Under feudalism,taxes were not paid withmoney. Instead, they were paid in services (like freelabor) andproducts (likecrops). A serf had to pay taxes ofgrain to their vassal. A vassal had to pay taxes of grain to their lord. They had to use the lord’sgranaries to grind the grain. A vassal also had to give other taxes and gifts to their lord.[1] When a vassal killed animals for food, they gave part of themeat to their lord. When a vassal fished on the lord’s land, they gave some of the fish to the lord.
In return, the lords promised to give their vassals protection,peace, and safety.
Nobles owned andgovernedmanors. Each manor had its ownchurch,village,mill,wine press, andpasture lands.[1] Lords allowed many people to live and work on their manors. These people got food and housing, but did not get paid inmoney.[1]
Manors were given from onegeneration to another. When a noble died, his firstborn son got everything his father owned.[1]
Villeins were in apoorersocial class. They had morefreedom thanslaves, but they were not completely free.[1] A villein waslegally tied to their lord or his manor. They could not move or marry unless the lord approved. They could not leave the manor without their lord’s permission. They also had to work for their lord. In return, villeins were allowed to live in small houses on the manor, with floors made ofearth and athatched roof. On the walls of their houses, villeins hung meats,tools, and driedvegetables.[1]
Some villeins tried to escape from their lords’ manors. However, outside the manor, their options were limited. They could run away to another town and live quietly, without being noticed. A villein could become a free man this way.[1] A villein could also move up in society if they helped theCatholic Church. However, they could not do this without special permission. Some escaped villeins also joined bands ofoutlaws.[1]
Serfs were in the lowest social class. They were farmers or workers who did not own any land. Like villeins, serfs worked on a lord’s land. In exchange, they were allowed to live on the manor and grow crops there. Serfs had little more freedom than slaves. They could not be sold away from the land, but were always soldwith the land.[1]
Villeins and serfs did have somerights. They could grow and sell grain andvegetables. The lord had to give them land to grow crops. The lord had also had a duty to protect them. Villeins and serfs did not need to serve in levy (anarmy created throughconscription). They did not have to pay state taxes. However, they usually paid 10% of theirincome to their lord. Most serfs and vassals also paid another 10% of their income to the Catholic Church. This was called atithe.
If they gotwealthy enough, a vassal or serf could buy their freedom from the lord.
