Life on a Mediaeval Barony / A Picture of a Typical Feudal Community in the Thirteenth Century

by William Stearns Davis

[Index]

[A]	[B]	[C]	[D]	[E]	[F]	[G]	[H]	[I]	[J]	[K]
[L]	[M]	[N]	[O]	[P]	[Q]	[R]	[S]	[T]	[V]	[W]

• [A]
• Abbey, see [Monastery].
• Abbot, election and powers of, [321], [322].
  • sometimes profligate, [327].
• Adubbement, see [Knighthood].
• Advocates, of monasteries, [332].
• Alexander, romances of, [180].
• Alms, collected at feasts, [129]; see [Charity].
• Apprentices, [362].
• Arbalists, [190].
• Architecture, military, improved by Crusader, [18].
• Aristotle, authority of, [336].
• Armor, [191] ff.
• Assembleur, a literary, [143].

• [B]
• Backgammon, [52].
• Bailey of Castle, [22].
  • buildings and scene inside, [26].
• Baillis, seigneurial officers, [10 nt].
• Banalités, [258].
• Banner, of baronial castle, [33].
• Baptism, customs at, [81].
• Barbican, [21].
• Baronial family, of superior type, [14].
• Baron, usual rights of, [7].
  • cruel and outrageous, [8], [9], [152].
  • typical feuds and neighbors, [13].
  • superior type of, [153].
• Baronial feuds, [224] ff.
• Barony, composition and government of, [10], [11].
• Bath, before adubbement, [202].
• Battle cries, [248].
• Battle, Bouvines, typical of Feudal warfare, [241] ff.
  • mobilization for, [243].
  • preliminaries of, [244].
  • array of the armies, [245].
  • engagement of the infantry, [247], [248].
  • the battle cries, [248 nt].
  • charge of French cavalry, [248], [249].
  • flight of Otto IV, [250].
  • rout of Germans and Flemings, [251].
  • tactics and strategy employed, [251], [252].
• Beards, shaved by noblemen, [95].
• Beds, great feather, [39].
• Bedrooms, furniture of, [38] ff.
• Beer, [121].
• Beffroi, in sieges, [237].
• Bells, of communal donjon, [351].
• Bertran de Born, war songs by, [176].
• Betrothals, [105].
• Beverages, [120], [121].
• Bill of fare, at feasts, [128].
  • on fast days, [129].
• Billiards, game of, [57].
• Birth, customs at, [81].
• Bishop, [373 ff].
  • honors of, [373].
  • wealth and power of, [374].
  • desirability of office, [376].
  • how elected, [377].
  • vast secular duties, [378].
  • employed by king or pope, [379].
  • wrote ecclesiastical duties, [380].
  • worldly types of, [380], [381].
  • forbidden secular luxuries, [381].
  • participates in warfare, [382].
  • friction with abbots and barons, [383].
  • abuse right to excommunicate, [383], [384].
  • interdict by, [384].
  • relations with canons, [385] ff.
  • relations with parish priests, [388] ff.
• Bishops, visit disorderly monasteries, [326].
• Books, elegant copies of, [341].
• Brandy, [121].
• Bread, varieties of, [118].
• Bride, costume of, [107].
• Bridegroom, costume of, [108].
• Bridges, state of, [344].
• Bridge tolls, baronial, [12].
• Buffet of knighthood, [204], [205].

