sign in sign up
<<
Home , Knight

Medieval www.medieval-life.net/

Chivalry is the generic term for the knightly system of the and for and qualities it inspired in its followers. The word evolved from terms such as chevalier (French), caballero (Spanish), and cavaliere (Italian), all meaning a who fought on horseback. The term came to mean so much more during medieval times.

Chivalric orders first appeared with activities against non-Christian states. During the Middle Ages, Western aggressively sought to expand its area of control. The first orders of chivalry were very similar to the monastic orders of the era. Both sought the sanctification of their members through combat against "infidels" and protection of religious pilgrims, and both had commitments that involved the taking of vows and submitting to a regulation of activities.

13th Century conventions of chivalry directed that men should honor, serve, and do nothing to displease and maidens. Knights were members of the noble class socially as bearers of arms, economically as owners of horse and armor, and officially through religious-oriented ceremony. While some were knighted on the battlefield, most spent long years as a , practicing the art of war while serving his master. People during the Middle Ages heard of the exploits of knights both mythical and real in epics like La Chanson de and Le Morte D'Arthur.

After the , knights continued to show their prowess and skills in medieval tournaments.

Chivalry http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/

What is Chivalry? The word 'Chivalry derives from the French word chevalier meaning a horseman; a knight or a gallant young man. The definition of Chivalry can be described as a term often related to medieval institution of knighthood referring to the codes of conduct, including courtly love, adhered to by Medieval knights with gallant knightly values including honor, bravery, courteousness and honesty. Chivalry was the honor code of the knight. An important part of chivalry was to show respect and gallantry towards women. The Code of Chivalry was an important part of the society and lives of people who lived during the Medieval times and era. The Code of Chivalry was admired and understood by all.

Knights Code of Chivalry A knight was expected to have not only the strength and skills to face combat in the violent era of the Middle Ages but was also expected to temper this aggressive side of a knight with a chivalrous side to his nature. There was not an authentic Code of Chivalry as such - it was a moral system which went beyond rules of combat and introduced the concept of Chivalrous conduct - qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women.

Code of Chivalry - A Code of Chivalry was documented in 'The Song of Roland' during the period of who ruled England from 1066. The 'Song of Roland' describes the 8th century Knights of the Dark Ages and the battles fought by the Emperor . The code has since been described as Charlemagne's Code of Chivalry. The Song of Roland was the most famous '' and was composed between 1098-1100, describing the betrayal of Count Roland at the hand of , and his resulting death in the Pyrenees at the hands of the . Roland was a loyal defender of his liege Charlemagne and his code of conduct a description of the meaning of chivalry. An excerpt from the Song of Roland is as follows:

For his beauty the ladies hold him dear; Who looks on him, with him her heart is pleased, When she beholds, she can but smile for glee. Was no pagan of such high chivalry.

The Code of Chivalry and the legends of Arthur and The ideals described in the Code of Chivalry were emphasised by the oaths and vows that were sworn in the Knighthood ceremonies of the Middle Ages and the Medieval era. These sacred oaths of combat were combined with the ideals of chivalry and with strict rules of etiquette and codes of conduct towards women. The ideals of a Code of Chivalry was publicised in the poems, ballads, writings and literary works of Medieval authors. The wandering minstrels of the Middle Ages sang these ballads and were expected to memorize the words of long poems describing the valour and the code of chivalry followed by the Medieval knights. The Dark Age myths of Arthurian Legends featuring , Camelot and the Knights of the further strengthen the idea of a Code of Chivalry. The Arthurian legend revolves around the Code of Chivalry which was adhered to by the Knights of the Round Table - , Honesty, Valour and .

Chivalry toward Women - The Knight in Shining Armor Chivalry was the honor code of the knight and great importance was placed on courtesy towards women leading to the concept of a 'Knight in Shining armor. In modern times the terms chivalry and chivalrous are used to describe courteous behavior, especially that of men towards women. In the movie 'Pretty Woman' the character played by Julia Roberts dreams of a 'Knight in shining armor' who will rescue her from captivity in a tower. When the character played by Richard Gere realises that she will settle for nothing less he rides to her apartment in a shining car (in place of a horse), wearing an expensive suit (in place of shining armor) brandishing an umbrella (in place of a ) to climb up to her apartment (the tower) and rescue her. A highly romantic gesture fulfilling her dreams of a 'Knight in shining armor'.

The Code of Chivalry and Courtly Love The Code of Chivalry was combined with the of Courtly Love which was practised during the Medieval times and era. There were strict rules of courtly love and the art of Courtly Love was practised by the members of the royal courts across Europe during Medieval times. Surprisingly the romance, rules and art of Medieval Courtly Love together with the code of chivalry allowed knights and ladies to show their admiration for each other regardless of their marital state. It was a perfectly acceptable and common occurrence for a married to give a token to a knight of her choice to be worn during a Medieval . Courtly love was acceptable as long as the rules relating to chastity and fidelity were strictly adhered to. For additional information about Courtly Love please click the following link:

The Code of Chivalry As previously stated there was not an authentic Code of Chivalry as such. However, a Code of Chivalry is described in the Song of Roland and also by the Duke of Burgundy in the 14th Century. To read about the rules and the virtues detailed in these two examples of the Code of Chivalry please click the following link:

Chivalry The Medieval Times website provides interesting facts, history and information about knights of old which scatter the Medieval History books including the subject of Chivalry. The Medieval Times Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts about the fascinating subject of the lives of the people who lived during the historical period of the Middle Ages. The content of this article on Medieval life and times provides free educational details, facts and information for reference and research for schools, colleges and homework for history courses and history coursework.

