During the feudal age, which group would most likely furnish protection to serfs?

During the feudal age, lords or nobles were the primary authority figures responsible for providing protection to serfs. The feudal system was established as a way to organize society and offer security in a time characterized by warfare and instability. Lords owned large portions of land and, as part of their obligations, were expected to defend their lands and the people living on them, including serfs who worked those lands.

Serfs were bound to the land and provided labor in exchange for protection and a place to live. The relationship between lords and serfs was fundamental to the feudal structure; lords granted land (or fiefs) to vassals in exchange for military service, ensuring that serfs could rely on the nobility for safety from external threats such as invading armies or local bandits.

While other peasants and merchants played roles in the feudal economy, they did not hold the same authority or obligation to protect serfs. The king primarily held overarching power, but hands-on protection and governance at the local level were predominantly managed by the lords or nobles. In summary, the lords or nobles were the individuals who directly furnished the necessary protection to serfs within the feudal system.