees. These lords became the Monarch’s vassals, who each had vassals of their own. The Feudal Contract was important due to the chaos and constant warfare in the Early Middle Ages. The potential benefit to being a monarch was that they did gain tremendous power and expanded upon it later on during the Middle Ages. However, with this power came many clashes and conflicts with the Church which continued for a long time.

The Nobles/Knights:

The Nobles and the churchmen were both part of the second social class. Similar to the churchmen, the nobles could have the same power as the monarch at times. They were vassals of the monarch and they also had vassals of their own as well. Nobles could train to become knights, which were crucial because of the constant warfare. The knights were also vassals of a

higher lord, however they didn’t belong to the same social class as nobles. Boys destined to become knights left to train at their lord’s castle at the young age of 7. It was very difficult and they were disciplined strictly. After training was completed, the boy was knighted in a public ceremony by an older knight or lord and joined the rest of the warriors. Knights were very skilled at fighting and often had to follow a code of chivalry based upon justice, honor, and proper conduct. They were required to be loyal, brave, and honest in all aspects of their life. In exchange for becoming vassals of the Monarch, the nobles, like the churchmen, received an estate called a fief or a manor. Peasants mainly lived on the manor and they worked with the lord of the estate. During the Early Middle Ages, women had little rights or power, but they could sometimes inherit fiefs and if they were noblewomen, oversee an entire castle or estate in their husband or father’s absence. They did this by supervising the vassals, managing the household, and assisting with the agricultural and medical tasks. Similar to noblemen, noblewomen were sent from a young age to other castles for training. They were expected to know how to spin, weave, and supervise servants. There were benefits to being a knight or noble. Knights learned how to defend themselves and fight which was an important skill during the Dark Ages of Europe. The challenges to being a knight might’ve been that they could die in battle, which would cause problems for their vassals, lords, and family members. The challenges to being a noble might’ve been the competition with other nobles and lords to be the richest or most successful.

The Clergy:The clergy or churchmen were part of the same social class as the nobles. They were also

vassals of the monarch and possibly did have vassals of their own. Unlike the noble, the clergy had slightly more power since they were part of the Church, which governed the lives of people during the Middle Ages. In fact, later on during the Middle Ages, there were conflicts between the monarch and the Church over power. In every lord’s manor, there were village churches that were considered a social and educational center and a place of worship. The Church played an important role in the lives of the village people, including distributing justice by a court. Main events in a person’s life involved the Church, such as their baptism. The Church did have a great deal of power and it only increased further on. The clergy worked under the Pope and took care of church activities and also had political roles, like their own governments. The clergy were usually highly educated nobles, which allowed them to have government positions. There were great benefits to being part of the clergy. Not only did the Church have power that rivaled the monarch’s, but people’s lives revolved around it. The head of the Church called the Pope claimed to have authority over nonreligious ruler, or papal supremacy. The challenges might’ve been that the Church didn’t have much power or non-religious people or other religions. Additionally, people could start to revolt if they noticed that the clergy or pope were more power-hungry than religious, which might’ve been the case often. However, that would be pretty unwise since the pope pretty much had the power to issue the “off with your head!” command. Despite that, there were honest and righteous people that were part of the Church and wanted

good for all, although power could sometimes “blind” them. If you were appointed as a member of a clergy it might’ve been difficult, but a bonus would’ve been that you got a pretty high-ranking job and that you had a great deal of influence on others.

The Middle Class:The Merchants, Artisans, and Tradespeople were part of the new Middle Class that

appeared as the population of Europe began to erupt. This middle class wasn’t really a part of the Feudalist system hierarchy. Trade was needed in order to

provide for the growing demand of products and so it reappeared and began to flourish once again.

The Merchants:The merchants were initially traders who worked together in companies, traveling across

Europe by trade routes and exchanging goods for priceless items from Asia and the Middle East. Traders from all over Europe worked together by purchasing merchandise and shipping it to other traders, who in turn sold them to other traders. The circle continued on and on! With trade increasing, soon annual trade fairs were being held. However, they soon declined because of nearby competition. Later own, merchants began to build new towns using charters from the king or a local lord. Over time, the merchants, like the artisans, gained more power in medieval towns. They built associations called guilds. The Merchants guilds were more powerful than the artisan craft guilds. They basically ruled over town life, passing laws and controlling taxes. They also had the power to spend funds. At that time, many women worked in guilds and some even had their own guilds, such as in Paris and Frankfurt. With the emerging of the new Middle Class, women got more opportunities. The challenges to being a merchant would’ve have been probably been the growing competition, especially between the merchants and the artisans. A benefit would’ve been that by building towns and merchant guilds, they did gain power.

The Artisans:

The artisans and merchants worked together since merchants could sell artisan-made crafts. Both of these groups were part of the Middle class and they competed with each other greatly. Similar to the merchant guilds, artisans built craft guilds that each specified for one type of craft. For example, there were guilds for weaving or ribbon-making. Often, the merchant and craft guilds clashed for power in medieval towns, which caused riots. Guild masters could take on students called apprentices and learn from them and work. They usually became journeymen, workers that earned a salary, and rarely became guild masters. The benefits and challenges to being an artisan are similar, but I believe that either one may have had a very slight advantage over the other at times.

The Peasants/Serfs:

The Peasants and Serfs were the lowest social class in the Feudalist system. They made up the foundation of the entire system and were very important. Peasants and Serfs often lived on the estates or manors of lords and nobles. They farmed the land and took care of the estate in exchange for protection, land, and justice. The relationship between a lord and the peasants and serfs that lived on his estate was similar to the one between a lord and his vassal. The peasants/serfs worked with the lord to ensure that the estate thrived and flourished. The serfs were peasants who were tied to a manor and couldn’t leave it without their lord’s permission. They weren’t slaves, but they weren’t exactly free. Both peasants and serfs had to farm their lord’s lands several days a week and repair damaged roads, fences, and bridges. They also had pay fees with products such as eggs or honey when they inherited land, used a local mill to grind grain, and every Christmas and Easter. In exchange for all this, the peasants were given their own small portion of land to farm and protection from the warfare. Despite this, peasant life was harsh. Entire families including children worked many hours on the field and they had a simple diet excluding meat. Due to this and the cold winters, hunger was ever present and few peasants lived after the age of 35. A family and their livestock all lived together in a hut. The peasants and serfs basically ran the estate themselves with the lord overlooking them. They produced goods that they used as a type of money and they had everything they needed in their manor. It seems like the lord of manor may have relied more on the peasants and serfs. The occupants of the manor lived together in the village and provided for themselves everything they needed, making manors self-sufficient communities. Peasants and Serfs were the base of the entire feudalist system since they were the ones who farmed and took care of the estates and manors. Life was harsh and challenging, yet they were depended upon the most in the feudalist system.

Thank you for reading! I hope that this did provide you with sufficient information. Enjoy your journey and remember to be smart, cautious, and stay safe!

References:Ellis, E. G., & Esler, A. (2009). World History. Boston, MA: Pearson Prentice Hall. Unit 7 Medieval Christian Europe (330-1450)

How does Feudalism Work? Chart [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November/December, 2016, from https://www.connexus.com/content/media/1736100-662016-111705-AM-257576722.png

All Images from Microsoft Word Clip Art

Time Quote: [Alice Through the Looking Glass, Time Quote]. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2016, from http://www.enzasbargains.com/alice-through-the-looking-glass-quotes/