Chivalry is dead…and that’s ok.

The Beginning:  Chivalry began in the centuries after Charlemagne. Local lords needed knights to protect their increased land. The invention of the stirrup led to lanced cavalry.  12th Century – based nobility of blood rather than honor. 1186, Frederick Barbarossa, King of Germany and Roman Emperor declared oath of knighthood could only be taken by the sons of knights.  Ceremony’s use Christian symbols to show God’s approval of this ‘higher’ class. Later created a Christian origin to knighthood.  Romantic literature solidified Knightly reputation and ideals.  Knights should have inner virtues (Shows an attempt to tame violent warriors in court.) o Pentangle – five knightly virtues. (Not our modern ideas of honor, courage, or strength.) . Loyalty . Generosity . Courtesy . Cleanness . Pity Courtly Love  Courtly love as a way for the men to gain virtues, but to drag women down. Either the love had to remain celibate or become adulterous. Neither is satisfying.  The more beautiful the girl the more worthy the knight.  Shows love as a disease that can kill.  Shows instances of the lady abusing her power to humiliate the Knight.  Marriage destroys love. “When made public love rarely endures.”

Liveries  Black Prince set up as the perfect knight.  The Order of the Garter is the most famous and still used by English Royalty today.  The Order of the White Rose – could relate to the green badge worn in Gawain.  Templars and Hospitallers – they were tried and the orders abolished for their sins, but orders kept popping up.

Crusades: Set up a knight that fought for God and King and acted as extended penance. The lowest point of the Crusades was when Christians attacked Christians in the destruction of Constantinople. Crusades declined on a national level, but were still organized locally. Also, wealthy families still organized and went on crusades.

Chaucer’s Knight  Embodies the principles of Chivalry, but the crusades he participated in are questionable.  Peter of Cyprus’s campaigns in Satalia and Alexandria, in 1361 and 1365 involved the attack and then sacking of Alexandria.

Palamon and Arcite  Arcite give an example of “Fair Unknown”  They act as a spoof on Narcissism, Lust and Conquest.  Make a Pathetic death into an honorable, glorified death.