The Medieval Knight And Chivalry example essay topic

The Medieval Knight and Chivalry The Medieval knight followed a strict and detailed Code of Chivalry, which dictated his lifestyles and actions throughout the medieval ages. A man went through a lot to become a knight. The training took years and it was very tedious at times. "The obligations of knighthood were so heavy that sometimes squires refused knighthood and remained squires all their lives" (Buehr 33). After all the years of training, one day made it all worthwhile.

The knighting ceremony was very involved, solemn and religious. The night before, the soon-to-be knight knelt on an altar praying to God and reflecting on his future knighthood. The next day, he was clothed all in white. He attended a mass where he made his vows. He made a vow to use his sword in defense and protection of all. He also made vows to maintain knightly honor and integrity and to live by the Code of Chivalry.

After the mass, the knight received his armor and his sword. After he was fully dressed in the armor, he knelt before a lord as he received the accolade. The accolade was three taps on the shoulder with a sword, along with the words, "In the name of God, St. Michael and of St. George, I dub thee knight, be gallant, be courteous, be loyal" (Mills 159). The young, newly knighted man now went into the world, as he tried to prove himself worthy of his knightly title". Chivalry was a military order in the Middle Ages, the members of which, called knights, were pledged to the protection of the Church and the succor of all who were in distress or in any way oppressed" (Mills 153).

The word chivalry comes from the French word chevalier. Chivalry was based on ten basic ideas. The first was prowess: a knight was to seek excellence in all activities expected of him, seeking strength to use in the service of justice. The second was justice: they were to always seek the path of 'right', unburdened by personal interest. Knights were to understand that the sword of justice could be a terrible thing, so it must be tempered by humanity and compassion. If others agreed with the 'right' that the knight saw, and they sought it out without giving into the temptation for convenience, they would earn recognition beyond measure.

The third was loyalty: knights were to be known for stable commitment to the people and ideals they chose to live by. The fourth idea behind chivalry was defense: the ideal knight took an oath to defend his lord and all of those who were dependent upon him. Knights were expected to defend their nation, family, and those they thought were worthy of loyalty. The fifth was courage: knights often had to choose the harder paths of life, the one that would cost them. Therefore, a knight was to be prepared to make personal sacrifices in order to serve those he was loyal to. Also, a knight was to seek wisdom.

Courage also involved unconditionally taking the side of truth, not seeking the convenient lie. They were to seek the truth whenever possible, having to remember to mix justice with mercy, if they did not, the pure truth may bring grief. "Knight-errantry involved many discomforts, but a true knight had been taught to face them with gaiety of heart" (Mills 160). The sixth basis of the code was faith: a knight was to have faith in his beliefs; faith entrenched him and gave him hope against the misery which failure created. The seventh was humility: a knight was to value others contributions, not boasting of their own accomplishments. They were to let others value their accomplishments for them.

A knight told of other's deeds before they told of their own, giving everyone the fame they had earned through these deeds. The eighth facet to knighthood was largesse: knights were expected to be as generous as they possibly could. This made sure that a knight was not gluttonous. Largesse also made the path of mercy easier to continue following when a difficult decision of justice came about.

The ninth was nobility: a knight was to seek great stature of character by sticking with the virtues and duties required of a knight, while seeing that although the ideals could not be fully reached, the quality of reaching for these ideals made them noble. Knights set an example of nobility for everyone else to follow, showing the people what could be done in the service of rightness. The last idea of chivalry was based on franchise: knights were expected to seek to follow the code of chivalry as sincerely as possible, not to make themselves look better, but because it was right. Along with following the Code of Chivalry, a knight had to follow certain rules while in war.

A knight was expected to always be intrepid while in combat. They had certain rules as far as fighting against other knights. A knight usually would not kill one of his own; rather, they were captured and brought back to the knight's home. The captured knight was to be treated with courtesy, as one would any other honored guest. The knight was held until his lord or family paid the ransom, then he was returned to them.

"Often, a noble prisoner would be asked by his captor how much he could afford to pay, and because of chivalric honesty and courtesy whatever price he named would be accepted" (Buehr 69). Along with being valiant and mighty, knights also maintained an elite social status. Because of their high social position, people saw their honorable behavior. Knights always followed the Code of Chivalry, which set an example for all of the people because everyone looked up to them.

Knights have always been made the heroes of the Middle Ages because of their valiant acts. They have in some sense become fictional characters; there are many books about knights who rode around on their horses slaying the mythological dragons and saving the princesses from high towers. In real life, knights were always the men doing brave deeds and saving all helpless people. Everyone has looked up to them; from the Middle Ages until today.

Knights had very elegant, luxurious homes, which they enjoyed when they were not off fighting in a battle. Powerful knights owned at least one large estate or castle. They managed a large number of workers and they kept their properties in good condition. If they were lucky enough, some knights had a few large homes, and he traveled between the two. Lesser knights owned smaller homes, however, they were big enough to have a hall and a chapel.

The hall was the center of the household. In it, knights held important meetings and banquets-they could show off their excellent manners at these. Knights displayed their battle skills at events called tournaments. During tournaments, two knights practiced their fighting on each other through events such as jousts. A tournament presented a chance for a young knight to make a name for himself and earn a good reputation. Knights received prizes such as gold and armor for winning.

Tournaments became more popular as the idea of chivalry spread". As tournaments grew in popularity, they turned from blood sport into pageant, governed by elaborate codes of conduct, and attended by large crowds. By the late 1100's tournaments were often choreographed to reflect the chivalric romances of the day and were held to celebrate events like weddings and births" (Ders in 72). The ideals of chivalry were essentially Christian. These ideals were of service, loyalty, fearlessness in the cause of right, integrity in word and deed, courtesy, generosity and consideration for those in distress or need.

Although only few knights fully achieved the ideals of chivalry, the concepts set a standard of honor for all men to strive for. Thereby proving to be a civilizing influence in the violent and chaotic time known as the Middle Ages.

Bibliography

1. Buehr, Walter. Chivalry and the Mailed Knight. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1963.
2. Mills, Dorothy. The Middle Ages. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1935.
3. Time-Life Books, ed. What Life Was Like in the Age of Chivalry. 4. Williams, Jay. Knights of the Crusades. New York: American Heritage Publishing Co., 1962.