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Avillein is a class ofserf tied to the land under thefeudal system. As part of the contract with the lord of themanor, they were expected to spend some of their time working on the lord's fields in return for land. Villeins existed under a number of legal restrictions that differentiated them from freemen, and could not leave without his lord's permission. Generally, villeins held their status not by birth but by the land they held, and it was also possible for them to gainmanumission from their lords. The villeinage system largely died out in England in 1500, with some forms of villeinage being in use in France until 1789.

Villein is derived fromLate Latinvillanus, meaning a man employed at aRomanvilla rustica, or large agricultural estate. The system of tied serfdom originates from a decree issued by the late Roman EmperorDiocletian (r. 284–305 CE) in an attempt to prevent the flight of peasants from the land and the consequent decline in food production. The decree obliged peasants to register in their locality and never leave it.

Because of the low social status of villeins, the term becamederogatory. In modern Frenchvilain means "ugly" or "naughty". In Italian,Villano means "rude" or "ill-mannered". For the SpanishVillano, theRAE preserves the definition of "neighbour or inhabitant of a village or town", but it also accepts the derogatory use, which is very similar to the Modern Englishvillain.

Villeinage, as opposed to other forms of serfdom, was most common in Western European feudalism, where land ownership had developed from roots inRoman law. A variety of kinds of villeinage existed in Western Europe and it is impossible to arrive at a precise definition which satisfies them all. Different times and countries dealt with villeinage in slightly different ways. Some villeins had clearly defined and limited responsibilities to their lords, while others were essentially at their lords' whim.

As part of the contract with theirlandlord, villeins were expected to pay dues and services in exchange for land.^[1] They were bound to serve their lords and only had one or two acres of land to use.^[2] Villeins were tied to the land and could not move away without their lord's consent.

If an unfree villein allows his daughter into a marriage with a man from another manor, a fine must be paid to the lord as a fee for the loss of future villeins that could have been borne by the woman.^[2]

Villeins typically had to pay special taxes and fines that freemen were exempt from, for example, the "filstingpound" (an insurance against corporal punishment) and a "leyrwite" (fine for bearing a child outside of wedlock). Themerchet fine was very often used against a villein's petition for freedom, since paying it proved a villein status. However, except to their own lords, they were free men in the eyes of the law. Villeins were generally able to have their own property, unlike slaves.

Villeinage was not always an involuntary arrangement. In theEarly Middle Ages, families entered villeinage voluntarily to guaranteeland tenure. And while villeins were heavily restricted in what they could do, it was also possible for them to gainmanumission. Many villeins were in villeinage because of the land they held, rather than by birth. They could become free men if their lord agreed with them to move them to a different holding.

Villeinage was not a purely exploitative relationship. In the Middle Ages, land guaranteed sustenance and survival; being a villein guaranteed access to land. Landlords rarely evicted villeins, because of the value of their labour. Villeinage was much preferable to being a landless labourer (such as acotter) or avagabond. However, during the High Middle Ages, villeins could be willingly sold by their lords who could allow their families to be split up.^[3]

Villeinage became progressively less common through the Middle Ages, particularly after theBlack Death had reduced the rural population and the bargaining power of workers had improved. Furthermore, the lords of manymanors were willing (for payment) tomanumit their villeins. It had largely died out in England by 1500 as a personal status, but land held by villeintenure (unlessenfranchised) continued to be held by what was henceforth known as acopyhold tenancy, which was not abolished until 1925. Villeinage continued in France until therevolution in 1789.

• History of English land law
• Croft
• Kholop

• Vinogradoff, Paul (1911)."Villenage" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). pp. 81–84. This has a detailed survey of the state of villeinage from the 11th through to the 15th century.
• Johnson, Arthur (1909).The Disappearance of the Small Landowner. Oxford: The Clarendon Press.

• 3rd-century establishments in the Roman Empire
• 1925 disestablishments in England
• Class-related slurs
• Feudalism
• Medieval occupations
• Peasants
• Serfdom
• Social history
• Villa rustica

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