Subject:
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yeoman? (was "Re: Thank you for translation!")
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.castle
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Date:
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Wed, 5 Apr 2000 13:31:13 GMT
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In lugnet.castle, Shiri Dori writes:
> In lugnet.castle, René Hoffmeister writes:
> <snip>
> > "Yeoman Archer" - If "yeoman" means to be not dependent on strict rules.
>
> Well, that's not what my dictionary says... Yeoman:
> "An attendant, a servant, or a lesser official in a royal or noble household.
> A yeoman of the guard. (1)
> A petty officer performing chiefly clerical duties in the U.S. Navy.
> An assistant or other subordinate, as of a sheriff.
> A diligent, dependable worker.
> A farmer who cultivates his own land,
> especially a member of a former class of
> small freeholding farmers in England."
[snip]
> (1) This is my favorite! What's a yeoman? It's a yeoman! (like, duh :)
According to my understanding of medieval history in England,
a yeoman was a peasant farmer who wasn't a serf.
What's a serf? Well, a serf was a peasant farmer
who was tied to the land, but was otherwise free,
as opposed to a slave.
Thus, at the bottom of the heap was "slave",
then came "serf" with a little bit more freedom,
then came "yeoman".
(It was much later on that "yeoman" acquired
the additional meaning of "helper of ship's captain", etc.)
A slave was property, end of story.
A serf was -- technically -- *not* property,
and thus could not be sold as a slave to another nobleman,
but the serf could not leave the land to which he was assigned
without the permission of the landowner (the noblman).
A yeoman however *could* move on to better pickings
if he so desired. Also, he could own his own land
(instead of farming the nobleman's land
and paying "rents" and "taxes" out of the food he produced).
Another point to consider is that *only* a gentleman or a noblman
could own, carry, or use traditional military weapons
(the armor and swords of the knighthood).
As "peasants", serfs and yeoman were restricted
to such farm-like implements as flails, staves, slings,
and so on, including *bows* (but don't let the wardens
catch you poaching the nobleman's deer, or you'll hang!).
Later on, the English passed laws *requiring* the yeoman
to learn how to use the longbow. (Ask the French
about Agincourt...)
Hope this helps! :-)
Thanks,
Franklin
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