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Introduction; The Origins of Chivalry; The Code of Chivalry; Life of a Knight; The Decline of Chivalry; The Legacy of Chivalry
Chivalry, code of behavior that medieval knights followed. Chivalry was a feature of the High and later Middle Ages in western Europe. While its roots stretch back to the 9th and 10th centuries, the system of chivalry flourished most vigorously in the 12th and 13th centuries before deteriorating at the end of the Middle Ages. However, the ideals of chivalry continued to influence models of behavior for gentlemen and the nobility during the Renaissance in the 16th century.
Chivalry originated in two parallel developments: horse-mounted cavalry, which evolved to combat threats from invaders; and feudalism, the system of political and military relationships among the European nobility. In the 9th and 10th centuries, western Europe was under attack by invading forces of Vikings, Magyars, Muslims, and other tribes. These invaders were often expert in waging war on horseback. The armies of the European nobles were composed primarily of foot soldiers and had difficulty combating these fast-moving forces. Consequently, many of the nobles began to use cavalry training and tactics in order to counter this threat. The first knights were armed warriors who fought on horseback. However, the maintenance of horses was expensive, and cavalry training was a long process. To support their cavalry, the nobility began to grant land to their mounted warriors for the duration of their service. The land provided the income to support the knight. This system of land holding was part of feudalism. The knights gave military service to their feudal lord or king in return for the right to hold a piece of land or property. Eventually, knighthood became a mark of social distinction, and the opportunity to become a knight was usually limited to men of noble birth. An unwritten contract governed the relationship between a king or a feudal lord and his knights. Each year a knight was to perform a specific number of days of military service, in exchange for which he received his lands and the lord’s protection. The knight was also expected to fight bravely for his lord, and to be loyal to him. Bravery and loyalty were the precursors of what was to become the code of chivalry.
In the centuries that followed, the influences of Christianity and courtly love expanded the code of chivalry to include religious piety and refined social graces and manners. Chivalry gradually began to soften the harsh edges of feudal warfare. Knights were expected to treat their fellow knights and social inferiors with respect and benevolence. The new code prohibited knights from attacking the unarmed, and knightly ideals stressed that the good knight fought for glory and Christian purposes and not for mere profit or gain. In practice, though, most knights continued to have a keen eye for the possible financial benefits that could be reaped from an important hostage or a stolen horse.
The early Middle Ages had been a chaotic time in Europe. However, the 11th century began a long period of renewed stability. Commerce and trade revived, and new towns and cities sprang up throughout the continent. In this comparatively peaceful climate, the Church tried to curb the warlike spirit of the feudal nobility. In the 11th century, for instance, Church councils met throughout Europe and adopted the programs known as the Peace of God and the Truce of God. The Peace of God forbade knights from attacking peasants, women, priests, and merchants, while the Truce of God prohibited battle on Sundays and holy days. Although the Church lacked the power to enforce them, the Peace of God and the Truce of God reveal the emergence of new values that questioned the wholesale warfare in western Europe typical of the 9th and 10th centuries. Christianity also influenced chivalry through the Crusades. The Crusades were military expeditions undertaken by Christian knights to recapture from Muslim control the holy places of pilgrimage in Palestine, or the Holy Land. Although many knights enlisted in search of financial gain, military glory, and adventure, many were also moved by genuine religious enthusiasm. This enthusiasm was reflected in the founding of the military religious orders—the Knights Templar, the Teutonic Knights, and the Hospitalers. The members of these orders took religious vows and shared a common vision of recapturing the Holy Land for Christianity. They believed that knighthood could be a holy form of life when used for Christian purposes. These orders helped infuse chivalry with religious idealism.
© 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
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© 2008 Microsoft
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