Legal Definitions - chivage

Chivage (pronounced CHIV-ij) is a historical legal term referring to a payment made by a serf or villein to their feudal lord. This payment, often an annual poll tax or head tax, was typically given in exchange for the lord's permission for the serf to live outside the immediate boundaries of the lord's manor, to be absent from the manor for a period, or as a general acknowledgment of the lord's superior authority and the serf's dependent status. It served as a symbolic recognition of the lord's suzerainty and the serf's ongoing obligation, even when the serf was not directly working on the lord's land.

• Example 1: Permission to Seek Work Elsewhere

  Imagine a serf named Arthur, who possesses a unique skill as a stonemason. He wishes to spend a year working on a cathedral project in a neighboring town, which is not part of his lord's immediate domain, to earn a better living. To do so, Arthur would need his lord's explicit permission.

  This illustrates chivage because Arthur would pay his lord an agreed-upon sum of chivage for the privilege of leaving the manor and working elsewhere for that year. This payment acknowledges his lord's continued authority over him, even while he is physically absent and earning money independently.

• Example 2: Living Off-Manor Boundaries

  Consider a family of villeins, the Millers, who have been granted permission by their lord, Baron von Croft, to reside in a small dwelling just beyond the traditional manor village. While they still owe certain services and are part of the baron's larger estate, they are not directly integrated into the daily agricultural operations of the main manor fields.

  This illustrates chivage as the head of the Miller family would pay an annual chivage to Baron von Croft. This payment signifies their ongoing allegiance and the baron's right to their service, despite their slightly more independent living arrangement. It acts as a recognition of the baron's lordship over them and the land they occupy.

• Example 3: Absence for a Specific Purpose

  A young serf named Elara feels a strong calling to join a distant convent and dedicate her life to religious service. While she would no longer be directly tilling the lord's fields, she remains legally bound to him as a serf.

  This illustrates chivage because Elara's family would likely pay an annual chivage to their lord, Lord Blackwood, for his permission for Elara to leave the manor and pursue her vocation. This payment ensures that Elara's absence does not sever her legal ties to the lord and acknowledges his continued authority over her, even in her new life of spiritual devotion.