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Feudalism

Year One

Your lord owns two hundred cows. You're required to milk them sun-up to sun-down 2-3 days a week. The lord gets the milk. You're not paid for your labour. You don't own any land of your own, in fact, you don't own anything. You're allowed to live on your lord's property, and not allowed to leave it. You're considered to be "tied to the land". On the days when you're not required to milk the cows you're allowed to work a small plot of land which you can use to feed yourself. Your lord gets a cut of anything you grow for yourself too. If your lord's eldest daughter gets married, you're required to pay your lord a customary fee. Since you don't own anything, you'll likely have to contribute some of your harvest which you were planning to use to feed yourself and your family. If your own daughter marries someone from outside the estate, you're required to pay the lord a fine. If your lord chooses, you can be sold to another lord, and then you'll move to their land and milk their cows instead.

Year Two

See Year One.

Year Two Hundred

See Year One.