Everything You Were Taught About Medieval Monarchy Is Wrong

[Tolkien R.R.J]

New video by Lavadar -Everything You Were Taught About Medieval Monarchy Is Wrong

 

[Tuur]

Eh...depends. First, the medieval period went from about 500 to 1500 AD, and things changed a good bit over a thousand years. Second, as hinted, how things were depended on the realm. "City air makes your free" dates from the medieval period, which should give us a hint as to how things were. Where the feudal system was in force, a peasant couldn't just pick up and leave without in many cases compensating their noble for the loss. Some places required peasants to compensate their noble for the death of the head of the household. And, as the case of Thomas Becket shows, what the law may say is one thing, but a remark by the ruler could mean death.

I was surprised that the video left out something important about medieval Europe: the collapse of the Roman Empire. Regional rulers more often than not were your basic warlord rather than tribal leader.

 

[Tolkien R.R.J]

Eh...depends. First, the medieval period went from about 500 to 1500 AD, and things changed a good bit over a thousand years. Second, as hinted, how things were depended on the realm. "City air makes your free" dates from the medieval period, which should give us a hint as to how things were. Where the feudal system was in force, a peasant couldn't just pick up and leave without in many cases compensating their noble for the loss. Some places required peasants to compensate their noble for the death of the head of the household. And, as the case of Thomas Becket shows, what the law may say is one thing, but a remark by the ruler could mean death.

I was surprised that the video left out something important about medieval Europe: the collapse of the Roman Empire. Regional rulers more often than not were your basic warlord rather than tribal leader.

By 1500 Monarchs were well in place, whereas 700-1300 as a general rule works for separating kings from Monarchs.

City air makes you free.... yet enslaves even more so. Also that was in comparison not to today, but as a serf on a manor.

Peasants could and did just pick up and go, serfs on the other hand, often could not. But could and did in many cases.