The Epic Hero, Knights, and Chivalry English 12 Mrs. Harbison

The Epic Hero  Beowulf  Mortal man  Very strong – a warrior  Code of Honor  Ultimate honor to die in battle  No character flaws like Tragic Hero  If he dies, another will rise to take his place

Medieval Europe  Feudal System  System of government and land ownership  Nobleman’s oath of loyalty = lands gifted from king  Noblemen ruled the lands (judge, tax collector, armed forces, landlord)  Powers granted in exchange for promise of loyalty to the king

The Feudal System  King at top – owned everything and granted riches in exchange for loyalty  Nobles next – provided king with knights, money, advice, and a place to stay when travelling  Lords next – title and land earned (through knighthood), provided one knight to the king

 Villeins next – received land in return for working in the lord’s manor, but could not sell their land  Surfs last – had no land and worked for the lord; lowest of the low, no hope for advancement *Because lords and nobility were so powerful, they often warred with each other

Knights  Professional warriors  Granted fiefs (land) in exchange for military service  Serfs the lifeblood of their wealth, so in their best interest to protect them  Members of the gentry, above peasants, but not necessarily royalty or ruling nobility class

 Not inherited position – had to be earned  Appealing means of younger son of a lord to advance himself  In some cases the son of a commoner could train to be a knight  Training began at about age 7  Fostered out to another knight; become a Page

 Taught to hunt, religion, reading, and writing  Taught to fight by imitating their knight and practicing combat with each other (used wooden swords and lances)  At 14, a Page became a Squire

Duties of a Squire  The personal servant of a knight or his lady.  Chamberlain attended to the rooms of the castle.  Carving or Table squire carved the meat and attended to the banquet tables.  Of the wines managed the wine cellar.  Of the pantry stocked and kept track of household goods in the pantry.  Of arms cleaned and maintained the armor and swords.  Of honor assisted the lord in all ceremonies and feasts.

 During this time, they learned to serve and mastered the intricacies of social behavior and chivalry  Learned how to handle horses  Continued practicing with wooden swords and lances (sometimes with the nights themselves)  Wore chain mail armor to get used to it

 As they got older, exercised and trained in full armor  Assisted knights in combat, at tournaments, and traveling to distant lands  carrying and cleaning armor, taking care of the knight's horses, packing baggage, etc.  Upon turning 21, a squire is ready to be knighted

Knight’s Oath  He would always defend a lady.  He would speak only the truth.  He would be loyal to his lord.  He would be devoted to the church.  He would be charitable and defend the poor and helpless.  He would be brave.  When on a quest, he would remove his armor and arms only while sleeping.

 He would never avoid dangerous paths out of fear.  He would be on time for any engagement of arms, like a battle or tournament.  Upon returning to his home or lord's court from an adventure, he would always tell of his escapades.  If taken prisoner, he would give up his arms and horse to his opponent and not fight the opponent again without the opponent's consent.  He would fight only one-on-one against an opponent.

Privileges and Duties  Obtained the title “Sir”  Owned land and could hire soldiers to defend it  Dispense justice over those soldiers  They and their horses could wear armor in battle  During feasts, held places the high table where lords and nobility sat  Could bear arms inside a church

 In times of war, called to fight by their lords or the king  Led foot soldiers and archers into battle  During peacetime managed their estates, dispensed justice, trained for battle, and participated in tournaments

Female Knights   Women didn’t usually have the opportunity to become knights   There were a few exceptions:   In 1149, women who had helped defend the Spanish town of Tortosa from the Moors were inducted into an order of knights called the Order of the Hatchet (which didn't survive beyond its original membership).   The Order of St. John inducted warrior "nuns."   The Knights Templar also had a class of warrior nuns shortly before all the Templars were accused of heresy and burned.

  Women, usually wives of knights and nobles, were inducted into the Order of the Garter in England between 1358 and   After the French Revolution, French women could be inducted into the Legion d'Honneur.   The Order of the Star of India inducted a woman named Nawab Begum in Later, her daughter and Queen Mary were granted knighthood in this order.   Today, women can be granted knighthood in British orders. The proper salutation for a female knight is "dame" (think of Dame Judi Dench, the actress).

Chivalry   A code of conduct to which all knights adhered   Swore to defend the weak and to uphold virtues like compassion, loyalty, generosity and truthfulness.   Prevented well-armed and well-trained knights from wreaking havoc on the general population.