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Feudalism Mini Unit Study

Feudalism was the dominant form of political, economic and social organization for most of Western Europe in the Middle Ages after the collapse of the Roman Empire and prior to the rise of the monarchies. I like to start here when beginning study of medieval Europe, because it helps put everything else we learn into context. Castles, knights and peasants begin to make sense as a way of life for real people versus characters in a fairy-tale world.

In this mini unit study, you can: read about the feudal system in England after the Norman invasion, learn about the "thegn", "cottars" and "theow" that made up the social system in England prior to 1066, examine different medieval feudal oaths, see a letter written to the duke of Aquitaine on the duties required of both lords and their vassals, describe the feudal system to a visitor in a narration activity, take a tour of a virtual medieval village, and build a castle for your fiefdom.

Reading

For younger kids, a brief one-page overview of how the feudal system in medieval England worked, with a few questions and exercises at the end:

Feudal system (pdf file)

An illustrated diagram of the feudal order:

Feudal_hierarchy (pdf file)

A detailed explanation of the feudal system more appropriate for ages 12 and up - it also includes an interesting comparison between the characteristics of the feudal system in medieval times to the rise of gangs in the 1920's in the United States:

Feudalism explanation

Read how the system of land and labor was arranged in England

before the Norman invasion in 1066. An 11-page document with nice photo illustrations:

Land and labor (pdf file)

Primary Sources

Examine two different feudal oaths of fidelity:

Feudal oaths

A letter to the duke of Aquitaine on the mutual duties of vassals and lords:

Letter

Multimedia

Take a tour of the virtual medieval village of Wichamstow. Be sure to click on the hyperlinks embedded throughout the page to get the complete picture:

Village

Narration Activity

Francois of Bologna, a monk from France, comes to visit you in England in the year 1091. You have only 100 words to try to describe the new feudal system to him:

Visiting monk exercise (pdf file)

Projects

The center of a medieval village was the castle of the lord. Build your own medieval castle, complete with towers, gatehouse and keep:

Make a castle

Recommended Resource

What Life Was Like: In the Age of Chivalry

I ran across this book on Amazon's web site about two years ago. At the time, I thought it looked interesting, but wasn't shopping for medieval books at the time. So I put it on my "wish list", something I frequently do so I don't forget about a potentially good resource. Well, I never did order it, but it came to me from a relative who saw it on my wish list and bought it for me as a gift this past Christmas. What a pleasant surprise!

The book is a slim hardcover volume full of colorful illustrations of medieval life that will capture the attention of most children and adults. Many of the requisite famous figures from the Middle Ages are covered, but what I found most interesting was the narration of the life of a peasant named Abrihil and the letters of an Italian husband and wife who were part of the merchant class.

I found it to be a great companion for an introduction to the feudal system and life in medieval times. The four main segments of the book are the people of: the church, the knighthood or nobility, the land (peasants) and the town. Reading level is approximately 9+, but is suitable as a read-a-loud for younger kids. Amazon doesn't stock this title new any more, but you can pick up a nice used copy for less than $7.

Book (Hardcover)

Authors: Time-Life Books

Buy used or new from $6.48

Release Date: May, 1999

Read more about the book on Amazon