What is a knight?What is a knight?  Mounted, armored warriors  Skilled horsemen, wearing more protective armour and wielding heavy weapons  Knights and the women they married became the nobility  Powerful nobles were called Lords and their wives were called Ladies

Knights  It was beneficial to have a group of well trained knights  They were expensive to arm and train. So instead of money, knights received land a payment  The land was called fiefs

The Code of ChivalryThe Code of Chivalry  Twelfth century  Required knights to act as men of honour as well as valour

Part of the CodePart of the Code  They had to fight fairly in war—for instance not attacking another knight before he was armed---and to treat noble prisoners well  They were to uphold and defend Christianity  They were to be generous to the poor and weak  They were expected to act gallantly toward ladies---to respect, cherish, and protect them

Chivalry and LoveChivalry and Love  In Medieval literature, love was not expressed the way it is today  If a man was in love with a women, he would be physically ill until his love was returned

Expression  Found in literature, poetry, and love songs  Troubadours or wandering poets, traveled from castle to castle, singing songs about courtly love and chivalrous deeds

Famous ExamplesFamous Examples  Beowulf  Song of Roland Poem of El Cid  Arthur and the Round Table  The Canterbury Tales

Chaucer  Considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages  The first poet to be buried at Westminster Abby  Best known for The Canterbury Tales