Knights became important in the Middle Ages as warriors recruited by their lords for military service. They were equipped with defensive garment, armor and weapons, and they were trained to fight on horseback since they were children. They also took part in jousts and tournaments in order to exercise their fighting skills and to show their battle skills.
Knights were part of the nobility of the Middle Ages. Nobles lived much more comfortably than peasants, but their lives were not glamorous. Some knights inherited or were given castles which had been built for security but not for comfort.
It is supposed that some medieval stories are based on the lives of the courageous warriors who lived in those times no matter whether they died during a battle or whether they won. Authors took them as an ideal exemplar and they added several elements to make the knight superior. However, the perfect knight is just a character of medieval stories, a product of the author?s imagination or inspiration, perhaps taking a real knight of those times as a model.
This work aims to describe the most important characteristics of the life of the medieval knight and his role in the society of the Middle Ages. Afterwards, a comparison between these characteristics and the description of the figure of the knight found in medieval literature as an ideal and model man will be established, highlighting their beliefs and values.
The word Knight is the modern form of several old terms. Among these, the primary equivalent comes from Old English cniht, which means boy or youth, secondly, from German, two terms are closely related, the first one being knecht, translated as servant, and the second one, ritter, which means rider. Lastly,...
... middle of paper ...
...yday life, the knight was supposed to follow the code of chivalry and exalt his moral virtues, humility was one of them, for example. However, he was engaged in battles and tournaments seeking for honour, prestige and power. There was no other alternative, he ?had to? win, and in this way, he would have the respect and admiration of others. A well-known surname, an expensive armour, good weapons and a trained horse were not enough. In knighthood, it was extremely important that a knight would become popular and have a high social standing.
It might seem that a knight?s life was full of adventures and excitement, though it was not really like this. The way towards knighthood was not so simple as it involved a permanent dedication and commitment since early stages and knighthood itself meant facing sacrifices, dangerous situations, defeats and even death.
Before knights were created, the defense on the borders were low. Europe was being invaded from the north, east, south, and west. Knights were meant to protect their king and their land. The “invasions of the Magyars from the east, Muslims from the south, and Vikings from the north
Life during the Middle Ages was full of social change, division, and classism. This feudal society of Britain was divided into three estates. (social classes) Within the second estate was the the knight who was a soldier for the king who fought in many battles. Even though the knight is expected to have the strength and the skills to fight in battle, all knights during the Medieval period additionally had a chivalrous aspect to them. Chivalry was the honor code of a knight which included bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women. Within the stories of the “Wife of Bath’s Tale” and “Le Morte d’Arthur”, the code of chivalry was broken by knights which show the corruption of England’s feudal society.
Knights are held to a higher standard when in comparison to their peers. Morality, self-presentation, knowledge and vows are a few important components to take into consideration when judging a knights character. These
KNIGHT At age seven a son of a noble family was sent to a nobleman or lord, often who was a relative. Here he was a page and taught how to ride a horse, and his manners. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a knight. As the squire to the knight he would take care of his horse, help him put the knights armor on and keep it clean. In turn he was taught how to use a bow, carve meat, and other knightly skills. The squire would have to go into battle with the knight to help him when he was wounded or unhorsed. If the squire was successful he would be knighted at the age of 21. When there wasn't a war going on knight would have to practice, practice, and practice some more. They would wrestle, fight with blunt swords, do acrobatics, and also do sports like javelin and putting which is throwing a heavy stone as far as you can.
Knights were an integral part of medieval society. They originally began with primitive warriors such as the Mongols who fought on horseback for added speed and power, but quickly advanced to chivalrous gentleman such as the Normans. Much has been written about medieval knights with the most famous being a series of legends about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Arthur and his knights were the ultimate example of what a perfect knight should have been. They were brave and skilful in battle, but merciful to their enemies once vanquished. They were courteous to ladies, and never ate or drank to excess.
The tales of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Lanval offer their readers insight into a common knightly quandary. Gawain and Lanval are both faced with challenges that threaten their ability to protect, uphold, and affirm their very knightliness. The two knights repeatedly see several knightly traits--- each invaluable to the essence of a knight--- brought into conflict. While the knights are glorified in their respective texts, they are faced with impossible dilemmas; in each story, both reader and knight are confronted with the reality that knightly perfection is unattainable: concessions must be made--- bits and pieces of their honor must be sacrificed.
