My Life as a Knight
In the Middle ages or what was usually called the Dark ages in 1227 is the year that I became a knight I live in Feudal Europe with two kids a female and a male named Arianna and Miguel Most importantly my husband Leonardo who supports me and helps me a lot. To become a knight I had to train for hard, long hours to practice/learn how to use a sword and ride a horse. I also had to battle against the Glory Kingdom I defeated them with the weapons I used, once I won that battle I felt prepared and confidence in myself about become a knight. To become a knight I learned to follow the code of conduct that required knights to show loyalty to the nobles they served and to protect the weaker members of society. Now there I was sitting in the chapel in the special ceremony just for me because after that ceremony where all my family and friends went to I was becoming a knight. As I sat I was trembling I felt my legs so wobbly that I thought they were going to fall. I was so excited and nervous I couldn't stop smiling from the excitement neither could I stop sweating because I was nervous. I was so glad every thing I worked hard to do and learn paid off with this special ceremony. I just thought about all the hugs I was going to receive after the ceremony from the people who attended this important moment of my life.
The best part was I received a gift from my lord; the gift was my manor, which is where I live. Lords would give pieces of their lands or fiefs to knights as gifts so knights protect them, but knights had to fight for this gift. To get this fief I had to over come many things like I had to work hard for my lord I owed the lord service in his court and army. Another thing I had to do in return for the land was pay taxes to my lord. I owned a couple of serfs which was helpful because that way they helped me they had to work on the land of my lord to conquer the fief I wanted. I had to be wide eyed open to make sure my serfs worked to make sure they were working, I would over see them on my horse. Lords, Knights, and serfs are related because knights worked and protected the lord so the lord could give them fief. To get their piece of land or fief knights used serfs to help them, but they had to make sure serfs did their job.
Like I said in the previous paragraph I lived in a manor, which I owned all to keep my manor running, I had somewhat jobs to do. Some jobs I had help form my serfs or peasants. I lived in a castle named after me where I had a great view of my road that run from east to west and north to south, which weren’t really straight. Of course I had a mansion for my lord to stay in for when he decides to come and visit me. My manor included a forest called “Blue Forest” where there was mostly trees there was also, two pastures where different type of animals were put in. One was a pig pasture and the other was a cattle and sheep pasture they were kept separately. My manor even had a hotel called “The Dark Dungeon” people usually lived there and my favorite was the “Wonder Village” where small and big houses were constructed for homes. Luckily my two fields was where my peasants helped in working one was a cabbage field the other was a bean field. This is where my peasants had to work and I had to watch them on my mighty horse. The bakery, church, and cemetery were near the village so people could have every thing they needed near. I liked to supply what my people needed near them. I especially have a windmill that was use to grind grain. I never forgot about my best friends I had a river called “Alejandra and Leslie River” and gorgeous lake which I named “De Fonte lake”. A thing that I figured I had to have in my manor was a barn. The greatest thing I had in my manor was my jousting stadium used for sword fighting tournaments. This is where I would go and practice my skills of fighting this helps me improve for battles or protect the lord and myself from bandits.
As a knight I do have the privilege to take a trip with my husband if I ever take a trip we usually go to the town. The town in my opinion and my husband’s point of view we don’t think its nice place to live in we both think it’s the opposite. When we usually go we don’t go for long and neither we go very often. The town is crowded, filthy, and a very busy place. The streets were narrow and not clean they were disgusting. Not only was the ton very dirty, but also houses were extremely dangerous because they were built of wood, which was a material that could easily be caught on fire. Many fires would occur in the town because of the houses being made of wood. If my husband and me were planning to take a trip to the town we made sure it wasn’t on a rainy day. The reason for that was because the streets from the town we usually not paved. So when streets aren't paved and it rains the streets become mud that was often knee-deep after rain, this makes the streets even filthier. The town was so different form my manor because of all the reasons listed. Manors like mine were farmed by peasants, which form economic bias of a manor system. Few people ever left the property. They became worlds unto themselves. Residents were supplied with most of the things they needed by land on manors. Unlike towns the market center and the cathedral were in the center, which is, were the supplies people needed which isn’t near.
As a knight one of my duties is to go off to battle for my lord. I have to protect my lord because its what I give my lord in return for the fief he gave me. Protecting my lord is considered battling. A weapon I use to protect my self is my coat of arms, which is something meaningful and special to me. Everything the shield includes on it means something. My back round called bend, which means a representative of a knights scarf -signifies defense. The colors I choose for the back round were black and it means constancy and grief. The other color is blue means strength and loyalty. The symbol of my families crest represents the colors black, yellow, and blue. Generosity represents yellow. Black represents constancy and grief. Finally blue means strength and loyalty. Another thing it had was my initials printed in old English letters. My coat of arms also had a Latin motto which was “scientia, amicitia et gaudium” it means knowledge, friendship, and joy in Latin. When we battle in Feudal Europe we battled against Glory Kingdom and we usually used two different types of weapons. One was huge mobile wooden towers that attacked a closer shot to the castle were we were battling it also stopped troops to jump over the castle wall. The other weapon we use was a trebuchet that slung heavy rocks to our enemies the Glory Kingdom. Our enemies repelled us by shooting arrows and dumping boiling hot water and oil on us if we got to close. While the enemies were in the castle shooting and aiming flaming arrows toward us we were on the ground. We would try as hard as possible to protect our self from the arrows by staying behind the huge mobile wooden towers. We tried climbing the ladders to get to our enemies and fight, but they were smart they would throw hot boiling water while we climbed up the castle. Then we loaded the weapons they throw arrows one slung right by my ear I felt the flaming arrow against me, but nothing happened to me except the great fright I felt inside of me when it occurred. Our weapons worked fantastically especially because we have a great aim the rocks slung straight to their head and they fell and sometimes even died. Now there was more of us and less of them I left every one else to use those weapons and went to fight with the ones on top. I was so easy to beat them I slung the sword like a mighty warrior and I was very good. I was good because I practice in my jousting stadium so I was experience very well. All our enemies were nearly dead there were only two left, which we killed with our trebuchet.
