Legal Definitions - casatus

Casatus is a historical legal term that refers to an individual within a feudal system who had been granted a specific holding, typically a household or a plot of land, by their lord. This grant, known as a casata, provided the individual and their family with the means to live and fulfill their feudal obligations, such as providing labor, military service, or taxes to their lord. Essentially, a casatus was a feudal tenant who had been settled on a piece of land or given a household by their lord.

• Example 1: Agricultural Tenant

  Imagine a peasant farmer named Elara in 11th-century England. Lord Blackwood, who owns vast tracts of land, grants Elara a small farmstead, including a dwelling and arable land, in exchange for a portion of her harvest and a few days of labor each month. Elara is now responsible for cultivating this land and providing her agreed-upon services to Lord Blackwood.

  Explanation: Elara is a casatus because she has been settled on a specific agricultural holding (her farmstead and land, the casata) by Lord Blackwood, making her a feudal tenant with defined obligations.

• Example 2: Military Retainer

  Consider Sir Kael, a skilled knight who pledges his loyalty and military service to a powerful duke in medieval France. In return for Sir Kael's commitment to fight in the duke's army when called upon, the duke grants him a small manor house with surrounding lands sufficient to support his family and retainers. This grant ensures Sir Kael can maintain his knightly status and fulfill his military duties.

  Explanation: Sir Kael becomes a casatus by receiving the manor house and its lands (the casata) from the duke. This grant enables him to provide his feudal military service, demonstrating his status as a settled tenant.

• Example 3: Strategic Outpost Guardian

  In a mountainous region during the early medieval period, a local count needed to secure a vital pass. He granted a fortified dwelling and a small, defensible plot of land to a trusted family, the Stoneguards, in exchange for their ongoing vigilance and defense of the pass against invaders. The Stoneguards were expected to maintain the fortifications and alert the count to any threats.

  Explanation: The head of the Stoneguard family, by being granted the fortified dwelling and its associated land (the casata) for specific protective service, would be considered a casatus under the count's feudal system.