European Feudalism

Feudalism was a hierarchy in the European Middle Ages. There were four levels of this hierarchy; the King, the Nobles (Lords/Ladies), the Knights (Soldiers), and the Serfs (Peasants). Each level was treated very different from the next. The King, of course, is all powerful, so he would be treated differently. Then you have the Nobles. They have many responsibilities, though they are a step down from the King. The Knights just fight to protect the land and those inhabiting it. The Serfs had many responsibilities on the farm land, yet close to no rights. So how does this relate to our society today?

Of course, in some countries, we still have kings and queens, but we also have presidents, etc. In this case however, they still have laws that they have to abide by. Not everything they say goes. They have authority, but they also have boundaries to respect. A king is still treated differently as long as he has the respect of his people.

The nobles’ equivalent in the U.S. would be the Constitution of the U.S. and the Supreme Court of the U.S. Neither are as high as the president but both are very respected and entrusted with numerous responsibilities. Similarly, the nobles are in a fairly high position. They are in charge of the serfs and the land that they work on. Nobles in the middle ages had very different jobs than our noble figures today, but they are on the same level.

Knights are the third level in the hierarchy. Their role is to protect the land and people. Today, we