Knights: The Original
Landlord/Tenants
By Brian H. Robbins
Knights in
shining armor. Their very name conjures up images of chivalry, jousting, and damsels in distress. What people
often don’t think of are the real circumstances of knighthood: rental property.
Knights are probably the most
famous renters and landlords in history. As part of the feudal system of many
European nations, knights were land-owning aristocrats. They were landlords in
that they received “rent” in the form of crops and military service from their
peasants, those who lived on their property or “fief.” They were tenants in
themselves in that they had to pay their lord in the form of military service.
They were high-ranking soldiers and
their service would eventually be replaced by taxes, money paid to keep a
standing army rather than the knights themselves serving whenever needed. As
both landlords and tenants, knights were able to function as the heroes of
yore.
In the modern era, landlords only
protect their portion of a complex. You need protection for your own fief. Be a
hero today: Be sure and get renters insurance here in C’ville.
Bunratty Castle, Public Domain Image
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