Knights and Chivalry Notes

Knights and Chivalry

Changes in Warfare

  • The rise of mounted units on horseback increased their value in warfare.
  • Charles Martel observed the success of Muslim cavalry and copied their tactics.
  • Martel organized his Frankish troops into armored horsemen, known as knights.

Knights: Technological Advancements

  • Key technological advancements enabled the development of knights:
    • Leather fabrication.
    • Production of saddles and stirrups.
  • Saddles allowed knights to sit comfortably on moving horses.
  • Stirrups enabled knights to handle heavier weapons while riding.
  • A knight galloping full tilt could knock over enemy foot soldiers and riders on horseback.

Knights: Role in Society

  • By the 1100s, Europe was a constant battleground with nobles fighting for power.
  • Feudal lords raised private armies to defend their land and claims.
  • They rewarded knights with fiefs from their estates.
  • As the lord's vassal, a knight's main obligation was to serve in battle.
  • Lords typically demanded about 40 days of combat a year.

Training to Become a Knight

  1. Birth: Be the son of a lord.
    • Sons were sent off at an early age to learn the code of chivalry.
  2. Page: Sent to another lord's castle.
    • Pages waited on their hosts and practiced fighting skills.
  3. Squire: Served as a servant for a knight.
  4. Knight: By the age of 21, a man could become a knight.

Chivalry

  • Knights were expected to display courage in battle and loyalty to their lord.
  • A code of ideals developed, highlighting how knights should serve their lords.
  • Code of Chivalry: a knight should devote himself to:
    • His feudal lord.
    • His heavenly Lord.
    • His chosen lady.
  • The ideal knight was loyal, brave, and courteous, but this wasn't always the case.

Principles of Chivalry

  • To fear God and maintain His Church
  • To serve the liege lord in valor and faith
  • To protect the weak and defenseless
  • To give succor to widows and orphans
  • To refrain from the wanton giving of offense
  • To live by honor and for glory
  • To despise pecuniary reward
  • To fight for the welfare of all
  • To obey those placed in authority
  • To guard the honor of fellow knights
  • To eschew unfairness, meanness, and deceit
  • To keep faith
  • At all times to speak the truth
  • To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun
  • To respect the honor of women
  • Never to refuse a challenge from an equal
  • Never to turn the back upon a foe

Chivalry in Literature

  • Epic Poetry:
    • Epic poems recount a hero's deeds and adventures.
    • The Song of Roland is about Charlemagne’s knights fighting Muslims.
  • Love Poems and Songs:
    • Troubadours were traveling poet-musicians at the castles and courts of Europe.
    • Poems and songs described love's disappointments, often telling of lovesick knights who adored ladies they would probably never win.

Women's Role in Feudal Society

  • Most women in feudal society were powerless, similar to most men.
  • Women bore the additional burden of being considered inferior to men, a generally accepted view in feudal society.
  • Noblewomen:
    • Could inherit an estate from her husband.
    • Could send his knights to war.
    • Played a key role in defending castles.
  • Peasant Women:
    • Performed labor similar to men.
    • Peasant girls learned practical household skills from their mothers.
    • Their economic contribution was essential to the survival of the peasant household.

St. George and the Dragon

  • The Italian painter Paolo Uccello captures the spirit of the age of chivalry in the painting, St. George and the Dragon (c. 1455-1460).
  • According to myth, St. George rescues a captive princess by killing a dragon.
  • The Knight St. George:
    • Mounted on a horse and dressed in armor, he uses his lance to attack the dragon.
  • The Dragon:
    • The fierce looking dragon represents evil.
  • The Princess:
    • Remains out of the action as her knight fights the dragon on her behalf.