In general, it was the sons of knights and lords who were eligible to become knights. Knighthood changed with the code of chivalry and became a privilege of nobility. Mystery of the Knights Templars: Protectors or Treasure Hunters on a Secret Mission?.Medieval Chivalry Wasn’t Just Knights and Valor.The Incredible History of Kolossi Castle - Won By Richard the Lionheart, Home to the Knights Templar, and Birthplace of the King of Wines.Therefore, the first step to becoming a knight during this period was to be born into a noble family. During the succeeding High Medieval period, however, nobility and knighthood gradually merged, and knighthood became a hereditary privilege of the nobility. As long as a warrior could maintain the cost of his horse and arms, he could be a knight. These were values endorsed by the Church and found their way into the romantic literature of that era, which was targeted at the young men who were training to be knights.ĭuring the Early Medieval period, knights did not necessarily have to hail from the nobility. Nevertheless, the code of chivalry developed further to include such values as piety, generosity to the poor, and mercy for defeated foes. These were values that were practical from a military point of view. While the contents of this code differed from one commander to another, some of the most common elements include courage in battle and loyalty to one’s feudal or military superiors and comrades. (Rama / Public Domain )īasically, chivalry was the professional code of conduct that the Medieval knights adhered to. In addition, it was also around this time that the famous chivalry, came into existence.īefore chivalry came into existence knights were considered violent brutes and were allowed to plunder. heavily armored, mounted warrior from a noble background. Around the time of the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the knight began to take on the form we are familiar with today, i.e. Things began to change, however, during the 11 th century. It was due to the latter that the knights of this period gained such infamy, as they looted, raped, and burned as they pleased. In exchange for their military service, the knights were given land or allowed to plunder the villages where they did battle. The Knights of the Early Middle Ages and Medieval Periodĭuring the Early Middle Ages, which lasted from around 500 to 1000, knights were considered to be violent brutes by most people. Rather than denoting a cavalryman, however, these words mean ‘servant’, which is also a role performed by this social class, especially during their training. Incidentally, the English ‘knight’ (‘cniht’ in Old English) has West Germanic roots and is related to the Dutch and German ‘knecht’. These words trace their origin to the Latin ‘caballus’, which means ‘horse’. While this may not be reflected in the English word, it is so in the French ‘chevalier’, and the Spanish ‘caballero’. Knights were originally professional cavalry warriors. Additionally, what we know about the process of becoming a knight is drawn from this period. It was only during the High Middle Ages (from around 1000 to 1300) that the image of the knight we are so familiar with today emerged. While the role of the knight remained more or less the same throughout the Middle Ages, the perception of this social class evolved as time went by. Nevertheless, knights could rise to the ranks of the higher nobility as well by acquiring land and becoming landlords. Knights were essentially mounted warriors, and in the hierarchy of medieval society, were considered to be part of the lower nobility. The knight is arguably one of the most iconic figures of the Middle Ages.
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