villein
Medieval bound laborer
A villein was a medieval peasant bound to a lord's estate—not quite a slave, but not free either.
Villeins could farm land and keep some produce, but owed labor and couldn't leave without permission.
The term is historical, appearing in discussions of feudalism: The villeins worked the lord's fields three days a week.
Distinguished from serfs by slightly greater rights, though the terms often blur.
Bonded agricultural laborer
- bondsmanOne who posts bail
- manorLanded aristocratic residence
- lordNobleman or ruler
- demesneLord's private estate
fief · vassal · homage · liege · fealty · tenure · villeinage · manorial
Low-status agricultural laborer
- bondageInvoluntary subjugation to another
- servitudeCompulsory labor under masters
- unfreeWithout liberty
- subjugationForcing into submission
cottager · crofter · commoner · lowborn · dependency · thrall · bound · hereditary
serf
Bonded agricultural laborer
demesne · fief · vassal · homage · liege · fealty · tenure · villeinage · manorial · tithe
peasant
Low-status agricultural laborer
- bondageInvoluntary subjugation to another
- servitudeCompulsory labor under masters
- unfreeWithout liberty
subjugation · cottager · crofter · commoner · lowborn · dependency · thrall · bound · hereditary · chattel
toil
Strenuous, prolonged effort
husbandry · cultivate · harvest · sow · reap · thresh · mow · tend · backbreaking · fieldwork
- medievalknights, castles, cathedral, kings, queens
- medieval societyserfs, noble lineage, peasants, serf, heir
- social ranksking, queen, emperor, empress, noble
- feudalismfief, vassal, fealty, homage, lord
- Medieval Termsfeudalism, manorialism, serfdom, guilds, fiefdoms
- feudal tenantserf, peasant, vassal, copyholder, bondsman