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The values of chivalry
Western civilization chivalry
The values of chivalry
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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.
Kapelle, W.E. ‘The Norman conquest of the North:The region and its transformation 1000-1135’ (Croom Helm 1979)
Roediger, David and Blatt, Martin H. The Meaning of Slavery in the North. JStor. 1998. Vol. 18
...n in her book “WEAPONS”, “Gold plating, or gilding, was sometimes used to embellish borders or bands of decorations and, in some cases, entire armors.” By the 15th century, knights were protecting themselves with full suits of plate armor” (Byam 41). His armor usually represented his class or authority. Each knight’s coat of arms had a different personality ranging from different helmets to different metals to different emblems.
When Maurice Keen set out to write a book on the components and development of chivalry, he did not know it would be “the last word on a seductive subject,” as stated by one Washington Post reviewer. Instead, Keen was merely satisfying a curiosity that derived from a childhood fascination of stories filled with “knights in shining armour.” This juvenile captivation was then transformed into a serious scholarly interest by Keen’s teachers, the product of which is a work based upon literary, artifactual, and academic evidence. Keen’s Chivalry strives to prove that chivalry existed not as a fantastical distraction, as erroneously portrayed by romances, but instead as an integral and functional feature of medieval politics, religion, and society. The thirteen chapters use an exposition format to quietly champion Keen’s opinion of chivalry as being an element of an essentially secular code of “honour” derived from military practices.
...it balances constitutional guarantees and fairness with the needs for proper order and discipline. She then said that those subject to military law did not have the same constitutional guarantees given under civilian law where justice is the objective. Critics observed that the military system of justice is broken down and that it is ironic and tragic that those who are sworn to protect the Constitution were often deprived of basic Constitutional rights. She also felt that court-martials are out of control. There are approximately 10,000 or more of these each year. This situation, the 98% conviction rate, the reality of untrained and understaffed defense attorneys and blatant command influence altogether were serious problems confronted by military personnel who confront the military rule of law (O’Meara).#
Impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin, Slavery, and the Civil War. (n.d.). The National and International Impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org
Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, for centuries to come will be seen as a huge contributing factor to the occurrence of the U.S. Civil War when it happened. As people’s views change about things over long periods of time, what people believe about the moral rightness of the institution called slavery may also change. It is possible that slavery could one day be counted by the majority as proper. Uncle Tom’s Cabin could find itself on center stage in importance again in a debate over slavery. Until then, it is safe to say that its impact on society was massive in its time and will now be studied as a great contribution to our history.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe is a classic novel that some people claimed evoked the American Civil War. Stowe motivated people to take sides over the issue of slavery by discussing the issue and showing the cruel aspects of it. The main focus of the novel was to show whites that African American’s have souls and feelings like any other human; it was common for whites at the time to view blacks as cattle. Families were separated, and the white people’s reasoning was that blacks did not feel the loss the same way a white person would. Stowe’s basic argument is that it is wrong to mistreat blacks because they suffer just as much as whites.
When the joust came to represent the horsemanship of the fighter, safeguards evolved. The lance was fitted with a three pronged tip called a coronal, which was designed to keep the weapon from penetrating a knights helm and to re-distribute the force of the impact. Also, armor was developed specifically for the joust.
In the year 1852, nine short years before the civil war began in 1861, Harriet Stowe published arguably the most influential, groundbreaking, and controversial books in American history, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The novel drew widespread criticism for the depiction of African Americans and slaves in a time when the United States of America was teetering on civil unrest due to the strength of the opposing views between the North and the South. The rapid expansion and growth the United States throughout the 19th century had led to an increase in labor demands, and slavery was not only viable but also essential to the economic prosperity of the southern states. The argument over slavery was wrestled with for the entire history of the young nation, and the late mid-1800’s brought the country to a crossroads. The publishing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin stirred the emotions of the country over whether or not African Americans are equal, if they should be free, and what should be done about slavery.
The novel centers around a pious slave, Uncle Tom, and how he is sold over and over again. It shows the different attitudes that Tom’s masters share about slavery, and how their slaves should be treat. It also teaches Christian values as well as family values. At the time of its publication, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was an immediate success and one of biggest sellers of all time. Despite the fact that Stowe induces her own personal opinions, with the very little experience she has had with slaves, she delivers a magnificent novel which is still enjoyed by many modern readers today. The time of her novel’s publication was very important. It was published at the peak of the abolitionist movement, in the 1850’s. It proved to be very effective propaganda for the abolitionist cause, which Stowe openly supported.
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...
A crossbow is a medieval weapon consisting of a bow fixed transversely on a stock having a trigger mechanism to release the bowstring, and often accompanied or incorporating by a mechanism for bending the bow (Random House ). A string and bow either recurve or compound which launches a minimum 14 inch arrow, moun...
"Impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin, Slavery, and the Civil War." The National and International Impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. .
In “ A Description of New England ”, Smith starts by describing the pleasure and content that risking your life for getting your own piece of land brings to men. On the other hand, Bradford reminds us how harsh and difficult the trip to the New World was for the p...