chivalry - The code of honorable behavior for medieval knights.
serfs - Workers who were tied to the land on which they lived.
knights - Warriors who fought on horseback in exchange for land.
vassal - A knight who promised to support & to be loyal to a lord in exchange for land.
Middle Ages - A period that began in Western Europe after the fall of Rome and lasted from 500 AD to about 1500 AD.
medieval - Another name for Middle Ages; from the latin word meaning middle age.
monks - Religious men who lived apart from society in isolated communities. They spent their time in prayer, work and meditation.
monastery - A community of monks, these were built all over Europe in the Middle Ages.
feudalism - A system of promises & obligations that governed the relationship between lords & vassals.
manor - A large estate owned by a knight or lord.
fief - The property or fee granted to a vassal for his maintenance by his lord in return for service.