Chivalry in the Middle Ages Written by Simon Newman http://www.thefinertimes.com/ Chivalry in the Middle Ages was a moral, religious and social code of knightly and courtly conduct. The code varied, but it often emphasized honor, and service. Chivalry in the Middle Ages may also refer to an idealized life and a knight’s manners while among his court.

History The term chivalry was derived from several different languages. The French term chevalier, the Spanish term caballero, and the Italian term cavaliere, all meaning “warrior on horseback” came together to form “chivalry.” While the term was originally used the same as it had been previously (for on horseback) it became known as a broad term for the code of conduct followed by knights. The first appearance of chivalry in the Middle Ages was seen in military activities against non-Christian states. Europe desperately sought to control more land during the Middle Ages. The first known chivalric movements were comparable in nature to the monastic orders of the time. Both of these movements sanctified members through fights against supposed “infidels,” while protecting religious pilgrims. Both movements also required taking a vow and the logging of activities.

Three types of knightly chivalry There were three types of chivalry in the Middle Ages. These included duties to countrymen, duties to God and duties to women. These three areas intertwined often and were sometimes hard to distinguish. -Duties to countrymen Sometimes referred to as “warrior chivalry,” this area of chivalry deals with a knight’s virtuous traits such as valor, honor and protecting the poor. To the knights, this was the most important type of chivalry. This type of chivalry also calls for knights to put others’ lives before their own. An example of warrior chivalry in the Middle Ages was Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Ragnelle. Though it is called warrior chivalry, over half of the entries in the Knights codes of Chivalry relate to acts of chivalry rather than acts of combat. Medieval courtly literature glorifies the ideologies and valor of the ancient Romans. An example of this is De Re Militari, a handbook on war and warfare written by Vegetius. De Re Militari was translated into French in the 13th century as L’art de chevalerie. Later works on war and warfare often drew from De Re Militari, such as HonoreBonet’sL’arbes des batailles. Other attributes of warrior chivalry included: o Serving the lord faithfully o Aiding orphans and widows o Refraining from malicious offenses o Refusing and abhorring monetary o Living for glory o Guarding the honor of knights o Never retaliating upon a foe, but never refusing a challenge from an equal o Completing any task or challenge that has been started o Always speaking the truth -Duties to God A knight’s duty to God under chivalry included being faithful to God, being faithful to the church, always being a proponent of good against evil, and putting the worship of God above all others, even the feudal lord. This was known as “religious chivalry.” Examples include Sir Percival, the legends of the Grail and Sir Galahad. -Duties to women Today, the most commonly recognized form of chivalry in the Middle Ages is chivalry towards women. Chivalry towards women included honoring one woman before all others, as well as a general graciousness and gentleness towards all women. This was known as “courtly love chivalry.” A famous example of courtly love chivalry in the Middle Ages was Sir Lancelot in showing his love for Guinevere. Chivalry towards women was derived from worship of the Virgin Mary. This worship also contributed to the flourishing of chivalry towards women. Interestingly, the Medieval worship of Mary contrasted greatly with the attitudes in Medieval society about women in general. For the most part, women were oppressed and viewed as much lesser beings than men. Women outside of noble families were viewed as especially worthless. Women were even sometimes viewed as a source of evil, even though Mary was seen as a refuge for man and a mediator to God.

Courtly Love Courtly love was the practice of chivalrously expressing love. It was usually secret and not expressed between husband and wife. Its purpose existed somewhere between spiritual enlightenment and erotic desire. Generally, only participated in affairs of courtly love. The term “courtly love” was not coined until the late 19th century. The rules of courtly love were laid out in Andreas Capellanus’ very influential work De Amore (“Concerning Love”). Today, the book is listed under the “The Art of Courtly Love.” The book gives information on how to love depending on class, gives example conversations between men and women and lists 31 rules for loving.“The Art of Courtly Love” is one of the first published “self-help” or “love and dating guide” books. “He saw a written parchment which was fastened… with a little gold chain. When he inquired carefully concerning this, he was told, ‘This is the parchment on which are written the rules of love which the King of Love himself, with his own mouth, pronounced for lovers. You should take it with you and make these rules known to lovers…” -Andreas Capellanus, The Art of Courtly Love Some of Andreas’s 31 rules of love include: -Marriage is no real excuse for not loving. -He who is not jealous cannot love. -It is well known that love is always increasing or decreasing. -Boys do not love until they arrive at the age of maturity. -When made public love rarely endures. -Real jealousy always increases the feeling of love. -When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved his heart palpitates. -He whom the thought of love vexes eats and sleeps very little.

Democratization of Chivalry In the , the wealthy merchant class began to be educated on chivalry and the ideals of the knights. This led to the publication of the courtesy book. Courtesy books were guides for gentlemen on how to behave. This indicates that men’s values and ideals after the Medieval era were shaped by the chivalric culture.