Vassalage
Heir to the companionship of a weapon of the early Middle Ages , the vassal is the dependency of a freeman (vassal, from Latin to his lord by the ceremony of homage. The feudal system of vassalage was developed because of the weakening of the public authority after the collapse of the Carolingian Empire ( X e - XI century ): the emperor, kings, and soon the territorial princes were unable to maintain order and to impose their power to local lords. A network of relationships between man and man is therefore, giving the rights and duties for each of them, a social pyramid ranging from theoretical to the lord king (great feudal lord), lord, vassal and rear-vassal ( Vavasseur ), but whose effectiveness depends on the authority of superiors.
Summary |
Reciprocal obligations
Even if the vassalage combines two free men, however, it is obvious that these men are not equal: the Lord has more power than the vassal. Indeed, it has the right to ban, that is to say the right to punish, coerce and judge. The vassal himself under the protection of more powerful. However this power owes much to the number, loyalty and relative power of his vassals, where reciprocity. We are talking of indenture because it commits both parties to the act that have obligations towards each other.
The duties of the vassal to his lord
The contract can be summarized in the Auxilium is to say, aid, and the Consilium, the board (not "c con ilium).
The duties of the vassal to his lord is first bans: the vassal must not interfere with his lord, his family and his property. Bonds actually quite vague.
The vassal is military aid to his lord when he is attacked, the vassal must come with their weapons to defend it. The vassal was also responsible for the castle guard (vent floor) and the escort of his lord. When the lord another attack, military service ( army ) or (host) is limited to 40 days. But obviously remains a vassal to his lord's side if conflict over this period. There will be compensated in cash over 40 days of fighting.
The vassal must also provide financial assistance: assistance to 4 cases (in France and England), the vassal must give money or gifts to his lord when he marries his eldest daughter, when he dubs his son senior, when he goes to the crusade and when it is captured and he must ransom.
Finally, the vassal is required to provide advice at the request of his master: he must attend meetings feudal courts of the Lord and to liturgical celebrations. All the vassals of a lord is welded together by these moments.
The duties of the lord to his vassal
Spending vassal are considerable: it must buy and maintain a horse and weapons and must be able to feed and provide some kind of life. To meet these requirements that the Lord may give a fief to his vassal. This fee is generally land which relates to the vassal income ( royalties ). The fee is taken on land or income of the lord.
The Lord must also protect his vassal against his enemies and make it good justice.
The problem of the feud
Property eminent and useful property, the ownership concept to the Middle Ages
More precisely, it is the feudal conception of property. Thus we speak of eminent property for the feudal lord who is the direct owner of the lands granted to the vassal (whether lord or commoner). And speaking of useful property for the vassal, that is to say, the right to use the fee for its own account. If a lord owns land directly and exploiting them for its own account or by a tenant (or vassal) it is not itself a vassal of another. In general, the lord (or master licensor) alienate a portion of his estate and exercised the useful property of another part of the domain. Thus the Frankish kings exercised beneficially owned lands in Paris, but exercises a prominent property in other areas. This design is close to the division of property that is the most modern usufruct. The usufructuary may well be likened to the tenant, and the bare owner to the grantor.
So, the tribute is not enough to determine if a nobleman or a commoner is the vassal of another. You should know whether or not the property has distinguished his fief. If the answer is positive, although making the tribute, it can not be described as vassal and the lord to whom he pays homage has no right to land it.
Nature of fee
The principle of giving a property in exchange for services, including military, dating back to late antiquity. In the Carolingian period, this land is called profit; the Central Middle Ages, he was appointed fief in the texts. The word stronghold then gave the word feudal.
The fee can be of several types:
- Most often, it is a land with revenue attached to them, between the eleventh century and the thirteenth century , money is scarce and difficult still circulating. The Lord then gives land to his vassal, with its peasants.
- The fee is rarely a function, a right to ban, tolls, tithes (church taxes).
- In the late Middle Ages, the feud is increasingly an annuity.
- The fee may also be a political or military.
Changes in the status of the feud
The feud between the progressive legacy of vassals in the beginning, the fief was granted by the lord to his vassal for life. The Lord then organized a new ceremony of homage to the heir. But increasingly, the fee is transferable for a sum of money (right to relief). Gradually, the purpose of the tribute is more service and reciprocal duties but the feud. Vassals thus increasing the tributes to accumulate fiefdoms. The problem comes when the two lords who shared a vassal entered the war. We thought at first the solution of the reservation and loyalty to the liege homage (or tribute prime). (Note: If multiple liege homage while the oldest premium)
The inauguration of vassalage
Characteristics of the ceremony
For the ceremony of homage (not to be confused with that of the dubbing that makes a man a knight), the man becomes the vassal of a lord. The documents that describe this event are abundant, both texts as images.
The tribute is a public ceremony usually takes place at the castle of the lord, before witnesses. There is no need for a written contract. Rituals and gestures of the ceremony are important, but the order of these actions are different in different regions.
Felon is the vassal who breaks the contract vassalit.Le lord can then proclaim the capture of his stronghold rarely implemented until 1202 when Philip Augustus proclaims the entry to John Lackland, before it will apply for an example. However, if the master fails to meet these commitments, he can go and complain to the lord of lord, to ask him protection and he will decide the fate of the lord (he can give the vassal fief to permanently without the Lord can benefit).
"The vassals of the Count of Flanders did the homage of the following ways: the Count of Flanders asked if he wanted to become a vassal future her husband unconditionally, and he replied:" I do "and then his hands were Joined in the count those who embraced, they allied themselves with a kiss. Second person who had pledged his honor faith in these words: "I promise to be faithful from this moment to Count William without deception. 'He swore that on the holy relic. Then, the count gave the investiture (the fee) to all those who had done homage to him by an oath "
According Galbert Bruges, History of the murder of Charles the Good, Count of Fleandre, 1127
Changes in the functioning of vassal relations
From the second half of the twelfth century , the king of France is increasing its power by using the system of feudal vassalage. It is placed himself atop a pyramid of homage:
- he swore loyalty to his rear-vassals;
- it acquires territory by war ( Normandy , for example);
- he acquired territories by offering annuities in exchange for fiefs (trading fee);
- it enhances his prestige and authority in ruling on appeal any decision.
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