Medieval Nobilities

This course deals with the origin of medieval nobilities and their changing fortunes and natura in the course of the Middle Ages. It is also concerned with various questions about the material and ideological underpinings of the position of nobilities. was one noble through birth, status, wealth, power or behaviour, or a varying mixture of all of these? How was nobility expressed? How were new members recruited into the nobility; what kind of wastage was there from within the nobility? What was the relationship between the nobility and other elites in society? What was the relationship between nobilities and kings? What was the relationship between nobilities and city-states? What of nobilities outside of Europe?