Bonds of Manrent

It was a written agreement in which one man promised loyalty and service to another, usually someone more powerful. The wording varied, but the idea was fairly plain: I will stand with you, advise you, help you, and serve you. In return, the other man might offer protection, influence, money, land, or the security that came from belonging to a powerful following.

These were not necessarily agreements between equals. A small laird attaching himself to a great Border lord knew exactly what that lord’s name could mean. If there was a dispute over land, an enemy at the gate, or a feud gathering around him, he was no longer standing alone.