Feudalism

Dictionaries/Glossaries of feudal terms

• Feudal terms: http://mahan.wonkwang.ac.kr/link/med/ecyclopedia/feudterm/feudal-dictionary.htm.
• Glossary of feudal terms: http://medieval.ucdavis.edu/20B/Feudalism.html
• Anglo-Saxon and feudal terms: http://www.chobham.info/glossary.htm
• Medieval Words: http://thescriptorium.co.uk/glossary.php
• General dictionary with pronunciation guide: http://www.merriam-webster.com/

Internet Medieval Sourcebook:

Modus Faciendi Homagium and Fidelitatem (The Manner of Doing Homage and Fealty), circa 1275. Online at: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1275fealtyhomage.asp

The Modus Faciendi Homagium et Fidelitatem {The Manner of Doing Homage and Fealty} sets out both the proper words and the proper ceremonies for the swearing of homage and fealty by free tenants {i.e. noblemen/vassals}. It first appears in {English} Common Law statute books written between 1275 and 1290. Thereafter its rate of appearance increases in every period, being included in 54% of the statute {i.e. law} books written through the mid-fourteenth century.

When a Freeman {i.e. tenant in chief} shall do Homage to his Lord of whom he holds in Chief {i.e. directly}, he shall hold his hands together between the hands of his Lord, and shall say thus: "I become your Man from this day forth, for life, for member, and for worldly honor, and shall [owe] you Faith for the Lands that I hold of you; saving the Faith that I owe unto our Lord the King {i.e. Oath of Salisbury}, and to [mine other Lords.]

And when a Freeman {i.e. lesser, mesne tenant or knight} shall do homage to any other than to his Chief Lord, and for a simple {i.e. one} {manor}, he shall hold his hands together between the Hands of his Lord, and shall say thus: "I become your Man from this day forth, and shall bear you Faith for the {manor} which I claim to hold of you; saving the Faith that I owe to our Lord the King{i.e. Oath of Salisbury} , and to my other Lords."

From: A. Luders, ed., The Statutes of the Realm: Printed by Command of His Majesty King George the Third, in Pursuance of an Address of the House of Commons of Great Britain, From Original Records and Authentic Manuscripts, 11 vols., (London: Record Commission, 1810-1828), Vol. I, pp. 227-228.

Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text may have been modernized by Prof. Arkenberg.

This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.

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© Paul Halsall, August 1998. halsall@murray.fordham.edu