What was the name given to the unpaid, forced labor that a peasant had to perform on land belonging to his lord in exchange for the use of his plot of land?
Corvus
What was the name given to the portion of the harvest (e.g., grain, eggs, honey) that peasants had to regularly give to their lord?
Tribute
What was an important symbol during the homage ceremony, signifying the transfer of control over the land?
The liege lord's presentation of a banner, spear, or lump of earth
What was the name given to the highest ranking official in a state (usually the king), who granted land but was not himself a vassal?
Susan
What was a fief in the medieval feudal system?
Land granted to a vassal by a liege lord
From what earlier group of armed men did the knightly order develop over time?
From former warriors belonging to the prince's cavalry
What do we call the hierarchical structure of society, in which the ruler stood at the top, below them lay the secular and clerical magnates, then the knights-vassals, and at the very bottom the peasants?
The feudal ladder
What was the name of a person who accepted homage and granted land to their subject in exchange for loyalty and military assistance?
Senior
Which of the following social groups was by far the most numerous in the Middle Ages, but had the fewest rights and was burdened with the greatest burdens? duties?
Peasants
What were the primary occupations of the knights in the Middle Ages? bourgeoisie?
Crafts and trade
What were the privileges that higher social classes, such as knights and clergy, received in the Middle Ages?
Special rights and concessions granted by the ruler
In medieval society, who was primarily occupied with prayer, copying books, and learning?
Clergy
What is the key difference between a medieval peasant and a modern farmer?
A modern farmer usually owns land, while a medieval peasant merely used it and was dependent on the lord
In the feudal system, who placed themselves under the protection of someone more powerful than themselves, promising loyalty and military service?
Vassal
What were the main What were the duties of peasants in the feudal system in exchange for using the land and providing care for the lord?
Serving serfdom in the lord's fields and paying tribute
Into what estates, differing in rights and privileges, was society divided in the late Middle Ages?
The clergy, the knighthood (from which the nobility arose), the townspeople, and the peasantry
