HON 2110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Marche, Marcher Lord, Styria
23 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
A social and political system of personal relationships based on free exchange of personal service for use of designated land and everything on it (similar, in some ways, to wedding vows) Relationships were limited to families willing and free to fight for a leader. Formally created by vows of homage/fidelity/fealty, in which vassals received fudum/fief from the lords. Lords held the land but did not own it. Merchants, slaves, and serfs could not participate in the exchange, because they were tied to the land. The church, knights, and kings participated in the exchange. Especially knights, who were often heavily armed cavalrymen (which are horsemen) Kings to dukes to barons to knights. Main obligation of the vassal was service, especially defense of the lord. Vassals had to be available to arrive armed with foot soldiers when needed, and vassals were often knights.
