Fuedalism in England

1000 Word Report

Feudalism in England began in 1066 following the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest.  The Normans led by William the Conqueror, who was crowned King William I of England, introduced Feudalism to the country. Feudalism is based on the exchange of land for military service. William the Conqueror claimed all the land in England for himself, and divided the land between himself (about 20%), the church (about 25%), and the rest of the land in England was divided amongst the Norman soldiers and nobles. Following the Norman Conquest, William the Conqueror ordered a full survey of England, which is known as the Doomsday Book. It gave the new king of England a detailed representation of the land, the people, and how many taxes and would be paid to the Normans. In Feudalism, when a vassal was rewarded with land they would swear an Oath of Fealty to their lord and provide fully equipped and well trained soldiers under the Feudal Levy.  The Anglo Saxons fought against the rule of the Normans and Feudalism. The rebellions were led by the mother and family of the deposed King Harold. Hereward the Wake also led rebellions against the Normans and William the Conqueror, but the rebellions were defeated.  Feudalism in England declined until the end of the 14^th century when it ended.

Vassals are people who are granted the use of land in return for homage, fealty, and usually military service or an equivalent to a lord or other superior.  The term “vassal” originated with the emergence of Feudalism in the Medieval Era of the Middle Ages. Norman Vassals were granted land by William the Conqueror as their reward for fighting alongside him. The seizure of English Land was ruthless. The vassals were well rewarded and only two Englishmen, who turned traitor to England, were left with their own land. The sections of land given to the Norman vassals were known as fiefs. Fiefs were occupied by vassals and became known as Manors. The vassals all owed allegiance to the King and to their immediate superior. Vassals paid for their land by providing services to their immediate superiors. The lords of the Manors were known as Vassals or Liege lords. The vassals were free men who held fiefs from a superior to whom he owed homage and swore fealty.  The land owned by vassals varied in size, but typically ranged between 1200-1800 acres. A vassals land was known as his “demesne”, or domain. Vassals required this land to support himself and his retinue. Some of this land would be allotted to peasants who became the vassal’s tenants. A vassal’s fief would typically include a Manor house, farming land, church, a village, a mill, forests and common pasture land. The Manor house was the place of residence for the vassals and their families and was built away from the village where the peasants lived. Medieval vassals held power over the peasants, with such privileges as hunting and judicial rights. In feudalism all vassals would swear allegiance to their lords and pay homage in a commendation ceremony known as the Oath of Fealty. 

A vassal’s life revolved around the Oath of Fealty sworn to his immediate superior, whether it be a noble or even the king himself.  The commendation ceremony, during which the Oath of Fealty was sworn, was designed to create a lasting bond between a vassal and his superior. Fealty and Homage were key elements in Feudalism. They are what a lord requested of a vassal during the Oath of Fealty.  The Oath of Fealty was a promise of service to the lord. To take the oath was a very solemn proceeding. It was an appeal to God, by which a man called divine punishment down upon himself if he swore falsely. The words spoken in the Oath of Fealty are close to the following:

“I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the lord, never cause him harm, and will observe my homage to him completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit.”

The Oath of Fealty was sworn during a solemn ceremony necessitating an act of homage.  The vassal would appear before the lord bareheaded and without weapons. They would then kneel before the lord, and clasping their hands, as though in prayer, which he would stretch out toward the lord. This position signified total submission to the lord. They would then swear an Oath of Fealty, after which the lord would grasp the hands of the vassal, signifying superiority, and announce his acceptance.

                After the commendation ceremony there would be a second ceremony. This second ceremony was known as the Investiture Ceremony. Investiture was the ceremonial transfer of a fief to a vassal by the king or lord. Certain privileges and rights were granted to the vassal when they receive a fief. These privileges and rights included the right of hunting on their fief and judicial rights over the people who lived on their fief. The fief was referred to as a Manor and the vassal who had received the land was known as the Lord of the Manor. Feudalism itself was a simple pyramid of power in which anyone could move up the ranks. Therefore a vassal may give part of his fief to a sort of sub-vassal, thereby becoming an overlord.  A fief originally had to be renewed upon the death of the lord or vassal, however as time went on it became customary for the heirs of the vassal to inherit the fief. Hence, the fief became hereditary.  There are many different definitions of a fief. The primary definition of a fief is land that produces revenue. But a fief, or favor, may also take a form of money known as a knight’s fee. A fief may also be a special office which provides good income.  A fief could hold anything of value. A vassal himself may be referred to as a fief.