Huns

Vandals, and other N. nations who overran Hurope at the dec lens i or of the Roman empire, The term feuc is of very doubtful derivation, but most probably it is formed from the Teutonic fee or feh, wages or pay for service, and odh, or od, property or pos: se ion; a feud, then, being the proper: ty or po e ion given as wages fo service. In order to secure their new: ly acquired po e ions, and at the same time to reward their deserving followers, the conquering generals were wont to allot large districts, or parcels of land, to the superior officers of the army, and these were by them again dealt out in smaller allotments or parcels, to inferior officers and soldiers. The condition annexed to _ these holdings was that the po e or should do service faithfully, both at home and in the wars, to him by whom they were given; for which purpose he took the oath of fealty and in case of the breach of this condition and oath, by not performing the stipulated service, or by deserting the lord in battle, the lands were again to revert to him who granted them. The ownership of the land, therefore, properly remained in the hands of the superior, _ and probably at first was resumable by him at pleasure, or at least on the death of the holder; but in most countries, lands soon came to a ume an hereditary character, the rights of 2 superior, on the death of a va al, being confined to the exaction of certain dues from his son and succe or, as 4 consideration for confirming to him the feud which his father had held.