Act of Homage

Who/What: the act by which a vassal-to-be knelt and placed his hands in his lord’s and promised to be “his man;” the act of homage was followed by a promise of fealty; this act formerly made one a vassal of a social superior

When: Middle Ages, especially in the Post-Carolingian era

Where: Western Europe

Significance: major part of the feudal system by which one promised loyalty and service to a superior in exchange for protection and/or provision; can be seen as a continuation of the Roman patron-client system; helped build networks of personal contacts by which Medieval government operated