Chapter 9 & 10 Vikings, Castles, &

the Rise of Feudalism

Notes Part II
The Crowning of Charlemagne
Charlemagne’s Tomb

The
greatest
king of the
Middle
Ages
The Development of Feudalism

• Invaders posed a threat to the

safety of the people, especially in
the absence of a strong central
government. 
• Magyars, Vikings, and Muslims terrorize Europe.

• People began to turn to local landed

aristocrats or nobles to protect them. 

(pages 292–294)
The Vikings were ferocious!
Lief Ericson’s Route to America
Video Clip from
Dark Ages
Chapter 8 “Vikings”
Kings of the British Isles had to
protect themselves…
Or end up like this guy did!

King of York
Europeans Had to Protect Themselves
• First built out of wood, Motte and Bailey
castles provided protection from invaders.
King Alfred the Great’s
Castle
Builds the first
castles to protect
him and his people
from Vikings
invader.
The Viking invasions
‘militarize’ Europe.
These soldiers
become the
knights of the
feudal system.
 The Development of Feudalism
Feudalism – develops as a
system of protection. Used by
royalty to take advantage of their
subjects.
• By the 18th century, a man who
served a lord militarily was known
as a vassal.
vassal Similar systems were found in Japan
(samurai & daimyo) and among the Aztec.
• By the 9th century the
land the lord
granted to a vassal was known as a
fief. 
Video: Feudalism – Weak Kings, Strong Nobles
Video: Medieval Society Hierarchy
The Development of Feudalism
• Vassals had political authority in their fiefs. 
• The number of separate powerful lords and vassals increased; many
different people were now responsible for keeping order.
• Feudalism became complicated. 
• Kings had vassals who themselves had vassals. 
• Feudalism came to be characterized
by a set of unwritten rules known as the
feudal contract. 
• These rules determined the relationship between lord and vassal. 
• The major obligation of a vassal was military
service,
service about 40 days a year.

(pages 292–294)
Feudal System
The Development of Feudalism (cont.)

(pages 292–294)
Video: Castles, Liege and Lords
The Nobility of the Middle Ages
and Aristocratic Women
• In the eleventh and twelfth centuries,
under the influence of the Church, an ideal
of civilized behavior among the nobility
evolved. 
• It was called chivalry.
chivalry 
• Knights were to defend the Church and
defenseless people, treat captives as
honored guests, and fight for glory and
not material rewards.
(pages 295–296)