Serfs were peasants who were more like slaves than anything else. They were considered the Lord's property. They spent half of their time taking care of the Lord's crops and doing other jobs. The serfs were not allowed to leave the land and could not own weapons. They had to have their Lord's permission to marry. A serf could be allowed to buy freedom from their Lord or to marry free women/man. Many serfs gained their freedom by running away forever.