The terms ‘peasant’ and ‘villein’ often come up in discussions about medieval society, and while they may seem similar, they denote different social statuses and rights.
A peasant is a broad term that refers to a rural agricultural laborer who works the land. Peasants could be free or unfree and were typically engaged in farming, subsistence living, and various forms of agricultural work. Their social status could vary widely, and in some cases, they owned their own land.
On the other hand, a villein was a specific type of peasant in the feudal system, particularly in England. Villeins were bound to a lord’s estate and had certain obligations to fulfill, such as working the lord’s land in exchange for protection and the right to work their own plots. Unlike free peasants, villeins did not have the ability to leave the land without permission and were, in essence, tied to the manorial system.
In summary, while all villeins were peasants, not all peasants were villeins. The key difference lies in the level of freedom and the obligations tied to the feudal system. Villeins had restricted personal freedoms and were subject to the authority of their lords, whereas free peasants had more autonomy in their lives and labor.