seigneur

A seigneur was a man of rank or authority in medieval Europe, most commonly referring to the feudal lord of a manor. This title denoted a position of power and leadership within the feudal system.

While the term "seigneur" itself simply means a lord, it is sometimes associated with the controversial concept of droit du seigneur, or "right of the lord." This alleged right, though lacking direct historical evidence in Europe, suggested a lord's prerogative to claim the first night with a vassal's bride. Historical records primarily indicate that such rights, if they existed, were typically commuted for a monetary payment, functioning more as a tax or "avail" related to a vassal's marriage rather than an enforced custom.1