Differentiation between peasants and shepherds in medieval laws

oldeuropeanculture

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Serbian and Irish medieval law texts make clear distinctions between the peasants and shepherds which are treated as two distinct classes in the society. They had vastly different rights and obligations which were regulated in separate law texts.

For instance in Serbian medieval law texts these are the most striking differences between the peasants and shepherds:

sebri, srblji, meropsi or rabotnici - dependant peasant. They could not leave their master's property and could not become soldiers or change their social status.

vlasi, arbanasi — dependant shepherds. They had freedom of movement and could join the army and eventually nobility.

Does this division exists anywhere else in medieval Europe?
 
Medieval English law distinguished serfs or villeins, who were bound to the land and to service to their master, and freemen, who held a feudal tenancy that required essentially an annual rent payment in cash and who could move as they wished, as long as they could afford it.
 
That is not an issue Robert. This is normal European medieval law. What I am talking about is a distinct difference in rights based on whether you were a peasant or a shepherd. In ireland for instance the freement were boaire, cow lords. there is no equivalent for pesents in Irish law....
 

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