The Middle Ages was a time of chaos and confusion but amidst all of it was the sense of order, a system that needed a knight in shining armor to keep running. The warriors in the Middle Ages were much more than knights in shining armor for they had a job to complete, training to undertake sorting from their childhood, and a code to live by. They were also part of the feudalism, making up one of the levels that had obligations to complete in return for having their own needs met. Feudalism also allowed for the creation of a functional military with knights the essential part of the military for without them, there would be no military and the whole feudal system would fall apart. To reinforce all of this, the Church put in place the Great Chain …show more content…
To even be considered for becoming a knight, there were certain requirements that decided their eligibility. A knight’s eligibility was dependent on their noble lineage for they had to be able to trace their history back to knights in their family (the early knights became nobles) (Keen 143). The Rules of the Knights Templar also stated in 1250 that before entering the Order, they had to be knighted, be son or descendant of a knight, and could not serve as a sergeant in the military (Norman 141-142). They also had to be a noble so that they could to be able to pay for expensive and lavish dubbing ceremonies and the rising costs of armor and weapons (Keen 144). If the person met all of the requirements, they started their training to become a knight. Boys were sent to the households of uncles or greater lords to become pages (Gravett 10). As a page, they learned how to serve knights and attend to noble ladies as well as court manners and other good behaviors (Gravett 10). Then at age 14 they were apprenticed by a knight to be his squire (Gravett 10). A squires duties were to look after master's armor and horses, put on his armor, and help their master if he was unhorsed or hurt in battle (Gravett 10). Squires also needed to learn how to carve their meat properly as well as learn how to shoot their bows properly (Gravett 10-11). Not only a squire’s training was used to teach them skill and horsemanship, but was also used to harden them for pain and battle (Norman 151). Their training included fighting and learning how to make money as well (Jones 166). So they practiced with other squires or with their masters, learning how to fight with swords, throwing stones, javelins, bucklers, and quarterstaffs (Gravett 10). Other weapons included lances, maces, axes, and bows (Norman 143). Squires would even sometimes be given weapons two times their weight to develop muscles
In the middle ages, knights were viewed as those who would represent the greatest level of chivalry, considering it was part of their code. King Arthur talked to a peasant in the beginning of the film who expressed her said unhappiness about the government and her views did not align with King Arthur so he disapproved. The peasant described medieval Europe as a horrid place to live. There was also a lack of education among the peasants because in the British empire at that time, there were many small kingdoms owned by lords, under one king. All the peasants really knew was their own kingdom and their king, they were not really educated on the number or where other kingdoms were. During this time period, the peasants were viewed as the bottom of the food chain, and in the feudal system they were actually at the bottom. This meant that they had no real say in the government or how it was ruled, so this interaction did not seem accurate for the time period nor did it cause any impact because those who were high in the feudal system liked the strong divide between classes. The way of life during the middle ages was strongly influenced by past traditions and morals that had been passed down from generation to generation. One of these old traditions included
Document C states that trainees did physical training, poetry, and spiritual discipline in school. They also studied Kendo, the moral code of the samurai, and Zen Buddhism. At age 14, the trainees officially became samurai in a ceremony called genpuku. On the other hand, knights began at age 4 or 5 with learning to ride a pony. Then, he would be sent to serve as a page to his father’s lord at age 7 or 8. There, he practiced with wooden and blunted swords. They also practiced with riding a horse and religious practice. At age 14, they could become a squire. Squires were obligated to fight other men, and help his master knight. If a squire had approval from the knight, they could become a knight themselves. This shows that knights and samurai had a similar training when they were younger. Document E proves that they had to live a similar lifestyle. Samurai followed bushido, which was the way of the samurai. Bushido said that they had to serve their master, be loyal to their friends, and devoting himself to his duty. Knights were obligated to follow chivalry, which said to do no bad deed, be loyal to the king, to give mercy to those who want it, and to be courteous to women. Therefore, samurai and knights both had similar
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.
Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’arthur, T.H. White’s Once and Future King, and George Romero’s Knightriders encompass the evolution of the Arthurian tale from Malory’s time to the 1980s. Through this time many things have changed and these changes can be seen within the differences between each work. While there are many prominent differences chivalry or the knightly code is one of the main forces that tie these tales together. Malory reworks many of his sources to bring attention to the grand fellowship of Arthur’s Round Table and the chivalry that holds the knights together. Malory idealizes the power of chivalry and gives a great importance to it throughout his text. Unlike Malory, White does not idealize chivalry, but he does see the good and honorable aspects of chivalry. From Sprague Kurth’s article, “Conclusion,” it is clear to see that White gives his text an anti-war stance and shows chivalry and the controlling moral compass of Arthur’s knights. Chivalry is once again idealized in George Romero’s Knightriders the situations within the film are modernized but the emotions and illusions remain the same. T.H. White is directly referenced within the film and Malory’s idealization of the glory of chivalry can once again be seen. In my essay, I will show how chivalry is used in all the texts above as a bonding agent between all Arthurian knights. As Arthur’s knights honor and respect chivalry they remain as one cohesive group, but once they begin to abandon chivalry the Round Table begins to crumble and chaos ensues.
