Commendation

A commendation ceremony is a formal ceremony in the European medieval period to create a feudal bond between a lord and vassal. The first recorded ceremony was in 7th century France.

When two members of nobility entered into a feudal relationship, they underwent a ceremony known as commendation ceremony. The purpose of the commendation was to make a chosen person a vassal of a lord. The commendation ceremony is composed of two elements, one to perform the act of homage and the other an oath of fealty.

Act of homage ceremony

The person who was to become the vassal of the lord appeared bareheaded and weaponless as a sign of his submission to the will of the lord and would kneel before him. The vassal would clasp his hands before him in the ultimate sign of submission, the same sign we use in prayer before God today, and would stretch his clasped hands outward to the lord.

The lord in turn grasped the vassals hands on the outside, squeezing hard to cause the vassal pain, showing he was the superior in the relationship. The vassal would announce he wished to become "the man", and the lord would announce his acceptence. The act of homage was complete.

Interestingly, the physical position for Christian prayer that is thought of as typical today -- kneeling, with hands clasped -- originates from the commendation ceremony. Before this time, European Christians prayed in the vassalage.

See also

Feudalism