Bloch's Feudal Society

I found Bloch's work Feudal Society very interesting but at the same time rather broad.  He is concentrated on the development of societies in western Europe (France, Germany, Italy...) but only touches on how outside forces would have affected goings-on in Europe.   The Scandinavians and the Arabs who were a part of history and certainly would have left their mark were not addressed as much as I would have thought.  He does state on page 59 that “western society would certainly have their clashes; but they would take place in a closed arena…uninterrupted by any attack from without or any influx of foreign settlers.” While few people were coming to western Europe this did not mean that there were not clashes between these societies as well.  In this respect I believe he is creating some silences in early european history by not addressing how the Scandinavians and Arabs made an impression on western Europeans and how they were forced to change because of it. 

Bloch’s does a good job comparing the 1st and 2nd feudal revolutions. There is a huge jump in living conditions and expectations between the two.  Bloch does characterize it as a “renaissance.” On page 113 he states, “In many characteristics the man in A.D. 1200…resembled his ancestor of the earlier generations: he display the same spirit of violence…, same preoccupation with the supernatural;…but in two respects he differed profoundly from his predecessor. He was better educated. He was more self-conscious.” This was the time in European history when people’s situations made a turn for the better. People were better educated, they (the upper classes at least) could read latin and other classical languages.  While they were still violent and still very religious, they were also aware of their status and place in society.  The change over from oral epic tales to developed and written historical works, customs, and laws shows their want and necessity for permanent records to control education and how society is run. He is clearly showing through his themes how Europe as we know it came to be.