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Question 42

A vassal has served his lord faithfully and is now accused by a neighbour of seizing his land. What could he expect from his lord in return for that service?

  1. Nothing at all, since the service in a feudal bond ran only in one direction
  2. A payment of wages for each year he had served
  3. Protection and a hearing of the case in the lord's courtCorrect answer
  4. Release from all further service to the lord

Explanation

The bond ran both ways: the man owed service, and in exchange his lord was bound to defend him and to give him justice among his fellow tenants, which is why quarrels of this kind came before the lord who had granted the land in the first place. Treating the relationship as one-way is the common misreading, since a lord who failed his men lost both their service and their loyalty.

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Question 42: A vassal has served his lord faithfully and is now accused… · Medieval Europe · Questena