Feifs to Economic Liberalism - BeFa > .
A
fief (
L: feudum) was the central element of
feudalism. It consisted of
heritable property or rights granted by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty (or "in fee") in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the personal ceremonies of
homage and fealty. The fees were often lands or revenue-producing real property held in feudal
land tenure: these are typically known as fiefs or fiefdoms. However, not only land but
anything of value could be held in fee, including governmental office, rights of exploitation such as hunting or fishing, monopolies in trade, and
tax farms.
