scutage, also called shield money, French écuage, (scutage from Latin scutum, “shield”), in feudal law, payment made by a knight to commute the military service that he owed his lord. It soon became a general tax on knights' estates, and by the 13th century the rates were standardized. ...

What do you know about scutage?

Scutage is a medieval English tax levied on holders of a knight's fee under the feudal land tenure of knight-service. ... The knights owed the king military service in return. The knights were allowed to "buy out" of the military service by paying scutage (a term derived from Latin scutum, "shield").

Who paid scutage?

By the end of the thirteenth century, a noble could satisfy his military obligations by paying scutage, or fees in lieu of knight's service. This sum, because it is paid for each knight's shield, is called scutage.