Legal Definitions - feodum talliatum

FEODUM TALLIATUM

Feodum talliatum, also known as fee tail or feudum talliatum, refers to a type of feudal land ownership where the land is passed down to a specific line of descendants, usually the firstborn male.

For example, if a lord granted a feodum talliatum to a knight, the land would be inherited by the knight's eldest son, and then his eldest son, and so on. The land could not be sold or given away, and if the knight died without a male heir, the land would revert back to the lord.

Another example would be if a king granted a feodum talliatum to a noble family. The land would be passed down through the male line of the family, ensuring that the family's wealth and power remained intact for generations.

Feodum talliatum was a way for feudal lords and kings to ensure that their lands remained in the hands of a specific family or line of descendants. By restricting the inheritance to the firstborn male, they could prevent the land from being divided or sold off, and maintain their control over the land and the people who lived on it.