Medieval Society

Solidarities

Whereas the three orders is a very old way of looking at medieval society, the concept of solidarities is quite recent. There is no clearly-defined list of what solidarities operated in the Middle Ages, or even a commonly-accepted definition of the word. Here I use it to mean groups that defined themselves by lines of allegiance.

The groupings I choose to cover in this essay are: family, household, neighborhood, client-patron solidarities, country, and nation. Each of these had a meaning somewhat different in the Middle Ages than you might think.

History of Western Civilization

E.L. Skip Knox
Boise State University

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