1. The color and style of clothes are stipulated by law. Non-nobles are not allowed to wear gold and silver, velvet and fur clothes. Farmers can only wear black and gray, and nobles can pursue beauty, which is the promoter of clothing reform at that time; However, there were still many defects in the clothes at that time, such as no shirts and pajamas, and there was little difference between men's and women's clothes styles.

2. In diet, there are two differences: restriction and economic strength. Such as game: peacock, venison and swan are restricted aspects; Because of the strong smell of game and the backward storage technology at that time, the long-distance transportation of spices from the East could be equivalent to gold, which became the patent of nobles at that time.

3. In terms of residence, the medieval aristocrats were land aristocrats. They were born on the land, and there were aristocratic houses in the center of the manor, but their owners would not live permanently. The other is a castle that represents a place of power. At first, it was a royal privilege. It was generally built on a mountain. It was a place that was easy to defend but difficult to attack. One was defensive and represented power, and it did not pursue comfort. The interior was damp and dark. Castle has many functions, which are not only the residence and social place of aristocratic families, but also the refuge place of surrounding residents during the war.

4. Marriage and family

The marriage of aristocrats in the Middle Ages was a political marriage, and the purpose of aristocratic marriage was to continue the descendants and strengthen the ties between aristocratic families. A marriage can form an alliance and resolve conflicts. Therefore, the eldest son of the nobility considered political factors more, while the second son who had no inheritance rights considered economic interests, so it became a custom to pursue widows at that time.

Because there was no free love in the Middle Ages, marriages were arranged by parents and families. Therefore, although the status of women at that time was low, ladies were an exception. They all have dual roles. On the one hand, they are good wives and mothers, and they are responsible for caring for each other and caring for their children. On the other hand, it is a romantic model, becoming the object pursued by knights and worshiping ideals; They represent the ideals of purity, nobility and love.

At that time, the aristocratic family was an expanded family, including servants, servants and dependents, that is, poor relatives, foster parents and knights. If a person can live in the aristocratic family for one year and one day, he can become a full member of the family, so there are many things in the aristocratic castle. At that time, the family was centered on patriarchy, but the foster care system at that time made the feelings between children and biological parents very weak.

aristocrats belonged to the upper class in medieval society, so they had characteristics in all aspects. For example, aristocrats were only associated with aristocrats, and their living customs and contacts were fixed. In closed groups, everyone had aristocratic consciousness, which was established by external decrees, so that the class was fixed and formed obvious boundaries with other classes.

Extended information

Manor is an economic manifestation of feudal system in Western Europe. The aristocratic fief territory may be a manor, or it may be a dozen or dozens. A manor includes one or several villages. The cultivated land of the manor is divided into two categories, one is the aristocratic direct territory (self-operated land) and the other is the serf land.

In the 11th century, most residents of the fiefs were serfs. They were bound to the land and were not allowed to leave the fiefs without the permission of the lords. In fact, when the world outside the village was still very strange and full of dangers and the same fiefs were everywhere, few people planned to leave. Because the villages in the fief provide more security, more family ties, and make it easier for people to find blacksmiths and priests.

the villagers took turns to work in the Lord's field and handed over some of their own agricultural products to the Lord. In addition, there are poll tax, annual tribute, mill use fee, etc.

According to the farming system, the cultivated land is divided into three parts: spring cultivated land, autumn cultivated land, fallow cultivated land and annual rotation. This is a three-nursery system. Each serf has a piece on each land, usually a long one.

4 ~ 8 cows are needed to pull heavy plows in farming, so they need to cooperate with each other; Because each family is a narrow strip of land, what to plant and when to plant it also need to be coordinated with each other, so rural communes often exist in the manor. There are also forests, pastures and water sources in the manor, which are used by farmers.

As for the Lord, he can't deprive the peasants of their property, nor can he drive them out of his land. This is a recognized feudal law.

Different from the feudal manor in Western Europe, the feudal manor in China is a landlord economy, not a Lord economy; The land ownership of China landlords is separated from political sovereignty, and there is no administrative and judicial privileges of western European lords in the manor; China Manor engages in service rent; Tenants and customers do not have as strong a personal attachment as in Western Europe.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Noble

Baidu Encyclopedia-Western Europe in the Middle Ages