Bit of both, I’m sure. I would also bet that if the peasants had a sufficiently thorough history, they would probably hate first peasants to have entered into

Bit of both, I’m sure. I would also bet that if the peasants had a sufficiently thorough history, they would probably hate first peasants to have entered into serfdom for protection. While that might have seemed like a good idea right after the fall of Rome, it probably looked less good a few centuries later.