Once you see the Medieval Times Knight battle you will have a whole new appreciation for knights; a castle garden. It all started with the stairs. When it was time for the show to begin my family and I went to the grand staircase. Once we got there two trumpet players dressed in baggy pants and shirts started playing. Their trumpets were unusually long with banners on them. One banner had a lion's head on it and the other had a shield. The trumpet players played the most crisp and majestic sound I have ever heard. The sound rang through the castle and all of the crowds fell silent.
The Knights Templars was a religious military order whose secrets and wealth destroyed the organization. The order had several names, and the members had several titles. The Knights Templars started out as a small group of monks. Members had duties and certain lifestyles as Templars. The order rapidly spread across Europe. During the second crusade, the Templars fought for the Christian effort. After the second crusade the knights became very powerful and wealthy. The order was destroyed, yet it still lives on today. The Knights Templars were hidden in darkness and secrecy, and they will always remain a mystery.
Although scholars dispute its roots, Feudalism was mostly seen in Frankish lands around the 9th and 10th century. ("Feudalism: History of Feudalism in Europe." Infoplease.) The system was first introduced as a means of protection for the king. However, as time grew the opportunity to use it as means of exchange for services between the king and vassal was found. Instead of just forcing people into the king’s army the idea of giving fiefs to those who would pledge their life to service the king was decided on. Likewise, vassal, or the knights saw the advantages they had that could be used to their advantage.
Feudalism is a system of land ownership and duties that were used in the Middle Ages. Under feudalism, all the land in a kingdom was the king's. However, the king would give some of his land to the lords or nobles who fought for him. Rulers in all society wanted to create law and order and ensure that people make good use of the society’s resources. That is why feudalism was created. Monarchs had to accept limits on their own personal power. They also needed to respond to expectations that other groups in society have a say in decision-making. People began to use medieval courts for problems that had previously been solved by trial by combat.
...creates impossibility within the system. It is impossible to perform duties to the Lord and a king at the same time for the overlap causes a choice to be made at some point. Knights failed in the oath of chivalry. They let their natural instincts take the reins in an almost impossible system where no room is left for fault.
As time progressed the feudal system was created. It was designed to divide the lands and protect from attack. The king first gave a fief or a piece of land to a royal vassal. As proof for this exchange in land a vassal would swear to the lord to be his man all the days of his life and protect him against "all men who may live or die." Next came investiture. Investiture was a symbolic gesture when a King or a lord presented a royal vassal or a vassal a stick, a small rod, or a clod of earth to show that he has given him a fief. Now this royal vassal was in charge of a huge piece of land. In order to defend it he would then divide his land into smaller pieces. He would take these smaller pieces and give them to warriors or who agreed to be his own vassals. Thus, the royal vassal became a lord to other vassals. The vassals now under this lord would now divide their lands and grant fiefs to warriors of their own. Last in the dividing of land was the knight whose parcel of land was too small to be divided.
He was born in a castle sometime during the twelfth century. It was the same castle that his father and grandfather before him had been born and lived in all their lives. The estate was magnificent and completely self-sustaining. The grounds around the main citadel stretched for miles and included vineyards and farmland as well as fields for cattle and sheep. A small freshwater lake nearby fed several streams which supplied water to the manor house and provided for irrigation. Only a few miles away on the coast was a harbor which attracted trading ships from all around Europe. The castle itself was enormous and could house hundreds in complete comfort and security. Outer walls had been constructed one hundred feet high and twelve feet thick to withstand the fiercest of sieges. Inside the barbicans, however, these same walls were covered with luxurious handmade tapestries depicting scenes of everyday life to maintain the warmth dispersed by the many fireplaces within. Overall the structure rivaled in opulence and fortifications the palaces possessed by the wealthiest and most powerful of kings. Unfortunately, it wasn't his castle, nor would it ever be. He entered the world with a particular status in life. Unless misfortune befell him, he would leave the world as an old man just as he had entered it, a yeoman in servitude to a knight of the realm.
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.
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.
The Middle Ages encompass one of the most turbulent periods in English History. Starting with the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest - when William the Conqueror effectively took all of the lands from the Saxon English and gave them to French nobles. The English Middle Ages then saw the building of the great English castles, including the Tower of London, which helped the Normans to retain their hold on England. The start of the Crusades and the knights of the Middle Ages, including the founding of the Knights Templar. The Domesday Book and the Magna Carta. The Kings and Queens of the Middle Ages including Richard the Lionheart and great Plantagenet Kings from Henry II (1154-1189) to Edward III (1327-1377). The Hundred Years War between England and France. The Medieval Kings and Queens of the Royal Houses of Lancaster and York and the Wars of the Roses. The Middle Ages Feudal System and the terrible Black Death which really did plague the period of the Middle Ages.The Middle Ages 1066-1485
...ons to becoming a knight was rather harsh, because (Gies, The Knight in History) during times of wars they were going to be stressed. As a result they received extra training to survive high as well as low temperatures. Sometimes they wouldn’t be fed because they didn’t fulfill their task, and other times it was for training.” To be a more successful knight, the knight now served his liege lord; they work more offer military service up to forty days in a year in peace time, however if they are needed in times of war when different manors go to war then they can be called in to work those days as well. Military duties included castle guard, serving in the lord's "bodyguard", and participating in battle if needed. Thus to be a successful knight they must follow these steps described in this text and follow up by continuing to follow the code of chivalry until death.