The character of Sir Gawain is altered and strengthened. He broke the mold of what it was to be a knight for King Arthur and set an example of what it genuinely meant: to be honest and brave, to be confident in who he served and why he served, but not prideful, and to be willing to fight faithfully and strive for excellence on behalf of the King and the pride he took in his court. Sir Gawain embraces opportunities that not only enforces an examination of character and realization of differences wanted and unwanted, but also awareness of humiliation and the desire to be ultimately faithful.
Though the Knights of the Round Table are courageous romantics, the journey to becoming a real knight is not so. A long and prestigious process had to be completed before a boy could become a knight. Children knew that a noble boy must pass through long years of training before ever becoming a knight. The training began usually around the age of seven. Noble fathers often did not raise their own children. Instead the child was sent off for his education and training to the castle of some lord of higher rank or greater reputation, sometimes to the court of a king. It was not always the Father’s choice to send away his son, however. The higher ranking lor...
The term knight is often connected to the image of armored men in an epic tale, where they go on journeys to fight foul creatures to save the day. However, a knight is much more than a warrior. In the Middle Ages, knights were noblemen who served their kings, in time of combat, after undergoing intense training that helped them reach their social and military rank. Bound to chivalry conduct, they were commonly characterized as loyal, humble, and righteous. “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer tells the story about a young knight, searching for what women desire the most as his punishment after the wicked offense he has committed. Although the knight was indecent, one can infer that the knight was able to gain an understanding throughout the course of the story.
He also was prideful and used his knighthood to impress others “And had done valiantly in little space / Of time, in hope to win his lady’s grace.” (89-90). He wore flashy clothing and had curly locks “With locks as curly as if they had been pressed. / … / He was embroidered like a meadow bright / And full of the freshest flowers, red and white (83, 91-92).” The Squire can be compared to The Knight by his connections, battles, sin or virtue, and
In the Medieval Period, knights dedicated their lives to following the code of chivalry. In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, a number of characters performed chivalrous acts to achieve the status of an ideal knight. Their characteristics of respect for women and courtesy for all, helpfulness to the weak, honor, and skill in battle made the characters King Arthur, King Pellinore, and Sir Gryfflette examples of a what knights strove to be like in Medieval society. Because of the examples ofchivalry, Le Morte d’Arthur showed what a knight desired to be, so he could improve theworld in which he lived.
Closely associated to the romance tradition are two idealized standards of behavior, especially for knights: courage and chivalry. The protagonist within many medieval romances proved their worth by going on quests, as many a knights went in those times, thus returning with great tales of their travels and deeds. Many modern people think of chivalry as referring to a man's gallant treatment of women, and although that sense is derived from the medieval chivalric ideal, chivalry could be seen as more than that. Knights were expected to be brave, loyal, and honorable-sent to protect the weak, be noble to...
There are many definitions of what a knight is. Scholars maintained that knights were nothing but mere servants loyal to their lord. Novels and literary works make the assumption that knights are more than just servants; knights are flawless warriors used to set guidelines on how we behave. It is and always will be debated about the characteristics of a knight but if there is one thing to understand from these knights it is that they were hard workers and earned whatever title they have today.
The Medieval period was a time of noblemen who fought for love, honor, and country under a code of chivalry. "Chivalry comes from the French word cheval, chivalry means someone who fights from horseback. The term also meant "knighthood".(Matthews, Platt, Thomas p.234-235)." In this period the nobility used war as a way to show their power and hold their status by being professional soldiers. There were also lots of soldiers from the lower classes who were led into battle under nobles. These soldiers fought for the nobleman to maintain their safety and land. The soldiers rode into battle on their horses in full armor with weapons drawn ready to defeat their enemies one by one. They laid siege castles for weeks and months at a time until the battle was won.
In the Song of Roland, ideal characteristics of a knight are identified mainly with having skill as a horseman and fighting on the battlefield. The idea of an armored knight is closely descended from the equites class of Rome. Knights were closely tied to the various fiefdoms and to the church. A knight was expected to have courage, honor, selflessness, respect, honesty, and many other characteristics of how a perfect knight was seen such as Roland, Oliver, and Thierry in the Song of Roland. Many knights were of course not perfect but in the Song of Roland Roland, Oliver, and Thierry are perfect knights because they have a strong devotion, and are respectful.