What was a serf in medieval times?
In Medieval times, serfs were tenant farmers who were bound to a Lord. They were tied to a hereditary plot of land, and it is this tie to a piece of land which differentiates them from slaves. Serfdom mainly existed in Europe, although a similar condition also existed in China.HistoryThe condition of serfdom in Europe began in the 2nd century AD, as the large privately held estates of the Roman Empire began to break up. The land was worked by peasants, who swore loyalty to a particular Lord in exchange for protection. Serfs existed in large numbers across Europe from the end of the Roman Empire to the 14th century.LifestyleSerfs provided for their own food and clothing needs by farming their plot of land, but they also had to hand over much of what they produced to their Lord. The Lord could also force his serfs to cultivate land which was not theirs, and send the products to him. Serfs were usually compelled to use their Lord’s flour mills, in doing so generating further profit for hi
