ABSTRACT

Medieval society was grossly unequal, both in theory and practice, but not because it was simply divided between nobles and peasants with a wide and unbridgeable gulf in between. One form of trust in modern society that sociologists might think about is the trust that they put in each other's references to the past. For great men acquiring great estates the rituals of homage and fidelity were politically significant and could symbolize the creation or confirmation of an interpersonal bond. The mention of elections may suggest the demands but medieval elections do not seem to have been intended to give equal votes to all individuals. While it is clear that trust and distrust in medieval societies went far beyond merely local and personal relationships, it is also clear that much was left to local government and local adjudication. Early medieval law is traditionally characterized as rigid and ritualistic, relying for proof on the judgement of God through oaths and ordeals.