History: subinfeudation

Posted on Sun 24 September 2023 in history • Tagged with definition, dictionary

Subinfeudation is the term for the hierarchical structure that existed between Lords and their Vassals in the middle ages. At the top of the structure there were kings. The kings in turn had Vassals who were powerful Lords or Barons. These powerful Lords were also major land owners, who in …


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History: benefice

Posted on Sun 17 September 2023 in history • Tagged with definition, dictionary

A benefice was a grant of land provided by land owners in exchange for maintenance of their large land estates, or military service. The benefice was an integral part of feudalism as this was often the principal bond between the Lord and it's Vassals.


History: vassalage

Posted on Sun 10 September 2023 in history • Tagged with definition, dictionary

The Vassals were the servants of a specific Lord in a Fief. Their servitude is known as vassalage and consisted of total subservience based on either military service or tax payment.


History: feudalism

Posted on Sun 03 September 2023 in history • Tagged with definition, dictionary

Feudalism is the term ascribed to the system of organization of land into 'Fiefs' controlled by a lord, and tended by the lords servants or Vassals. Feudalism was not a formal system of government, it is a descriptive term used by historians to explain the top-down hierarchical system of land …


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History: Carolingian Renaissance

Posted on Sun 06 August 2023 in history • Tagged with definition, dictionary

Charlemagne spearheaded an intellectual movement to revive classical literature, arts, and learning in the Carolingian Empire. This movement included the copying of classical works in monasteries, the elevation of scholars into high office within the royal court and the preeminence of classical thinking as an ideal of scholarship. This revival …


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History: scriptorium

Posted on Sun 23 July 2023 in history • Tagged with definition, dictionary

The scriptorium was the head of the monastic scriptoria or writing rooms. The scriptorium was an important monastic office and represented concerted power and influence in the monastery. These writing rooms were where monks copied sacred and important historical texts for posterity.