Tracing Chivalry Through Knighthood
Throughout my semester of studies on knighthood, I have noticed two major swings in its goal. At first the knight existed only as a vassal, a mounted warrior for fighting. Then as the first crusade came around in 1095 it turned the knights attentions to their new quest in Jerusalem. As many joined the ranks of such sects as the knights of the temple, their job became increasingly religious and their status became one of the church. The second transformation comes with the appearance of court life. As the knights became more entangled in the ways of court life, the code of morals known as chivalry becomes more refined and available to fewer people. At the same time, with the appearance of the knight in the court came a more elite and aristocratic type of knight. This being said, the chivalry of the 12th and 13th centuries can be explained as a culmination of the elitist ideals of knighthood along with the social pressures of the courts and the times. To best be able to describe the evolution of the 13th century knight we must first understand its roots, its origins. The origins of knighthood has always been the feudalistic society of the 8th century. The Frankish
This lord- vassal relationship is the basis to the idea of loyalty which is the foundation of all knighthood. The chivalry of ³The Death of Arthur² remains to be the apex, and therefore what is remembered today in popular culture images. Knights would be drawn away from their meager household duties towards the east in Godıs crusade of 1095-1099. As the era of knighthood comes to a close, we can see that in a country of peasants a minority of knights cannot continue to be what they were in the early middle ages. Yet, this was the knighthood of the time, and the churches views were put aside, at least in part. We are already familiar with the importance of loyalty in the lord vassal sense of the word, as we are with the generousness associated with Charlemagne in the ³Song of Roland. He follows the words of the note and will stop at nothing to see to it that that lady is safe. These indebted vassals were fighting and rampaging though the countryside at will. This proves to be the truth, as the 15th century comes along and we experience the decline of the knight. It is true that the knights are in all ways loyal to their lord, yet now with new concepts that force knights to seek the hearts of women, women are in some ways the objects of great loyalty. The peace of God was a papal decree that protected certain individuals from violence at all times. ² The concepts that define chivalry in this later era are many of the same as previous centuries, yet with focus more on some of the more personal aspects of chivalry. Looking at modern satires of chivalry such as Monty Python, we can begin to understand how absurd some of the customs of knighthood were and what was gallant then is now just a funny joke. The list continues, gallant and selfless, well born and well trained in the arts of fighting and chivalry(in the original horse riding sense).
Common topics in this essay:
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William Marshal,
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Holy Grail,
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