The Feudal system

The feudal system, also known as Feudalism, is a method of structuring society around relationships that are based on the holding of land in exchange for certain services or labour. For instance, a landlord owns a piece of land where people can live and be protected by the lord. In return, the people provide services to the lord and/or pay them for their services. The landlord is also part of a larger district and is required to provide services to a higher authority.        

Ranks

The feudal system is divided into several levels. At the top is the monarch, and below are several vassals that form the nobility. Below the nobility are the peasants. For the Region of Kilden a slightly different feudal system was used, since the region contains parts of the Kingdoms of the Netherlands, Prussia and Hanover. The current system is:

• Duke / Dáeron (Region)
  The Duke, also known as the Dáeron, holds the highest position and oversees the functioning of the entire region of Kilden. The Duke is a member of the upper nobility.
• Landduke of Lower Duke / Láeron (Amt)
  The Landduke, also known as the Lower Duke or Láeron, holds one of the three lower seats beneath the Duke of the Region of Kilden. These individuals represent the different Amts in Kilden. The Landduke is a part of the higher nobility.
• Marquess / Máeron (District)
  The Marquess, also called Máeron represents the district that is part of an Amt in the region of Kilden. The Marquess is also part of the higher nobility;
• Baron / Báeron (Neighbourhood)
  The Baron, also called Báeron, represents the neighbourhood that is part of a District, which is again part of an Amt. The Baron is considered lower nobility and has the most contact with the "normal" peasants;
• Freemen / Burgess
  Freemen are individuals who own a piece of land and, therefore, have the rights in the Neighbourhood to use the common land. The amount of land this person may use depends on the number of shares owned. People who live in towns or cities and who own a building or land within that city are called Burgess. They commonly have citizen rights or citizenship in that city. They have similar rights to Freemen.
• Cotters / Cottager
  A Cotter or Cottager is a person who owns only a quarter of a share or less in a Neighbourhood. These shares are often insufficient to make a living, so Cotters have to work as labourers on other farms or cities or provide additional services for the Baron.
• Serfs
  A serf is an individual who does not own land but is bound to the baron's land. They cannot leave the land without the lord's permission and are required to give up a portion of their income in exchange for a place to live. Serfs that live in the city usually rent a house or live there in exchange for labour or services.
• Labourers
  Labourers are individuals who do not own land, nor do they live permanently on the landlord's land or in a city. They typically work for specific seasons or time periods on the land or in the city in exchange for a place to sleep and/or money and then move on to another place.

 

Division of Land

Under the feudal system, the land is divided among several (1) Amts (owned by a Landduke) that are separated into (2) Districts (owned by a Marquess) that are again split into (3) Neighbourhoods (owned by a Baron). These Neighbourhoods consist of several plots of land that can be either owned or partially owned by a Freeman or Cotter, or by the Baron/Baroness themselves. This results in the following division of land:  

• The Region (Duke)
  The region, also known as the Region of Kilden, is the highest administrative body overseeing the entire area. It is a neutral body in legislation, execution, jurisdiction, and religion. The region's seat is in the city of Lutheria, which is also a neutral city, especially in terms of class, race, and religion. The seat is occupied by the Duke or Dáeron, who is responsible for leading meetings and conferences, but has no additional rights and must remain neutral. However, a Duke can own land in the region if he or she has shares.
• The Amts (Landduke)
  The region of Kilden is divided into three Amts, each responsible for the overall governance of a specific area. They create legislation and house the High Courts. Additionally, they are in charge of defending the area they govern. The seats are occupied by a Landduke or Láeron, who manages the meetings of the Amts but has no extra rights or power. The Amts can take a specific point of view and are not required to be neutral. The Landduke can own land if he or she has shares.
• The District (Marquess)
  The Ambts are divided into several districts, each responsible for the daily management of that area. The General Courts are located within these districts. While they can propose legislation, the districts are not permitted to create legislation on their own. Each district is overseen by a Marquess or Máeron, who has the ultimate authority in managing the district and may own land if they hold shares.
• Neighbourhood (Baron)
  Neighbourhoods consist of groups of free farmers, cotters and/or a landlord who oversees the neighbourhood. They typically include several plots of land that surround a piece of common land, which is available for use by the neighbourhood residents. This common land can be a forest, plain, field, river, or lake. The residents' access to and use of the common land is based on the number of shares they have. More shares entitle them to use a larger portion of the land, for activities such as grazing, gathering wood, or cutting peat. When a single person owns the majority of the land in the neighbourhood, that person holds all the power and is often referred to as the Baron or Báeron. However, when multiple parties own the land, one person is chosen as the overall manager but does not have any additional rights or absolute power, except owning the plot(s) and being allowed to use (more of) the common land.

 

Shares

In the Region of Kilden, the land is divided into small parts. These parts can be either (1) privately owned plots or (2) common land shared by the residents of the area, such as a neighbourhood. The amount of shares a person holds determines their right to use the common land. Typically, shares are linked to a main building that a person or family lives in. When a shareholder passes away, the shares are inherited by the eldest child and remain within the family. They can also be traded or sold, but doing so means that the building and/or land connected to the share will change ownership as well.   A share represents the amount of land required to support a standard family. For example, 1 share can support one standard family, 2 shares can support two standard families, and 0.25 shares can only support a quarter of a family. If someone owns less than 1 share, it means the land cannot fully support a family, and they need to engage in other activities to make a living. Individuals who own a quarter or less are often considered Cotters.  

Rights

With a share comes certain rights that a person can exercise. These rights are often attached to an amount, district, or neighbourhood and give a person or all persons within that area the possibility to exercise that right. Below is a list of all the rights an area can have:  

The ownership of a share comes with certain rights that a person or group can exercise. These rights often apply to the common land that is shared among the inhabitants who have shares in the area. The number of shares determines the extent to which one can exercise these rights.
 

Right

Description

 

Grazing right

Grazing rights allow residents of a specific area to let their livestock, like sheep, cattle, and goats, graze on a designated portion of communal land, based on their ownership shares.

 

Wood right

Wood rights allow inhabitants of a specific area to collect wood from the forest in that area, according to the portion of the share they own.

 

Forestry right

Forestry rights entitle residents of a specific area to utilize a local forest for agroforestry and receive a share of its profits based on the shares that they own.

 

Turf right

Turf rights allow inhabitants of a specific area to cut and collect turf or peat from that area, according to the amount of shares they own.

 

Water right

The Water right allows an area or inhabitants of that area to use the water for recreation (excluding fishing) or as a power source. This right is often connected to buildings instead of people and is limited.

 

 

Duties

With rights also come certain duties that apply to all inhabitants of that area, even if you do not own any shares. These duties are often the price for living in an area. Below is a list of all the duties that can be attached to a right or an area:  

A duty is a mandatory task that an inhabitant of an area must carry out in exchange for the right to live in that area. This requirement applies to both people with and without shares in the land, and it applies whether or not they use the Common Land.
 

Duty

Description

 

Planting trees

The inhabitants of the area have a duty to replant trees in the forest and plant new trees on the open plains to prevent desertification. It must be shown that when a tree has been cut down, at least two more trees have been planted. If a person fails to do so, they will risk a fine.

 

Maintaining infrastructure

The residents of the area are responsible for maintaining the infrastructure, including roads, ditches, and dykes. Failure to do so may result in a fine and potential responsibility for repair costs if issues with the infrastructure arise.

 

Maintaining agroforest

The residents of the area are responsible for maintaining the agroforest that they use. This includes replanting, sowing, cleaning, and ploughing the forest. Failure to do so may result in a fine or loss of rights.