Why Knights Make Feudalism Analysis

“The knight pledged to be brave and fair in battle, to protect the weak, and to display good manners toward women” (Everyday life: middle ages, 2005). The knight in Medieval Europe was a brave, courageous figure who fought for the safety of his people and of his lord. The knight was a vassal hired by a lord, and for his loyal, honorable service was given a fief, or a piece of land in which he could farm, live, and hire workers to produce goods while he was gone fighting for his lord. The system that held together medieval society was an honorable system of trust that tied together lords and vassals called Feudalism. The reason Knights make Feudalism unique is because of the way they perform tasks in their honorable work life, their luxurious
For instance, the text stated, “The knights swore an oath of loyalty to their overlord, becoming a vassal, or man of the lord. This system of exchanging land for protection is known as feudalism” (Kay Eastwood, 2004). This quote explains that their work life was a very honorable environment. Their job, protecting their lord, was very important in a way that the society told them to swear an oath of loyalty to their employer, or the lord. After they swear upon this oath, their entire life belongs to this person. Also, for swearing upon this oath and becoming forever loyal to their lord, the knights are assigned a piece of land. This land is where the knight will live, grow food, start a family, and do many more important things that are required for survival when they are not at work. As you can see from this quote, the knight’s work life is tied to their home life, meaning that their entire life is tied to the concept of honor and trust in one another. In addition, the text stated, “The fief was formally acquired following the ceremony of homage, in which the vassal, kneeling before the overlord, put his hands in those of the lord and declared himself his man, and the overlord bound himself by kissing the vassal and raising him to his feet. The vassal then swore an oath of fealty, vowing to be faithful to the overlord and to perform the acts and services due him” (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2000). This quote explains how loyal and honorable the vassal was to his lord. The vassal had so much respect and such a small ego that he vowed to be faithful and to perform the tasks at hand with as much effort as possible. As well as the knight, the lord was very kind to the knight no matter his ego. The lord kissed the vassal as a sign of trustworthiness, and as a symbol of true, deep respect. As you can see from this quote, the lord is honorable