Kings
The king was the supreme ruler of his kingdom and was at the top of the feudal chart. yet, emperors and popes still ruled over the king. The king's job was to create laws and enforce them. When someone were to disobey his rules, he would be the man to decide their punishment: execution or sentence to the dungeon. Kings and Queens lived in large stone castles, some like seen in the fairy tails, to protect themselves from the weaponry of invaders from different kingdoms or states. Surprisingly enough, kings had to fight in wars, leading his armies and putting his own life at risk as well. If a king were to back out from a battle, there was plenty of men willing to take his spot as king.
Above is a picture of Edward the Confessor, later canonized as Saint Edward the Confessor. He was the king of England from 1042 to 1066.
Nobles
Paying homage is the act of respect and allegiance made by a vassal to his lord. At a soon-to-be noble's commendation ceremony, the noble was to take the Oath of Fealty, the promise of faithful service to the lord. The Oath of Fealty went something along these lines: "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." In return for their loyalty toward the king, nobles were given large areas of land within the kingdom and titles like Duke, Count, or baron.
Above is a painting of nobles.
Knights
Knights were considered vessels, as well as nobles, but instead of receiving land from the king, they received it from the nobles because of their help in battle. Only boys from noble families could become knights, but they had to be pages and squires before proving themselves brave warriors. Knights were not only expected to be swift warriors, but to have a chivalrous side to his nature. They had to follow a set of guidelines, or a "code of conduct", if you will. This code of conduct was called the Knights Code of Chivalry or Charlemagne's Code of Chivalry, because it was said to have originated in Charlemagne's time. The Knights Code of Chivalry is described in a song called "The Song of Roland"...
- To fear God and maintain His Church
- To serve the liege lord in valour and faith
- To protect the weak and defenceless
- To give succour to widows and orphans
- To refrain from the wanton giving of offence
- To live by honour and for glory
- To despise pecuniary reward
- To fight for the welfare of all
- To obey those placed in authority
- To guard the honour of fellow knights
- To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit
- To keep faith
- At all times to speak the truth
- To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun
- To respect the honour of women
- Never to refuse a challenge from an equal
- Never to turn the back upon a foe
- Faith
- Charity
- Justice
- Sagacity
- Prudence
- Temperance
- Resolution
- Truth
- Liberality
- Diligence
- Hope
- Valour
To the left is an image of three knights in the 11th century. Below is an image of a knight in the 14th century.
Peasants
Peasants lived together in small villages. These villages consisted of thatch-roofed, one-roomed houses, an open space ('the green'), the parish church, the parsonage, and the mill. Peasants were very self-sufficient. They worked for knights, nobles, or kings, tending to their land and growing crops. They also made their own clothing, grew or found their own food, and built their own houses from wood from the forest. In return for working on their land, nobles, kings, and knights protected peasants from invasions when they occurred. A freeman is a peasant who pays money or food for their land, but a villein has to work part-time for their lord to earn the land. Although life as a peasant was very tough, it has been said that they received about 8 weeks off from work throughout the year.
To the left is a picture showing what peasant houses looked like in the Middle Ages. Below is an image that indicates life in a village.