Middle Ages Vocabulary

1. Scandinavian people known for their raiding, trading, and exploring in the 8th to 11th centuries.
3. A piece of land given by a lord to a vassal in return for service.
5. A deadly plague that killed millions of people in Europe in the 14th century.
8. A system where land was given by lords to vassals (like knights) in exchange for loyalty and military service. People worked the land in return for protection.
9. Anything that is not related to religion.
10. A person who receives land from a lord and promises to help and be loyal in return.
11. A code of conduct for knights, including being brave, loyal, and treating others with respect, especially women.
12. Religious wars in which Christians tried to take back land (like Jerusalem) from Muslims.

2. A group of people who do the same job (like blacksmiths or merchants) and help each other out.
4. A group of Germanic tribes who lived in what is now France and Germany. They helped end the Roman Empire and started the Kingdom of France.
6. A document signed in 1215 that limited the king’s power and gave people some rights.
7. Poor farmers who worked the land for the lords. They couldn’t leave the land and had few rights.
12. Law based on past decisions (precedent)