 The oath of allegiance was usually carried out as part of a traditional ceremony in which the liegeman or vassal gave his lord a pledge of loyalty and acceptance of the consequences of a breach of trust.In return the liege lord promised to protect and remain loyal to his vassal.This relationship formed the basis of landholding, known as feudal tenure, whereby the seizin vested in the tenant (the vassal) was so similar to actual possession that it was considered a separate estate described as utile domain ("dominium utile"), literally "beneficial ownership", whereas the landlord's estate was referred to as eminent domain or superiority ("dominium directum", lit.