Medieval Glossary

Counsel

In a feudal sense one of the two main obligations of a vassal to his lord. A vassal was required to give his lord advice, keep his lord's secrets, and withhold no information that might prove useful to his lord. Vassals were also obligated to attend court when summoned or annually on certain days. When the court sat as a judicial tribunal, the vassal was required to attend to pass judgment. Interestingly, this last obligation eventually came to be considered a right.

The other main obligation of a vassal to his lord was aid.

Related term(s): Aid; Feudal Obligation; Vassal; Lord; Feudalism
Category: Feudalism
Added: 01.01.05
Source information: Herlihy, David, ed. The History of Feudalism. New Jersey: Humanities Press, 1970. 73.

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