The Age of Chivalry
What is Chivalry? Simply put, chivalry was the code many Western European knights lived by This code was based primarily on religion, loyalty, and love Literally, chivalry was being a knight, as chivalry is derived from the French word cheval which means horse, and the Old English word cniht, which means servant.
Origins 9 th and 10 th century Viking attacks Many Viking invaders were experts at horseback A noble’s army composed of regular foot soldiers was no good against such a foe. The first knights were armed warriors who fought on horseback Payment in land Due to the high costs of maintaining an early knight’s horse and training cavalry, noble’s awarded land to their knights This system allowed the noble’s to save money, by giving the knights land for service, the knight’s received income from the land they were awarded This land payment was part of the feudal system
Origins (Continued) Knight’s achieve distinction Since land was so valuable in feudal life, being a knight soon meant you carried important social distinction, and knighthood was limited mainly to those of noble birth Knight contracts The relationship between nobility and knight was held by unwritten contracts, in exchange for their land the knight served the nobility a set amount of time each year, and fought loyally and bravely for their lord This implementation of loyalty and bravery are the precursors for chivalry among knights
The Code of Chivalry Influences Christianity As almost all Western Europeans during these times were Christian, the knight adopted Christian principles of piety, compassion, respect and glory for God. Love Living in defense and honor of a respected lady was one of the knight’s greatest tasks Love, mainly courtly love was a heavy influence on the chivalrous knight
Courtly Love A lady and her knight Courtly Love was the term used to describe a relationship between a knight and the lady in the feudal court. A knight would devote himself to a married or betrothed woman above him, and fight in tournaments, go to war, and generally devote his entire cause in her honor, for love! Skills A knight would master the arts just as he mastered the art of warfare for his lady, writing poems, singing songs and playing instruments were some of the best tools for a knight to entertain his lady.
Courtly Love (Continued) Consummation After a long enough period of time and courting, a lady and her knight may have consummated their love in private. Even though this went against Christian chivalric ideals, it was acceptable for the knight.
The End of Chivalry? As time went on and gunpowder and stronger foot soldiers were developed, the need for knights declined. By the 16 th century the knight had been deemed all but useless, giving a so called “end” to the chivalric ways of the knight.