By: Ruby Peña

It is the… The medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code. the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, esp. courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help the weak. The word chivalry comes from the French chevalier, meaning “horseman” or “knight.” synonyms: knight errantry courtly manners knightliness courtliness nobility; bravery, courage, boldness, valor heroism daring, intrepidity.

Chivalry was a system of ethical ideals developed among the knights of medieval Europe. Arising out of the feudalism of the period, it combined military virtues with those of Christianity, as epitomized by the Arthurian Legend in England. Chivalry was the code of conduct by which knights were supposedly guided.

A knight was expected to have not only the strength and skills to face combat in the violent era of the Middle Ages but was also expected to temper this aggressive side with a chivalrous side to his nature. The ideals described in the Code of Chivalry were emphasized by the oaths and vows that were sworn in the Knighthood ceremonies of the Middle Ages and the Medieval era. These sacred oaths of combat were combined with the ideals of chivalry and with strict rules of etiquette and codes of conduct towards women.

A Code of Chivalry was documented in an epic poem called 'The Song of Roland'. The 'Song of Roland' describes the 8th century Knights of the Dark Ages and the battles fought by the Emperor Charlemagne. The code has since been described as Charlemagne's Code of Chivalry. The Song of Roland was written between and described the betrayal of Count Roland at the hand of Ganelon. Roland was a loyal defender of his liege Lord Charlemagne and his code of conduct became understood as a code of chivalry. The Code of Chivalry described in the Song of Roland and an excellent representation of the Knights Codes of Chivalry. Of the seventeen entries in the Code of Chivalry described in the Song of Roland, at least twelve of the codes relate to acts of chivalry as opposed to acts of combat. To fear God and maintain His Church To serve the liege lord in valour and faith To protect the weak and defenceless To give succour to widows and orphans To refrain from the wanton giving of offence To live by honour and for glory To despise pecuniary reward To fight for the welfare of all To obey those placed in authority To guard the honour of fellow knights To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit To keep faith At all times to speak the truth To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun To respect the honour of women Never to refuse a challenge from an equal Never to turn the back upon a foe

The origins of Courtly Love were believed to be in Aquitaine in France in the 12th century and spread to other European countries. The art of courtly love was practiced in English courts from the 1300's to the 1500's. During this period of time marriages were arranged and had little to do with love. A successful marriage was perceived as one that brought material advantages to the participants and their families. As love was clearly unrelated to marriage the requirement for romance could be gained outside marriage - as long as the rules relating to chastity and fidelity were strictly adhered to.

The romance of Courtly Love practiced during the Middle Ages was combined with the Code of Chivalry. There were strict rules of courtly love and the art of courtly love was practiced by the members of the courts across Europe during the Middle Ages. The romance, rules and art of courtly love allowed knights and ladies to show their admiration regardless of their marital state.

Courtly love is the code of romantic love that enjoyed a vogue among the aristocracies of Western Europe, particularly from the 12th to the 14th centuries. In its literary form, if not in life, it involved a vassal-lord relationship under which the knight was his lady’s obedient servant, prepared to overcome any obstacle or undergo any suffering to win her favor. Courtly love was always conducted outside wedlock and of necessity in secret; between spouses it was held to be impossible. Although the unattainability of the beloved was sometimes central to the ideal, its customs served equally well to dignify adultery

Attraction to the lady, usually via eyes/glance Worship of the lady from afar Declaration of passionate devotion Virtuous rejection by the lady Renewed wooing with oaths of virtue and eternal fealty Moans of approaching death from unsatisfied desire (and other physical manifestations of lovesickness) Heroic deeds of valor which win the lady's heart Consummation of the secret love Endless adventures and subterfuges avoiding detection

Whatever the primary source of courtly love, a cross-fertilization of ideas and practices certainly occurred. The ideals of courtly love were most clearly defined in the English and French royal courts presided over by Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and her daughter Marie de Champagne, under whose sponsorship some of the most famous books on the subject were written: Chrétien de Troyes’s Lancelot and Guillaume de Lorris’s Le Roman de la Rose. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine Marie de Champagne