Chivalry

Vocabulary Serf: A member of a feudal class of people in Europe, bound to the land and owned by a lord. Oath of Fealty: A contractual agreement between two parties, the lord and the vassal, to agree to a set of obligations. Vassal: A person who held land from a feudal lord and received protection in return for homage and allegiance. Baron: A vassal who holds lands directly from the crown and serves as a …

…battle by arranging lethal combats among their knights. As the knight's role as a warrior grew less important in the later Middle Ages, tournaments were transformed into elaborate pageants that became a form of entertainment for the court. Endless rounds of jousting and battling between a lord's knights might be used to impress visiting dignitaries and a king's subjects. But by the 13th century, the swords and lances used in these demonstrations were usually blunt-edged.