![]() ![]() Chivalry was much written of in the Middle Ages, and it was a code of conduct that included brave acts in battle. The word chivalry comes from the French word chevalier, which means knight. In real life, vows would be made to serve their lords and be faithful to their loves. In knightly stories, a knight might make a vow to complete a quest (a mission, usually dangerous) for his lady or lord. Those who could read often enjoyed reading stories about famous knights as well as philosophy and religious books.Ī vow is a sacred promise that must not be broken. By living this way, they would be ready to go to war or protect their lord’s lands at a moment’s notice. Poorer knights might live in a castle owned by their lord or in a nearby manor house. But the King could knight anyone he wished, and families that rose in rank this way were said to have been ennobled. Exceptions might be made, but on the whole, it was a matter of who your father’s and mother’s friends were. No! (and yes!) Noblemen’s sons were the ones destined to take the slots for pages in the castles. Knight from a manuscript drawn by Guilelmus Peraldus In the early days, these ceremonies were fairly simple, but they became more elaborate during the times of the Crusades. Knight: At about the age of 21, squires might make their vows of allegiance to their liege lord.This included muscle work (cleaning stables, polishing armor, keeping weapons ready) and brain work (learning the codes of knightly conduct and stories about famous knights) besides more combat practice. Squire: A page would become a squire and assist a particular knight around age 10 to 14.In addition to working, they would learn archery, horsemanship, and sword-fighting. ![]()
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