Fealties

Fealties refer to the pledges of fidelity owed by a vassal to a lord within feudal society. In this sense, fealty denotes personal loyalty and fidelity, distinct from but often linked to homage. The fealty oath bound the vassal to defend the lord, advise, and perform military service, in exchange for protection and the use of land or privileges. The oath was typically sworn to a liege lord and could be reaffirmed on succession or at key ceremonies. In practice, fealty was part of the broader system of vassalage and investiture, where a vassal’s rights to a fief were contingent on honoring the lord’s authority. In many jurisdictions, the oath of fealty accompanied or followed the ceremony of homage; it was sometimes described as the promise to be faithful “unto death” or to obey the lord’s orders.

The concept originated in medieval Europe, with roots in earlier analogues in Roman and Germanic customs and was elaborated during the high medieval period as kings, princes, and lords consolidated control over lands and military resources. Over time, legal reforms and the centralization of power diminished the practical importance of formal fealty oaths, though the idea persisted in ceremonial or theoretical discussions of loyalty and allegiance.

Today, fealties are primarily of historical or comparative interest, referenced in studies of feudalism, political philosophy, and legal history. Some modern institutions discuss oaths of loyalty or fidelity in symbolic terms, but contemporary usage generally does not involve formal fealty as a binding feudal obligation.