After we won this battle all of us were so happy that we threw our helmets to the ground and screamed our guts out. We all headed to my manor where we expected a great feast for our honor of courage and strength. Even though the battle was stressful and very tiring I was proud of my self I was a great responsible knight. I love being a knight good thing I left my past of being a squire. Best of all I knew my kids and husband were proud of me as well. One day I knew my kids will follow the same footsteps as me their mother. I was ready to see my Arianna, Miguel, and Leonardo my family and hug them till they break. We all went back my manor while we were on our way there were signs on the roads that said in big letters “CONGRADULATIONS!” I knew that a big party was awaiting back at my manor I was ready to stuff my self with the delicious food. The first thing I did when I arrived was go to my family and hug them. After that we all sat and ate tasty worthy food. The feast was huge every one was there my family, friends, my lord, and much more! There was many fancy pretty looking decorations and all type of foods meat, bread, corn, and so much more. During the feast I realized every thing I had done to become and be a better knight. All the obstacles I over came and most of all how much I had improved in such short time. My lord was proud of me he thanked me and smiled which made me feel great.
Life as a Vassal
Hello my name …………. I live in the Medieval Ages. The time I was around was during the 1480-1500’s A.D. My mom had a family of a total of 11 kids. My mom hardly ever talked about my dad. She was sad all the time while raising us. My mom had left us on the battleground before she had died. She died because of a disease that was spread during that time. Luckily, a vassal and/or knight saved us the day that my mom had left us. I am married to Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder. I have three kids and their names are Elena, Nina and Bonnie. I have two pet horses named Tyler and Matt. I also have a cat named Caroline and a pet dog called Jeremy. I became a vassal because my family was found by knight and was trained to be a vassal and serve my lord. I am a vassal and I live on manor with my family. Being a vassal changes who I used to be before to what I am now. I owned peasants, which are serfs. We have lords who owned land and serfs who live and work for nobles and knights.
A lord was a powerful noble who owned fief or lands. Fiefs were plots of land and are the same thing as lands. Lords gave pieces of their land to lesser nobles called vassals. The vassal owed his lord service in his court and army. Many vassals were warriors known as knights. Other vassals hired knights to defend the lord and his property. Vassals also had to pay taxes to their lord in return for their fief or the land they owned. Mostly all peasants were serfs, which work for the lords and vassals. Serfs were people who lived and worked on the land belonging to a lord or vassal. In return, the nobles granted them shelter and protection. Serfs were said to be "bound to the soil.” If the lord/noble sold the land, the serf would have to be sold with the land or go with it.
My life as a vassal living on a manor. On the manor, we have serfs working on the fields and next to the fields is a windmill for grinding the grain. The lord/king lives on a manor or mansion. The manor has a beautiful lake and inside it lives little fishes. On the north, are where the castle’s at and where the vassal or knight lives? Near the castle is a long, shiny, fast river that runs behind the castle. There is also a lake surrounding the castle and there is bridge that allows you to cross toward the castle’s main entrance. Near the river is and the castle is a spooky, creepy, looking scary forest named the Black Forest. The serfs lived on the manor and the vassals provided them with shelter for them to live in. You would see vassals guarding the nobles house so if invaders came and tried to attack; the vassal/knight would be there when they arrive. Near where the lord and the vassal lived (manor) was a village. In the village there is a tournament, a cathedral, a cemetery, pastures, and a bakery. You could smell the bread recently coming out of the oven and could see the smoke coming out the chimney. Near the bakery were a hotel and a small village with homes made out of wood. There is a pig pasture and a sheep pasture on the other side of the street from the small village. The cemetery is a spooky, creepy place to be at that when you pass you get the chills and the goose bumps.
The differences between manor life and town life are these. Living on a manor sort of means like living in the rich society. The serfs formed the land, which formed the economic basis of the manor system. The land on a manor supplied residents with most of the things they needed. Manors became worlds unto themselves, and few people ever left the property. The houses were the opposite from living in the town. They didn’t catch on fire like houses that were made from wood. On the other hand, most medieval towns were dirty, cramped, and busy places. The streets are narrow, filthy, and usually not paved. In the center of town were the market squares and cathedral. After a rain, streets turned to mud that were often knee-deep. Most of the houses were made out of wood and easily caught on fire. As a result, entire towns often burned down.
Today is the day I finally get to go onto battle. My family has already said good-bye and wished me good luck out there. I’m afraid that I might never see them ever again. But I have to do this; it is my duty to fight against any enemy that we are told to fight. I was born to be a vassal. My name represents two baskets. They both represent constancy, wisdom, verity probity and equity. The colors red and yellow represent warrior, martyr, and military strength, and generosity. We are getting the trebuchets ready for battle. We are going over of what were supposed to do. The time has arrived and the vassals get into their positions. Next thing we know there is big rock coming towards us and lands on the outside of the castle. The war has begun and knights are already lying dead on the battlefield. Some have arrows in the of their foreheads and others in their eyeballs. There was a lot of blood on the ground and a little bit of warriors left. I was about to sing victory and yell out that we had won this battle until I felt pain in my lower arm and saw a bow with blood on it. I was about to say cool, I see blood but at that instant I just fainted and laid on the ground as if I were dead, but then I woke up and was surrounded by vassals. I noticed the expression on their faces that looked as if peace had arrived. We had won the battle.