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677:
507:). The oath of allegiance was usually carried out as part of a traditional ceremony in which the liegeman or vassal gave his lord a pledge of loyalty and acceptance of the consequences of a breach of trust. In return, the liege lord promised to protect and remain loyal to his vassal. This relationship formed the basis of landholding, known as feudal tenure, whereby the
534:, the investiture and oath of fealty were invariably recorded by a deed; in modern times, this replaced the traditional ceremony. Where the geographical distance between the two parties was significant, the lord could name a representative before whom the oath was to be sworn.
451:, when, by the symbolic act of kneeling before the lord and placing his hands between the hands of the lord, the vassal became the "man" of the lord. Usually, the lord also promised to provide for the vassal in some form, either through the granting of a
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Fealty is distinct from other parts of the homage ceremony, and is usually used only to refer to that part of the ceremony where a vassal swore to be a good vassal to his lord.
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One part of the oath of fealty included swearing to always remain faithful to the lord. The oath of fealty usually took place after the act of
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444:. "Fealty" also referred to the duties incumbent upon a vassal that were owed to the lord, which consisted of service and aid.
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521:), literally "beneficial ownership", whereas the landlord's estate was referred to as eminent domain or superiority (
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The term is also used by
English-speakers to refer to similar oaths of allegiance in other feudal cultures, as with
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vested in the tenant (the vassal) was so similar to actual possession that it was considered a separate
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or by some other manner of support. Typically, the oath took place upon a religious object such as a
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This article is about a pledge of allegiance. For the journalist, see
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The whole contract including the oath of fealty was part of a formal
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499:. It was sworn between two people, the feudal subject or liegeman (
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634:. Reigate, UK: Reigate Press for St Mary's College of Education.
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A Dictionary of
Medieval Terms: For the Use of History Students
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436:, the swearing of fealty took the form of an oath made by a
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615:(Reprint ed.). Woodbridge: D. S. Brewer.
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16:Pledge of allegiance of one person to another
613:A Dictionary of Medieval Terms & Phrases
23:. For the novel by Niven and Pournelle, see
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652:A Companion to Medieval England 1066–1485
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548:, as well as in modern organized crime.
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541:that created the feudal relationship.
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49:Harold Sacramentum Fecit Willelmo Duci
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495:) was a fundamental element of the
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680:The dictionary definition of
611:Coredon, Christopher (2007).
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230:Feudal land tenure in England
605:General and cited references
595:Dictionary of Medieval Terms
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527:, lit. "direct ownership").
466:, often contained within an
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515:described as utile domain (
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421:of one person to another.
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630:McGurk, J. J. N. (1970).
440:, or subordinate, to his
25:Oath of Fealty (novel)
650:(2000). "Feudalism".
539:commendation ceremony
245:English feudal barony
140:Feudal fragmentation
705:Oaths of allegiance
580:Saul, "Feudalism",
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417:), is a pledge of
295:Customary freehold
135:Feudal maintenance
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404:, from the
240:Land tenure
220:Free tenant
180:Manor house
160:Manorialism
21:Mick Fealty
694:Categories
505:liege lord
425:Definition
419:allegiance
340:Feudal aid
80:Crown land
700:Feudalism
564:Coredon,
552:Citations
472:feudalism
410:fidelitas
360:Feudalism
290:Gavelkind
275:Serjeanty
100:Feoffment
593:McGurk,
568:, p. 120
492:Lehnseid
431:medieval
285:Freehold
280:Copyhold
265:Baronage
200:Overlord
130:Affinity
105:Seignory
90:Appanage
597:, p. 13
530:In the
481:History
461:saint's
350:Tallage
335:Scutage
270:Peerage
215:Serfdom
210:Peasant
190:Demesne
115:Feoffee
683:fealty
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640:138858
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513:estate
509:seizin
501:vassal
449:homage
438:vassal
434:Europe
402:fealty
330:Socage
150:Livery
125:Homage
120:Fealty
95:Vassal
468:altar
464:relic
457:Bible
406:Latin
195:Glebe
656:ISBN
636:OCLC
617:ISBN
453:fief
442:lord
398:oath
205:Lord
184:List
70:Fief
485:In
459:or
429:In
400:of
396:An
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573:^
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413:(
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