1. The Courtiers Renaissance Knights?

2. When we think of knights.... We think of mounted military pageantry....

3. Armor... Weapons....

4. Chainmail Helmets Scabbards So... what happened to them?

5. Gunpowder makes all that passé....

6. But why did knights turn into this?

7. When they originally were this?

8. Consider the Codpiece. Renaissance noblemen let their private bits dangle in cloth containers.

9. This mimics the protected openings used in knightly armor for urination while wearing armor.

10. An important consideration in battle-- now rendered into a fashion statement with courtiers.

11. Why wear hose?

12. How else will the knight show off his calf-muscles--which demonstrate his ability to “cling” to the saddle using his legs and guide the horse--even without stirrups? The courtiers (even without horses) still think of themselves as knights….

13. Note the “ruff” around the neck-- made to resemble protective shoulder harness on late armor.

14. Why the feather?

15. Note the feather again?

16. The Courtier is still wearing a sword-- because duels still happen.