Land was very important in the middle ages and it meant wealth and power. The ownership and control of land was organised through feudalism or the feudal system. In Medieval Times, all the land and was owned by the King. He needed help in controlling and defending it. He got the help from his most powerful subjects - barons (lords) and bishops. He kept some land for his own use and gave the rest to the barons and bishops - who were his tenants- in- chief.
There was a ceremony for handing over the land (or fief, as it was called). The lord who was receiving the land knelt before the king and placed his hands in the hands of the king. He swore an oath to become a vassal of the king. 'I will be your man from this day onwards. I shall be true and faithful to you for the lands I hold from you.'
The lord also promised:
• to fight for the king and provide him with knights.
The barons and bishops gave land to the knights who promised:
• to fight for their lords and obey them.
The knights were given manors, that is, villages with land around them. Knights kept some of the land for their own private use - this land was called a demesne. They divided the rest amongst their tenants, who were called peasants or farmers.