1. 13.3 – The Age of Chivalry

2. A New Soldier: Knights
Origins: Charles Martel from the Muslims at Tours
Improvements:
Leather Saddles = Firm Seat
Stirrups = Ride & Handle Heavy Weapons
Decisive soldiers – Fearsome & effective as a “shock weapon”

4. Knights: A Feudal Role Dangerous world = Need for protection
Lords raise armies of knights
Knights receive land (fief) for military service
Wealth from the fief = military lifestyle
Obligations: ~40 days of service/year
Practice: Hunting, Wrestling

5. The Ideal Knight Knights had to defend 3 things (Code of Chivalry):
1) His Feudal Lord
2) His Heavenly Lord
3) His Chosen Lady
Defend the weak & the poor
Loyal, Brave, & Courteous
Falsehood: Treat lower classes brutally

6. A Knight’s Training Only a noble’s son could be a knight
Sent off to learn the code from another lord
Age 7 (Page) – Waited on hosts & learned how to fight
Age 14 (Squire) – Servant to a Knight
Age ~21 – Knighthood

7. Tournaments & Warfare Young knights gained experience in local wars
Practiced in tournaments
Winners get ransoms
Knights led armies & attacked castles
Laid siege to castles
P. 366 – warfare profile

9. Chivalry: Literature Stories, poems, & songs glorified knights
Stories told of a hero’s deeds & adventures
Ex: King Arthur & Charlemagne
Famous: The Song of Roland
Under the code (lady = lord)
Troubadours – sing romantic love songs
Eleanor of Aquitaine most famous subject for songs
Mother of kings Richard & John

10. Feudal Society: Noblewomen
Noblewomen could inherit estates
Send knights to war & even act as a military commander
At times, even defend the castle
Generally, life was limited to the home or convent & they owned little or no property

11. Feudal Society: Peasant Women
Life barely changed from the previous period
Life of endless labor – taking care of the home, working fields, taking care of the family, etc.
Poor & powerless
Receive little or no education