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Knights and their roles in medieval society
The knights role in medieval society
The knights role in medieval society
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The Knights of the Medieval Time Knights were an essential group during the medieval time period because they provided protection to all people during times of war. Men who wanted to become a Knight lived a challenging life before they had stability and enough money to begin training. The job of a Knight needed to be taken very seriously because of the many tough training levels men were required to complete. Knights wore several layers of hard armor and carried advanced weapons to provide them with protection during a battle. To ensure all Knights lived up to the same standards, a code of conduct was enforced to keep everyone in their place. A Knight's job was quite difficult so much courage and perseverance was needed to perform the tasks …show more content…
Most were poor farmers living in small cottages. They lived a life with no electricity, gas, cars, airplanes, or running water. There was very little medicine available making it hard for them to fight off dreadful diseases that swept through their villages. However, life became better for these men when they started training to become a Knight. They could now provide a better life for their family and would soon became very important to society boosting them up the social pyramid. As Ross stated, "a Knight was a professional soldier whose job was to protect their Lord" (8). In return for protection, a Lord was required to pay their Knight an income and provide him with land to live on (Ross 8). Being a Knight was a very costly job because the armor cost more than most people could afford. Since most Knights did not have enough money to cover these costs, the …show more content…
Knights were the most powerful part of a Crusading army. Under their armor, they wore woolen underwear, a heavy leather jacket, thick stockings, and chain mail leg pieces. The chain mail they wore was made up of hundreds of little steel rings looped together. On a Knights heels, they wore strapped spurs and on their body they had hauberk chain mail coats down to their knees. On their hands, armored gloves were worn for protection. Balaclava helmets, which were also made of chain mail were wore on the heads of Knights to prevent head injuries (Ross 12). The helmets were so hot and heavyweight that they could only be wore for roughly two hours at a time. Once a Knight was all armored up, they put on a loose white coat over their armor. This kept them cool because the color white reflected the heat coming from the sun. With all of this armor on, Knights were safe from attacks but it made them very slow and clumsy. During battle, Knights were armed with lances that were over 10 feet long which they used for charging. During hand-to-hand fighting, Knights would carry huge swords and daggers for an easy attack (Ross 13). The most famous Siege Weapons Knights used during a battle would include the following; Ballista, Mangonel, Battering ram, Trebuchet, Catapult, and Siege Tower. The Ballista worked by tension like a giant crossbow. The Mangonel launched objects from a bowl-shaped
Before knights were created, the defense on the borders was 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 struck western Europe,” which allowed knights to show their power and defeat enemies (met museum).
Others were more like slaves. They owned nothing and were pledged to their local lord. They worked long days, 6 days a week, and often barely had enough food to survive”(“Middle Ages History”). Knights were above the peasants and they were given land granted by the barons in exchange for their military services if the king needed it. They were responsible for protecting the baron who granted them land as well as the baron’s family and the manor they lived at. The knights were able to keep any amount of land they were given, and they gave out the rest to the serfs. The lord, or baron, was above the knight in the social class divide. They were given land by the king and in return they showed loyalty to the monarch. They provided the king with fully equipped knights if the king needed some to serve. If the baron “did not have an army, sometimes they would pay the king a tax instead. This tax was called shield money”(“Middle Ages History”). The king was at the top of the feudal system and held the most power and wealth. The king could not maintain control over all the land in England so he divided the land up to the barons which eventually
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.
Experienced knights would participate in tournaments held by the king. The winner would usually just get bragging rights and sometimes a sum of money. The most common event was jousting. Jousting is a sport where to fully armored knights ride at each other on horses while aiming a long wooden lance at the each other. With speeds reaching 60 miles per hour sometimes there could be fatal accidents. If the person was knocked off the other was victorious.
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.
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 medieval Europe there were many different weapons and types of fighting. It depended on the time period they fought in. “A soldier's choice of armor depended on the time during which he lived, the type of fighting he did and his economic situation” (Blackwell 1). Some types of fighting were hand-to-hand, which were swords, axes, and many more. Another type would be projectiles, like crossbows, javelins. The last one would be firearms which guns and others. “Many medieval soldiers wore armor to protect themselves from the weapons of their enemies” (Blackwell 2). Siege weapons such as catapults helped armies break into castles and towns. Most soldiers carried some blades in addition to their swords. “A dagger had a hilt like sword and a double-edged blade that was typically between 6 and 12 inches long” (Blackwell 1). Medieval soldiers used many weapons for hand-to-hand combat. All knights carried a sword with them and were expected to be skilled at swordplay. If you could afford swords then there was always something cheaper like the Quarterstaffs, which are long...
During the Medieval Times, knights hold high status and are seen as sovereign, yet their actions are contradicting. Knights stand for loyalty, justice, and chivalry; however, most are liars, cheaters, and foolish. Throughout medieval literature, authors create characters that contain both attributes and utilize literary elements to highlight this medieval crisis. Many Knights maintain a loyal and noble character because chivalry outlasts hypocrisy.
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.
Up until the 14th century, the battlefield belonged to the medieval knight. The knight of 1300 was well armored. Plate mail was still in the future, but armor had developed to the point where most of a knight was covered in metal, and even his horse wore padded armor. The knight was adept at the use of the lance, the sword and the shield, and was every bit as effective on foot as he was on horseback.
The connection to medieval bravery is still found in literature of today. In medieval society, knights were expected to follow a certain way of behavior. One had to be loyal to his lord and was expected to be brave enough to fight for his people and his castle.
The clothes worn with a knight’s suit of armor gave both comfort and protection to the knight. The parts of a medieval knight's suit of armor were a complex series of garments, chain mail and iron plate. The pieces of a knight’s suit of armor covered the most exposed parts of a knight's body. Knights would wear under clothes consisted of a linen under-shirt and linen under-pants, woolen stockings covered the legs. A knight's underclothes were important. It prevented the armor from chafing the knight’s skin. A padded garment known by various names such as aketon, consisted of a quilted coat which was either sewn or stuffed with linen or even grass. This served as padding for additional armor worn over the top.
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...
Jousting is the medieval sport where full armored knights rode on horseback across fields with lances and other weapons pointed at each other. Jousting was a very sophisticated sport and it tested courage and combat skill. It was an athletic contest to the death (before 14th century). This sport is still played today, however, it is not as prominent as it was during the Middle Ages. Very popular in Medieval Times, jousting tournaments originated in France and spread to the rest of Europe. This sport was played as a tournament and required various kinds of equipment to be played (“Jousting”).
He would also wear a coat of chainmail called a hauberk It would have short sleeves so the knight could bend his arms and slits in the back and front so it could be worn on horseback. He wears hose that are cross-gartered with leather thongs. A knight would also wear leather shoes. He would carry his lance and helmet but his sword and mace are within easy reach. The knights lady in 1095 was not much different than in 1070. Her gown fitted her figure and had lacing down the back. After a few years, the sleeves got longer.