In the medieval feudal system, the nobility were generally those who held a fief, often land or office under vassalage in exchange for military allegiance to their sovereign. Living alongside serfs, it was their duty to ensure that the peasants, craftsmen and clergymen were defended so that they could live in peace and act as judges to handle disputes.
To explore the often ostentatious and gluttonous lifestyles of the nobility, Eleanor Janega visits Hedingham Castle, perhaps the best preserved Norman keep in Essex, England.
Up Next in Going Medieval
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Going Medieval: Those Who Pray
One of the most unifying elements of the Medieval Period was the Roman Catholic Church. All classes and ranks of people, whether that be nobles, peasants or tradesmen, were profoundly affected by the rulings of the church. A hierachy existed within the clergy. Following the pope, in order of rank...
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Going Medieval: Those Who Earn
Whilst the majority of people who worked in the Medieval Period were peasants, a significant community of merchants and tradesmen existed, the majority of whom belonged to one of the most powerful and influential groups in medieval Europe - the Guilds. Guilds were associations of artisans and mer...
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Going Medieval: Those Who Work
In the Medieval period, peasants made up roughly 80% of the European population (70% were serfs). In the first episode of Going Medieval, Dr Eleanor Janega visits Denny Abbey, a former Benedictine monastery in Cambridge to explore the lives of those who devoted their lives to working the land.
