In the early days, people didn't pay attention to genealogy, because it was a period when the nation and Rome were mixed, and they paid attention to the existing power and land; In the middle period, the society was basically stereotyped, and people began to pay attention to genealogy, title and origin. At this time, the aristocratic group also formed and became a closed group. In the later period, due to the developed commodity economy and the increase in the flow of social factors, the lower classes began to join the ranks of nobles, and at the same time, some ruined nobles with titles but no land appeared.
12 and 13 centuries later, with the integration of nobles and knights, an obvious hierarchy began to form between nobles. To be a nobleman, you must be a knight, with obvious hierarchy and collectivity. Knights must be descendants of knights. This gap and the expansion of other class groups make the nobility obviously closed, and different registrations are recognized within the nobility, showing different powers:
Duke, given the title of tribal leader, is the ruler of a place and still has politics, economy, law and rights. The actions of these people often determine the fate of many people, and they only join in name.
Marquis, mostly border chiefs, are appointed by the state as chiefs in border areas and are responsible for the rule of several counties. Most of these people come from large local families, are semi-independent forces, and can appoint local officials.
Earl is a local chief executive, such as a county magistrate, who is appointed by the king and becomes semi-independent after a long time. The duke's trustee, also known as the count, has great power. Especially when representing the duke, the defenders of social order often become rulers, such as the Earl of Anjou, who established the Anjou Dynasty in Britain, and the Earl of Champagne in France.
The above three kinds of aristocrats are all senior aristocrats, and they all have a large number of territories, and they can exercise independent or semi-independent rule.
Viscount, originally an attendant or assistant of a high-ranking aristocrat, took him to handle affairs and judicial cases. Senior nobles could exercise their rights independently without being present, and later began to build castles to form a small ruling center.
Barons are mostly knight leaders, who are connected with the army and obtain land from the king on the condition of military service to support the land. A baron has at least 40 ~ 50 knight collars (a knight collar refers to the land area needed to support a knight).
The characteristics of nobility are also reflected in other aspects of social life.
Food, clothing, housing and transportation: the color and style of clothes are stipulated by law. Non-nobles are not allowed to wear gold, silver, velvet or fur clothes. Farmers can only wear black and gray, and nobles can pursue beauty, which is the promoter of clothing reform at that time; But there were still many defects in the clothes at that time, such as no shirts and pajamas, and there was little difference between men's and women's clothes styles. In diet, there are two differences: restriction and economic strength. Such as game: peacocks, venison and swans are restrictive aspects; Because of the strong game and backward storage technology at that time, long-distance transportation of spices from the East could be equated with gold, which became the patent of nobles at that time. In terms of residence, the medieval aristocrats were land aristocrats, who were born in clothes and land. There were aristocratic houses in the center of the manor, but the owners would not live permanently. The other is a castle representing the land of power. At first, it was a royal privilege. It is usually built on a mountain. This is a place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. One is defensive, representing power and not pursuing comfort. The room is wet and dark. Castle has many functions, which are not only the residence and social place of aristocratic families, but also the refuge place of surrounding residents during the war.
Marriage and family status: the marriage of the nobles in the Middle Ages was a political marriage, and the purpose of aristocratic marriage was to continue the descendants and strengthen the ties between aristocratic families. A marriage can form an alliance and resolve conflicts. Therefore, the eldest son of the nobility considered political factors more, while the second son who had no inheritance rights considered economic interests, so pursuing widows became a custom at that time. Because there was no free love in the Middle Ages, marriages were arranged by parents and families, so although women's status was low at that time, ladies were the exception. They all have dual roles. On the one hand, a good wife and mother have the responsibility to take care of each other and children. On the other hand, it is a romantic model, becoming the object pursued by knights and worshiping ideals; They bring the ideals of purity, nobility and love. At that time, the aristocratic family was an expanded family, including servants, servants and dependents, that is, poor relatives, adoptive parents and knights. If a person can live in a noble family for one year and one day, he can become a full member of this family, so there are many things in the noble castle. At that time, the family was centered on patriarchy, but the foster care system at that time made the feelings between children and their biological parents very weak.
Nobles belonged to the upper class in medieval society, so they had their own characteristics in all aspects. For example, aristocrats only contact aristocrats, and their living customs and contacts are fixed. In a closed group, everyone has a sense of nobility, which is established by external laws, so that the class is fixed and forms a clear boundary with other classes.
By the middle of the Middle Ages, the consciousness of aristocratic groups was obvious, mainly in the following aspects:
First of all, nobles consciously draw a line with free people. Becoming an aristocrat is not only a property requirement, but also a conferring ceremony, which is becoming more and more strict, making the aristocrat only born in aristocratic children, and only the king can confer titles, and the conditions for becoming an aristocrat are becoming more and more harsh.
Secondly, the nobility began to pay more attention to genealogy, and there should be no ambiguity. Nobles also began to adopt family emblems, the origin of which was related to war. At that time, the warring parties used a special symbol to distinguish between the enemy and ourselves, and later it gradually evolved into a noble emblem.
Then, as nobles, they are also strictly different from others in their occupations, and most of their work is related to war. At that time, the society generally divided the types of work into soldiers, prayers (churches) and laborers (farmers). Fighting is the privilege of knights and nobles and a symbol of status.
Finally, the lifestyle and ideas of the nobility are different from those of other classes. They advocate loyalty, romance and elegance. Its honor is innocent.
As a relatively independent class, aristocrats themselves have mobility, especially in the later period. With the development of commodity economy and the increase of social mobility, some descendants began to join this ranks in the late Middle Ages. Some are married through marriage, because the proportion of men and women in the aristocratic group is out of balance, and there is a marriage between the lower class and the nobility; Some people are awarded titles of nobility for their outstanding service in the royal family and nobility; There are also those who are economically rich and promoted to the nobility by virtue of their economic strength. At the same time, a ruined aristocrat appeared, and the national emblem became a symbol of poverty.