act was not in writing which often lead to disputes in duties and obligations. There were no firm borders placed upon territories held by a lord. The boundaries of ownership were constantly changing hands. The entire area of the kingdom was broken up into smaller pieces of land. The smaller pieces of land were called fiefs. They were granted to the vassal by the lord. Larger fiefs were often divided into smaller fiefs which were ruled by inferior vassals. The process of division and subdivision was known as subinfeudation. The problem with subinfeudation is that it tends to weaken the unifying strength of the territory. The scattering of power throughout the fief reduced its efficiency as a whole unit.In the beginning of feudalism, the knights image was in question. At first, he was considered to be a professional thug. Early 9th century his image would undergo a major transformation. Armies of foot soldiers, who were really farmers and herdsman most of the time, were proving to be inept in defending parts of Europe. A permanent fighting force was necessary in defending territory. This is where knights came into being. Knights eventually became most important in medieval times. They were characterized by their elaborate ceremonies of knighthood that became a permanent fixture of the feudal system. The dubbing of a knight was the part of the ceremony which displayed courage and trust of the inducted person. Knights eventually became one of the most superior fighting forces, far better than infantry men. Excellent swordsmanship and horse back riding skills allowed knights to be successful in repelling Vikings and Hungarians in the 9th century. Knights were scarce at first but their numbers grew. Their man objective was to defend against sudden attack. They lived together in strategic locations, often placed on a hilltop fortification. These fortifications eventually would change into elaborate castles that remain in ...
