A quick google reveals that this has not been linked to in the past around here.

The F-Word: The Problem with Feudalism (http://historymedren.about.com/od/feudalism/a/feudalism.htm)

Please discuss.

Not a whole lot of surprising changes within the article, it merely seems to state that many people held land independently of a vassalage, and the actual techniques to run a Kingdom varied from place to place.

But the Feudalist system never did a good job of including a middle class, mercenaries, etc, which jumped off the page as soon as even a non-scholar thought about how things must have worked.

I was in the Forest of Dean this weekend where since there was no nobility between the people and the Crown there are still wird fudal rights. Any man born in the district has the right to mine the coal and iron and graze sheep. Since the sheep have the right to be anywhere in the district and clearly cant be expected to understand traffic laws anyone hitting a sheep in the road is automatically responsible and has to replace the animal.

Beautiful place.

So what do they think was the reality? Doesn't seem like they have an answer.