I keep hearing excuses like “but your highness the entire crop was destroyed and we’re starving” or “but my lord I’m dying of the plague”. Like ok? That sounds like a you problem. Someone has to do all the work around here and that someone’s not going to be me.
Guaranteed housing and a share of the harvest have left them insufficiently motivated—we need to turn them into gig workers driven by the constant threat of homelessness and destitution.
The merchant class has entered the chat.
The merchant class now owns the chat.
The merchant class has locked the chat
You all are precious. Thank you for that.
A fine meme to add to my collection.
They figured out long ago how to make slaves believe they are free, as long as they feel they are free to choose their surfdom or “status” therein. If they feel like their slave master is better than the other masters they have more motivation in their status and keeping it.
The key is debt and denial.
To the dungeon you go.
As is my right and privilage to have serfs, it is my responsibility to ensure they have enough so they are not starved.
Starved serfs are unproductive and unproductive means I’m even more harrowed by the tax collector than otherwise. This is, naturally, an unacceptable condition.
Nono they can’t LEAVE… Gods that’s crazy talk. Well. Under escort and when performing duties as menials fine, so long as their share of the work is completed at home. there is a surprising amount of low knowledge to be had from these men of mud. Plus I count more than a few as … suitable enough to show that their sons and daughters may be worth the expense in training for more specialized tasks around my holdings.
Guards, guards!
I think this peasant is trying to stir up a rebellion!
If you’re promised a portion of the crop harvest then you will get it. Lords are always micromanaging and saying “yields should be higher”
Just stay the fuck out of the way and wait for your corn.Wtf is corn? I only have barley.
Barley is your corn, I think he may have been speaking of maize.
Never heard of it. It’s it Greek?
I heard about it from an Italian. Must be from Italy.
What’s this ‘corn’ you speak of? Hopefully not some ‘New World’ nonsense.
It makes for cheap animal feed. Not so sure about these… Potatoes. Heard they’re related to nightshade, and it’s this… ungodly… LUMP. What is my kitchen staff supposed to even DO with this?!
Related to nightshade?? They are obviously trying to poison you. I recommend you have your entire kitchen staff burned at stake posthaste.
They also always complain when you reserve the right to primae noctis on their wedding nights. Just ungrateful if you ask me.
Break from feudalposting, looked it up and what the actual fuck. That better be a myth.
It probably is a myth in the sense that it was some sort of formalized ritual, but I would bet there were plenty of lords who were willing to rape any serfs they felt like raping whenever they wanted. Who was going to stop them?
