WHAT IS THE THIRD ESTATE ?

In the dark ages, population was cut in three: The Bellatores (including the Nobles, Knights who had money enough to go to war, and higher nobles who had money enough to send other Knights to war in their stead), The Oratores (those who prey, link the spiritual world with the World of men, and teach), and finally The Laboratores (those who had to work to survive, in other terms … the vague but nonetheless famous 'Third Estate').

The Laboratores represented around 95% to 98% of the population, depending on the Nation. The Bourgeois (at the time it only meant ‘those who live in towns’: Bourg, though obviously living in town involved some money), artisans, laborers, peasants… In sum, a politically clearly underrepresented population. Early doctors, bankers, and landlords would be the most lucky (because the richer) to come out of this population (they would become the modern Bourgeois), though they would be often taxed by the Nobility, not to say robbed...

As for the serfs, they were not represented in that category. Serfs and servants were a propriety so to speak, not a population. They were not included in the Third Estate.

Thus, if a life a adventure was not to be feared, some members of the Laboratores quickly understood that, if they wanted to reach higher perspectives, they had to offer their services to an Brotherhood of Knights, or to a Clerical Order, in the hope of becoming part of them one day. Others would follow the path of banditry, involving less effort… and most often less life expectancy...