• [C]
• Camps, in feudal warfare, [243].
• Canons, elect bishops, [377], [380].
  • nature of office, [385].
  • duties of, [386].
  • worldly and gross, [387].
• Carpets of rushes, and "Saracen," [37].
• Cartel of defiance, [229].
• Carver, at feast, [127].
• Castle, position of between rivers, [4].
  • built to resist Vikings, [5].
  • famous specimens of, [18].
  • siege of, [234 ff].
• Castle, of St. Aliquis, original plan of, [16].
  • primitive tower of, [17];
  • disadvantages of early type, [18].
  • rebuilt on improved model, [19].
  • palisade before, [20].
  • barbican outer barrier, [21].
  • lists before bailey, [21].
  • bailey, gates and porters, [22].
  • walls and parapet, [23].
  • great difficulty of attacking, [24].
  • scene in the bailey, [26].
  • buildings in the bailey, [26], [27].
  • cookhouse in bailey, [28].
  • inner ward of, [28].
  • inner gate, [29].
  • main court yard of, [29].
  • donjon of, [30].
  • halls of, [30] ff.
  • prison under donjon, [33].
  • summit of great tower, [33].
  • watchman on tower, [34].
  • palais, main residential building, [34], [35].
  • furniture in hall and chambers, [36] ff.
• Castle building, era of, [6].
• Castle folk, one huge family, [46].
  • intimate relations between, [47], [48].
  • organization of, [48].
• "Cat," siege engine, [237].
• Cats, [84].
• Cathedral, numerous uses of, [393].
  • express the best spirit of the age, [394].
  • erection a regional undertaking, [396].
  • initial stages of building, [397].
  • fraternity of builders, [398].
  • building a natural growth, [399].
  • use of arches, columns and buttresses, [400].
  • stately dimensions required, [401].
  • magnificent stained glass, [402].
  • every part a work of piety, [403].
• Chambers, of baronial castle, [36].
• Chansons de geste, [138] ff., [142].
• Charity, [275] ff.
  • motives for, [276].
  • alms very customary, [277].
  • given by monasteries, [333].
• Charter, communal, [352], [353].
• Checkers, game of, [52].
• Cheese, varieties of, [119].
• Chess, in great acceptance, [54].
  • history of game, [55].
  • chessmen, [56].
• Children, rearing of, [80] ff.
  • early education of, [82].
• Christmas celebrations and plays, [294].
• Church, endeavors to regulate marriages, [101], [102].
  • resists divorces, [102].
  • vast wealth of, [374 nt].
  • See [Bishop], [Abbey], [Monastery], [Canons], [Priests], etc.
• City, entrance to, [346].
  • crowded streets, [347].
  • lack of air and sanitation, [348].
  • population of, [347 nt].
  • great burghers of, [349].
  • burgher mansion, [349].
  • danger from fires, [350].
  • the civic donjons, [351].
  • communal charger, [352].
  • See [Commune].
• Cleanliness, personal, among upper classes, [42].
  • lack of, in woolen clothing, [89].
• Clergy, legal privileges of, [159], [375].
  • see [Bishop], [Canons], [Priests], [Monks].
• Clerk, see [clergy], [Church], etc.
• Cloisters, of abbey, [317].
• Clothing, of peasants, [264].
• Coinage, confusion in, [366].
• Commerce, see [Shops], [Industries], [Fairs].
• Commune, charter of, [352], [353].
  • privileges of inhabitants, [353].
  • clergy rail at Commune, [354].
  • communal insurrections, [354].
  • jurisdiction of bishop, [355].
  • rule by echevins and rich merchants, [355], [356].
• Corvées, [258].
• Courtesy, training in, [184].
• Cowls, [320].
• Clothing, male and female, [88] ff.
  • materials used, [89].
  • garments of noblemen, [90].
  • headdress for men, [91].
  • garments of noblewomen, [91].
  • use of silks and furs, [92].
  • rapid changes in fashions, [93].
  • dress of lower classes, [94].
  • headdress of women, [95].
  • conspicuous costumes to indicate evil characters, [98].
• Cookery and foods, [113] ff.
  • implements in cookhouse, [114].
  • meat frequently boiled, [114].
  • game especially desired, [114], [115].
  • butcher's meat, [115].
  • poultry, [116].
  • fish, [117].
  • soups, [117].
  • meat pies, [117].
• Cookhouse, in a castle, [28].
• Cosmetics, use of by women, [97].
• Cross bows, [190].
• Crusades, on wane in XIII century, [3].
  • improve military architecture, [18].

• [D]
• Dais, in castle hall, [36].
• Damoiseau, [185].
• Dances, varieties of, [133].
• Dancing, passion for, [84], [85].
• Dean, of canons, [386].
• Devil, belief in, [302].
  • assists wizards and witches, [303].
• Dice, games with, [52].
  • sinfulness of, [53], [54].
• Dinners, menu at castle in ordinary days, [49].
• Divining, [306].
• Divorces, resisted by Church, [102].
• Dogs, very desirable for hunting, [64].
• Donjon, of castle, [30] ff.
  • of a commune, [351].
• Dinner customs, [122] ff.
  • See [Feast.]
• Drawbridges, of castle, [22], [28].
• Dress, see [Clothing].

