October 10th, 2006
When we think of a knight and of chivalry what usually comes to mind is the rescuing of damsels in distress and the protecing of women, children and the poor. But the code of chivalry for a knight was much more complex than this. It revolved around three basic areas: War, Noble standing, and Religion. The War aspect of Chivalry meant that a knight had to be prepared and capable in weapons, horses and military tactics. The Noble standing meant that he was well versed in the arts, music and the manners of the court. And the Religion aspect of chivalry meant that he had to be devoted to his religion and prepared to defend it with his sword. There is a great book devoted to chivalry if you want to learn more about it. Chivalry
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October 9th, 2006
A Medieval Knight - His Weapon and Armor
What was life like for a Medieval Knight? What kinds of things did they do and what kinds of skills and weapons did they have?
The role of the knight changed over the centuries of the Medieval Ages but there are some general roles that held true.
A knight was pledged to serve his liege or king in military service. Generally this pledge was termed that the knight would serve 40 days of each year in military combat for his king. In exchagne the knight would receive loot from battles, his own estate and position in the court
Hand Painted Medieval Feudal Knight Enforcer Display Statue: available at Amazon.com
Today We take a look at What it took to become a Medieval Knight
Becoming a Knight and training
Generally there were two ways for a man to become a knight. He was either born into it or he proved himself worthy of being a knight through bravery and prowess on the battlefield.
For a boy that was born of a knight or of royalty there was a standard process for induction into knighthood. At a young age (usually around the age of eight) the boy was sent to the local lords castle to become a page. There he would learn all of the necessary things of knighthood. This early training would be in the rules of the court, chivalry, music, writing and weapons. After several years of this training he would become a squire where his training would focus more on combat. He would learn use and training in weapons and in particular he would learn the tactics of fighting on horseback. This was one of the most important aspects of becoming a knight. It was the mounted knight that held awe, respect and ability in the medieval world.
Tomorrow we will take a look at Chivalry and the code of conduct of the Medieval Knight.
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October 3rd, 2006
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