STUDIES
1. Write a brief essay on feudal society, using the following words: lord; vassal; castle; keep; dungeon; chivalry; tournament; manor; and serf.
2. Explain the following terms: vassal; fief; serf; "aid"; homage; squire; investiture; and "relief."
3. Look up the origin of the words homage, castle, dungeon, and chivalry.
4. "The real heirs of Charlemagne were from the first neither the kings of France nor those of Italy or Germany; but the feudal lords." Comment on this statement.
5. Why was the feudal system not found in the Roman Empire in the East during the Middle Ages?
6. Why has feudalism been called "confusion roughly organized"?
7. Contrast feudalism as a political system with (a) the classical city- states, (b) the Roman Empire, and (c) modern national states.
8. What was the effect of feudalism on the sentiment of patriotism?
9. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of primogeniture as the rule of inheritance?
10. Explain these phrases: "to be in hot water;" "to go through fire and water;" and "to haul over the coals."
11. Compare the oaths administered to witnesses in modern courts with medieval oaths.
12. Why was war the usual condition of feudal society?
13. Compare the "Peace of God" with the earlier "Roman Peace" (Pax Romana).
14. Mention some modern comforts and luxuries which were unknown in feudal castles.
15. What is the present meaning of the word "chivalrous"? How did it get that meaning?
16. Why has chivalry been called "the blossom of feudalism"?
17. Contrast the ideal of a chivalry with that of monasticism.
18. Show that the serf was not a slave or a "hired man" or a tenant-farmer paying rent.