[Ravensfort] Service to ones Lord and Kiing

byzytym byzytym at charter.net
Tue Jul 17 22:01:51 PDT 2007


Ok, good answer.
That definitely gives us a historical base to start from.  It should be part 
of the fealty newsletter...
except for that first part about today's freedom and rights.  There is none 
of that messy "Innocent until proven guilty" stuff when a government can 
hold you indefinitely without bringing charges as ours now can.  And when 
any administration publicly argues for torture and complete secrecy I have 
grave doubts about tyranny and the moral high ground as well.
But other than that, a really straight forward over view of the feudal 
system of the middle ages.  Play ball with the good ol' boys or else...

But the heart of my question rest elsewhere.

Let's say that you've armed yourself and joined your Lord's army like a good 
little Joe Peasant.  You've marched out to lay siege to an unsuspecting 
village just within the boarders of your Lord's holdings.  You know that the 
inhabitants are good, god fearing people and that petty jealousies and 
rivalry lies behinds your Lords malice.  You hear when your Lord bids the 
Seneschal of the village to open for an edict from the King.  You know that 
no such edict exist.  When the gates open your Lord gathers everyone in the 
village square and accuse selected members of the town elders of crimes that 
you know are not true.  Your Lord declares that all in the village are to be 
punished for even associating with the offending innocents.  At your Lord's 
word his army: sets the village on fire and begins cutting the throats of 
all the men and then raping and blinding the women, nuns, virgins of the 
goddess, sheep and the children.

*** Has your Lord broken the fealty by his behavior... or do you grab a 
child and get on with it ??? ***

It is the burning question that I have always had about fealty.  Can your 
Lord go too far ?  If so, how far is too far ?  How far before the trust 
that your Lord is looking after your good as well as his own is shattered ?

Pax,
MARIVS

"what shall it profit a man,
if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul ?"





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Reuter" <brian_the_french_norman at yahoo.com>
To: <ravensfort at lists.ansteorra.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 3:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Ravensfort] Service to ones Lord and Kiing


> Let us look at bad behavior and fealty.
>
> today people have rights and ownership of property and
> life through a concept of freedom that most take for
> granted. Today we have the right to question ones
> actions and the right to free speech and to bear arms
> against tyranny and to be free of wrong full search
> and seizure and we are all Innocent until proved
> guilty. Two hundred and thirty six years ago we were
> fighting for that freedom because people BELIEVED in a
> DREAM. They believed that certain freedoms and rights
> were unalienable and that all people should be free
> from persecution and threats to pursue their own
> interests and to truly be free men.
> One thousand years ago this was only possible if you
> were a king or a noble of very high birth and your
> borders were not being threatened by those who
> believed other wise. Evey one else had to "work for
> the man" being in service to one lord at all social
> levels. Peasants, craftsmen, merchants, nobles, and
> even knights. Fealty is an oath that one person takes
> to show ones loyalty or support to a higher authority
> or establishment of organization. We see this today
> when one is sworn in to office such as a sheriff a
> political representative or a judge. Also we see this
> when some one joins the military or any large
> organization when we sign an agreement or contract. A
> contract is like fealty when an individual or one who
> represents a group of people promises to abide laws
> and do certain things or services or swear to follow
> some one and do as they say in return for protection
> or limited freedoms. This agreement of sorts is
> limited to the borders the higher or SIRES lands and
> is subject to his laws and values.
>
> "I am my Sires subject and I do his bidding,"
>
> So, Meet Joe peasant, one of many, who one day aspires
> to be a serf of great value, works the Fields for lord
> noble so and so and is given a place to live, build a
> small dwelling and care for his family. He is allowed
> to do so as long as he tends the land as needed. He is
> in service to his lord and he is happy. He has
> Purpose. He has food and shelter. His wife and
> children are healthy and are all guaranteed a future
> in the farming industry. Lord noble so and so has the
> lands in his care that were given to him by duke you
> know who. This lord noble, one of several in service
> to a duke has a small castle or keep that his knights,
> squires, archers and men at arms dwell in with his
> family and their families. Each year he sends all that
> his peasants, serfs, millers, smiths and cobblers
> harvest, collects, builds and makes through trade
> merchants who sell the flour, grain, livestock and
> many other goods from the lands in his care. His
> reeves all keep track of all transactions. A large
> percentage of the funds made from all this go to the
> duke Each year. In the fall the landed noble calls to
> the populace to hold a festival to celebrate their
> good life and a small break in all the hard work that
> they all do to support their duke. The duke, one of
> just a few, sends gold, goods and supplies to his king
> who he serves well. The duke has a small army that
> dwells in the large castle and guards the lands his
> king has given him to care for and keep safe from
> invaders. His guards patrol the roads and have
> outposts to watch for strangers coming and going in
> and out of the kings lands and to guard the merchant
> caravans along the way. This is all a normal daily
> life until one day a missive from the duke's king
> tells him to make preparations for war and the duke
> sends word to his land lords to make ready for war and
> the lords have their serfs and peasants gather to pick
> out the strongest and most fit ones to fill the ranks
> of his levy. Joe peasant is chosen to be in his lords
> levy and is given a helmet, coat of leather armor, a
> tabard like the others and a foot mans flail because
> that is all he knows how to use. With all the activity
> and the slow movement to war, Joe peasant follows not
> knowing why or who his king makes war with but because
> he is obligated to do so. All he has been given is
> through his land lord so he is obligated to follow. If
> he chooses not to abide by his lord he would be
> imprisoned or even worse, put to the sword for
> treason. If a lord chooses not to follow his duke or
> king for what ever reason then he to would be punished
> and his vassals were obligated to follow him or sneak
> away quietly if able. You were not given a choice to
> disagree or pick sides. Either you supported your lord
> or you betrayed them for all they did for you. That
> was the mind set through fealty. Your word was your
> honor. If you disagreed with your lord you were not in
> position to question their action. On the other hand,
> when you break an oath of fealty or betray the lord
> who has given you the means to be what you are, you
> loose more than just the material value of things you
> loose your rights and the sense of honor that others
> have bestowed on to you through admiration and
> respect. You become a trader and a disloyal subject
> who has no rights in the eyes of the king. It is not
> much different than being in a big street gang or
> crime family. Once you are in your are expected to
> commit all to the group. to get in you have to display
> an act of loyalty or to commit a murder. To get out is
> about the same but you will always be looking over
> your shoulder to see if any one will be after you.
> Your are usually in a gang for life...........until
> you died. Do not confuse my thought here. Gangs are
> not good and crime will not be tolerated in our lands.
> I love the current middle ages. Thank God for the
> freedom of the pursuit of happiness!
>
>
> Once came a warrior, fresh from the field..........
>
>
> I apologize for the length, but it needed to be said.
>
> your Baron
>
> Brian du Val
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> Ravensfort at lists.ansteorra.org
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