Spurs

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Spurs

“It was rather more than a hundred years between the first into the presence of the rowel and the final disappearance of the prick spurs from the heel of our forefathers” (Lacy)

In looking back at the time of chivalry and the knight it is not common that one forgets the existence of the spur and the true value it poses. The spur was one of the essential tools that a knight possessed as an equestrian. The spur was first introduced for its purpose in encouraging the horse on, but as medieval times approached the spur gained its decorative aspects and held more of a romantic value to people. The spur became elaborate with beads and embroidery, fancy brass, and gold metals. The spur was essentially an emblem of Knighthood; “to win his spurs” ceremonies put spurs at the investiture of a knight, and were cut off at occasions of degradation (Lacy).

The spur is a piece of hard ware that is attached to the heel by a strap usually made of leather. It is Y-shaped, and pointed towards the horse so that the rider can aggress his horse on. In early time the spur was always attached with a strap, however as the spur evolved, the strap was no longer of importance. The spur also grew more and more elaborate during the medieval ages, velvet straps, intricate designs and wheels that made the spur more of a showpiece than a tool. Before the period of the 13th century the spur was that of the “prick” style, where it is basically just a point that urged the horse. However during the 14th century the “rowel” type spur gained its popularity. This type of spur looked as though it had a wheel on the end of it. Spurs at its earliest times were made of bone and wood, then later of bronze, brass or iron. The rowel spur was definitely the spur of choice around medieval times because it was so elaborate. It was first introduced in 1238 by France Simon de Montfort, however did not really catch on until 1285.

In looking at the spur and how it correlates to the chivalrous time period. The moist important spur to know is St. George's Spurs, or the Kings Coronation Spurs. These spurs are part of a regular presentation with crown jewels in the Tower, which are used at the coronation of the Sovereign made by Sir Robert Vyner.

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