Legal Definitions - homines

HOMINES

Homines were feudal tenants who had the right to have their legal cases and other matters tried only in their lord's court. They were also known as "men" in Latin. Homines ligii were feudal tenants or vassals, especially those who held immediately of the sovereign.

• A farmer who rented land from a lord was a homines.
• A knight who served a lord and held land from him was a homines ligii.

These examples illustrate how homines were feudal tenants who had to answer to their lord's authority. They were not free to take their legal cases to other courts and had to rely on their lord's court for justice. Homines ligii were especially loyal to their sovereign and held their land directly from them.