Fealty
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This article is about a pledge of allegiance. For the journalist, see Mick Fealty. For the novel by Niven and Pournelle, see Oath of Fealty (novel).
| English Feudalism |
|---|
Harold Sacramentum Fecit Willelmo Duci
(Harold makes an oath to Duke William) King Harold becomes the vassal of Duke William of Normandy (Bayeux Tapestry) |
| Fee |
| Overlord, Vassal |
| Enfeoffment |
| Subinfeudation |
| Feoffee |
| Feudal land tenure |
| Fealty, Homage |
| Feudalism in England |
| Feudalism |
An oath of fealty, from the Latin fidelitas (faithfulness), is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another. Typically the oath is made upon a religious object such as a Bible or saint's relic, often contained within an altar, thus binding the oath-taker before God.
In medieval Europe, fealty was sworn between two people, the obliged person (vassal) and a person of rank (lord). This was done as part of a formal commendation ceremony to create a feudal relationship.
Fealty and homage are a key element of feudalism.
The term is also used by English-speakers to refer to similar oaths of allegiance in other feudal cultures, as with medieval Japan, as well as in modern political contexts.
[edit] See also
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