hospes, equerry, villein
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The social group of free strangers (but not necessarily people of foreign nationality) , who dealt with both farming and craftsmanship, in the age of the Árpád dynasty. The stranger had privileges, and also he was under the protection of others. Their hospes right, which they received as a privilege, enstrengthened their prerogatives. Some of them assimilated to the bourgeoisie, the majority of them assimilated to the layer of villeins.
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equerry (from the Slav 'dvor' = court)
The name of people who were responsible for the supply of the royal court. Equerries were in charge of a certain bigger court, where the royal court (that usually travelled from place to place) had already used up the products. Their leader was originally the palatine, who functioned as a judge of equerries even when he had already lost his economic functions. They were servants, divided in groups of ten or one hundred. Their duties were needed only under the circumstances of natural farming. In the 14th century the majority of them became villeins.
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villein
The name of peasants in Hungary since the middle of the 13th century, who belonged under the power of the landlord. According to Hungarian law they got their lands from their lords to use; their tools, cut-over areas and vine-yards were in their possession. In smaller legal disputes they belonged under the juristic authority of the landlord, called the private court. They paid different taxes to the landlord, which were fixed in the urbarium. The words 'villein', 'peasant' are not identical in Europe, but they meant more or less the same in Hungary in the late Middle Ages. Different social groups belonged to this layer, concerning their financial and legal situation. Cottars, and citizens of boroughs were also considered villeins.
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