• [E]
• Echevins, in commune, [355].
• Economic self-sufficiency, of a well-ruled barony, [46].
• Education, of young nobleman, [176] ff.
  • ideals inculcated, [178].
  • training in letters, [179].
  • reading of romances, [180].
  • training in riding, fencing and hawking, [181].
  • maxims inculcated, [181], [182].
  • placed out as squire, [182].
  • training as squire, [182]-[184].
  • taught jousting, [183].
  • learns "courtesy," [184].
  • good side of training, [186].
  • premium on prodigality, [186], [187].
  • demanding knighthood, [187].
• Effeminate knights, [188].
• Emancipation, of villeins, [256].
• Ensigns, before city houses, [350].
• Epics, North French, [142], [143].
• Excommunication, of a lawless baron, [9].
  • a public declaration of, [289].
  • abuse of, by bishops, [383], [384].
• Executions, varieties of, [170] ff, [173].
  • beheading honorable penalty, [173].
  • hanging, usual method, [173], [174].
  • ceremonies at gallows, [174], [175].

• [F]
• Fairs, [365] ff.
  • attended by great multitudes, [366].
  • very profitable to founders, [368].
  • numerous commodities on sale, [369].
  • regulation of traffic, [370].
  • amusements at, [371].
• Falconry, see [Hawking].
• Family life in a castle, [70].
• Famines, among peasantry, [255].
• Fealty, oath of, [157].
• Feast, formal, arrangement of guests, [126].
  • beginning of dinner, [126].
  • serving the meats, [127].
  • typical bill of fare, [128].
  • on a fast day, [129].
  • closing ceremonies, [130].
  • vast plenty and carousing, [130], [131].
• Feudal civilization, reaches climax in XIII century, [2].
• Feudalism, [146] ff.
  • nature of, [147].
  • absence of true gradations in, [148].
  • duties of fief holders, [149].
  • military service usually essential, [150].
  • arrogance of many barons, [151], [152].
  • outrageous baronial tyrants, [152].
  • better types of barons, [153].
  • how fiefs are expanded, [154].
  • accession to a barony, [154], [155].
  • doing homage, [156].
  • oath of fealty, [157].
  • vassalage honorable, [158].
• Feuds, baronial, [224] ff.
  • frequency of, [225].
  • waged within families, [225].
  • limitations upon baronial, [226].
  • pitched battles infrequent, [226].
  • absence of strategy, [227].
  • great valor of warriors, [228].
  • origins of a typical feud, [229].
  • delivering the "cartel," [229].
  • assembling the vassals, [230].
  • a baronial "array," [231].
  • ravaging of noncombatants, [232].
  • a petty battle, [233].
  • use of mercenaries, [234].
  • siege of a castle, [235] ff.
• Fiefs, varieties of, [147].
  • duties of fief holders, [149].
• Fish, demand for, [117].
  • use of, [129].
• Flowers, garden, [68], [69].
• Foods, see [Cookery].
• Foresters, seigneurial, [259].
• France, in full mediæval bloom in XIII century, [2].
• French, rise of as literary language, [141].
• Frescoes, in castle, [35].
• Friendship, tokens of, [106].
• Fruit trees, [68], [69].
• Funeral customs, [284] ff.
  • caskets and interments, [285].
• Furniture, of castle halls, [36], [37].
  • of bedrooms, [38] ff.
• Furs, wearing of, [92].

• [G]
• Gambling, with dice, [53], [54].
• Game, wild, cannot be killed by peasants, [67].
  • greatly desired at feasts, [114].
  • varieties of game birds, [116].
• Game Laws, oppressive, [272].
• Games and amusements, [51] ff.
• Garden of a castle, [67] ff.
  • frequent place for gatherings, [68].
  • herbs and vegetables in, [68].
  • constant demand for flowers, [69].
• Generosity, virtues of nobles, [186].
• Gifts, constantly exchanged among nobles, [187].
• Girls, noble, education of young, [83] ff.
  • are devoted to hawks and dancing, [84].
• Glass, used for windows in castle, [35].
• Guilds, [360] ff.
  • great subdivisions of, [360].
  • friction between, [360], [361].
  • regulations of, [361].
  • management of, by syndics, [362].
  • apprentices, [362].
  • hired workers, [363].
  • masters in guilds, [363].