1. Age of Chivalry
Chapter 13 Section 3

2. New Technology
Leather saddles & stirrups – through contact with Muslims in Battle of Tours
Knights on horseback became most important part of army

3. Knight’s Role Fought to defend the territory of their feudal lord
Rewarded with land (fiefs)
Weapons & armor were $$$ - had to afford to be a knight
Knight’s main obligation was to serve in battle
Only 40 days of the year in combat!

4. Knighthood & Chivalry Code of Chivalry – ideals demanded of a knight
Be loyal to his feudal lord, obey God, and be nice to the ladies
Protected the weak & poor
Brave, courteous

5. Age of Chivalry?
Some took it seriously, others didn’t. It tended to break down especially towards the later Middle Ages.
The Middle Ages wasn’t a time of fairy tale castles and noble, honorable knights. It was a nasty time of political intrigue, bloody wars, and brutish men exercising their limited power in order to gain more power. Just like any other time.

6. Training The prospective knight went through three stages: Page
- Younger years (age 7)
- Assistant to squire & Lord
2) Squire (age 14)
- Was Robin to a knight’s Batman
- Took care of knight’s equipment

7. 3) Knight (age 21)
- When he becomes a full-fledged soldier who officially enters into a feudal arrangement with a lord.

8. Tournaments

9. Literature of Chivalry
Themes = idealized castle life, glorified knighthood, knight’s undying love for lady
The Song of Roland – famous epic poem
Praised French soldiers killed in battle
Troubadours – traveling poet-musicians
Eleanor of Aquitaine

10. Roles of Women Noblewomen - Inherit estate
- Send knights to war, defend castle
- Still limited, confined lives
Peasant women
- Endless labor in home & fields
- No education

11. Enough about chivalry…
What about the weapons and warfare?

12. Plate Armor

13. Triangular shields meant to repel blows.
“Coat of Arms” – symbols to represent family, manor

14. Crossbows & Longbows

15. Siege Weapons
Siege Tower
Battering Ram
Trebuchet
Mantlet