Middle Ages

Monastery

A community of monks

Feudalism

A political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land

Hierarchy

a system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority.

Fief

land granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for loyalty and service

Vassal

A knight who promised to support a lord in exchange for land

Oath of Fealty

A feudal oath of loyalty sworn to a lord in exchange for an award of land.

Knight

A man who received honor and land in exchange for serving a lord as a soldier.

Charlemagne

king of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor

Vikings

Invaders of Europe that came from Scandinavia

William the Conqueror

duke of Normandy who led the Norman invasion of England and became the first Norman to be King of England

Concordat

the peace agreement made between Napoleon and the Pope following the chaos of the French Revolution.

Manor

A large estate, often including farms and a village, ruled by a lord.

Serf

A person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord

Excommunication

Kicked out of the church

Guilds

Association of merchants or artisans who cooperated to protect their economic interests

Clergy

Church officials

Chivalry

Code of conduct for knights during the Middle Ages

Tithe

Church tax

Crusaders

Christians of Europe in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries that fought for the recovery of the Holy Land from the Muslims

Infidel

unbeliever of the church