| Term | Definition |
| Feudalism | A social society in medieval Europe , in which land/crops were offered in exchange for military protection. System originated from lawlessness during the Dark Ages after the Fall of Rome and bc of weak central governments. |
| "Caste"
system | Middle ages had a rigid class structure with the King on top, nobility, knights, pheasants and finally serfs. |
| Nobles | Landed gentry such as Dukes and Barons that were given manors in exchange for providing protection in the form of castles and knights back to the King. |
| Knights | Part of the warrior class that exchanged protection services for payment, shelter, and food. |
| Peasants | The lower class that worked the land for the Nobles and give a portion of their crops to the Noble in exchange for protection. |
| Serfs | The lowest labor class that works on the manor in exchange for protection. This group actually conveys with the manor which severely restricted their freedoms. |
| Manor | The castle and the surrounding lands. |
| Magna Carta | Document signed in 1215 that limits the rights of the English Monarch. |
| Black Death/
Black Plague | The bubonic plague that originated in China and was carried by fleas on rats to Europe where it killed 1/4 - 1/2 the population. |
| Medieval | Describes the period of the Middle Ages from 500 - 1200 AD in Europe. |
| Charlemagne | The best known Frankish King over the Holy Roman Empire. Known for his stance on education. |
| Vikings | Germanic people from Scandinavia who often raided western Europe on longships during AD 800s and 900s due to a growing population and poor farmland. |
| Crusades | A series of Christian military expeditions from 11th and 13th centuries to recapture Holy land from the muslims. |
| Sacred | religious |
| Secular | not religious |
| Page | The first step of knighthood about age 7. |
| Squire | The second stage of knighthood about age 14. |
| Chivalry | A code of behavior for a knight including fairness and respect for women. |
