Plural of fief; feudal estates or lands granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for loyalty and service during the Middle Ages.
Fief comes from Old French 'fief,' which ultimately derives from Germanic languages meaning cattle or property. The word represents the backbone of the feudal economic system in medieval Europe.
A fief was basically an entire economy tied to one person's loyalty—land, peasants, taxes, and your life were all bundled together. It's why breaking a feudal oath wasn't just rude; it meant economic collapse.
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