epic
a narrative poem that celebrates the feats of a real or legendary hero.
fable
a story about legendary persons that often makes a moral point.
fairy tale
a fanciful talke of legendary deeds and creatures, usually intended for children.
fantasy
a story that is fanciful and may contain supernatural events.
feudalism
a political and economic system of Europe in the Middle Ages, centered on a landholding lord and his relations to vassals.
fief
the estate of a feudal lord.
knight
a medieval gentleman-soldier, usually a vassal.
legend
a popular, sometimes fictional story handed down through history.
liege lord
a lord to whom a knight or vassal owes allegiance.
lord
a man of high rank in feudal society, such as a king or owner of a manor.
manor
an area of land controlled by a lord during medieval times.
minstrel
a medieval entertainer who traveled from place to place to sing songs and recite poetry.
myth
a traditional story with supernatural creatures and heros that serves to explain the world view of people.
serf
a member of the serving class in medieval Europe, bound to the land and owned by a lord.
troubadour
a poet in medieval times who composed poems and songs for kings and other nobles.
vassal
a person who held land from a feudal lord and received protection in exchange for allegiance to that lord.
yeoman
a farmer who farmed his own small plot of land in medieval England.
