The feudal system began to decline after the Black Death struck Europe in the late 1340s. social issues of that time. It begins with the “relationship between two freemen (men who are not serfs), a lord and his vassal. Vassal derives from a Celtic word meaning servant, but in feudal terms, vassal meant a free person who placed himself under the protection of a lord and to whom he provided loyal military aid. This relationship was initially mutually beneficial, but throughout the development of the system, great restrictions were endured. In the late 1340s, a plague spread across Europe and began to take effect on the existing feudal system. This plague was known as the Black Death and was described as the most influential and devastating natural disaster to occur in Western Europe. It swept across Western Europe in an extremely short period of time, attacking no one person or group in particular, and devastated the region killing a third to half of the population. The plague caused such dramatic population loss that power roles began to shift. This change served to increase power within the lower and middle classes. The Black Death played a major role in the decline of the feudal system due to the various effects it had on society. Feudalism was the foundation of the working relationship between the serf and the lord or king. A serf was a semi-free peasant, enjoying minimal legal rights and tied to the land. The nature of the relationship that was established “between the strong ‘lord’ and the weak free man was initially more ethical and emotional than legal.” To initiate this “relationship,” an act called homage was customary. Homa...... middle of paper...... 28-47. JSTOR Arts & Sciences II, EBSCOhost (accessed November 6, 2011). “The Black Death of 1348 to 1350,” The History Learning Site, accessed November 28, 2011. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/black_death_of_1348_to_1350. htm.Chambers, Moritmer et al.,The Western Experience Volume I 10th edition (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010).IBidYeloff, Dan and Bas van Geel. 2007. “Abandonment of Agricultural Land and Plant Succession Following the Eurasian Plague Pandemic of 1347–1352.” Journal of Biogeography 34, no. 4:575-582. Academic research completed, EBSCOhost (accessed November 6, 2011). Yeloff, Dan and Bas van Geel. 2007. “Abandonment of Agricultural Land and Plant Succession Following the Eurasian Plague Pandemic of 1347–1352.” Journal of Biogeography 34, no. 4:575-582. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 6, 2011).