Essay On Chivalry

For almost one-hundred years, knight’s followed a complex set of ideals that helped to maintain order. The Chivalric Code was important and well known by medieval society. Knights trained and practiced for most of their lives to follow this code.
Chivalry
The word “chivalry” comes from the early French word chevalrie, meaning “skill in handling a horse”. By the Middle Ages, chivalry was a term that meant to show consideration towards others, especially the weak and poor. This further evolved around the fifth century, when a code of chivalry was established as a rule of honor for knights. This code was influenced from three main sources: the late Roman army, Barbarian tribes, and the Franks. It stated that a knight must be courteous,
Two examples were that: knights could only use weapons in self-defense and a knight could never retreat from an enemy during battle.
Education of a Knight At the age of seven, a young boy would be sent by his parents to another nobleman’s household, where the boy would become a page. A page was looked after by the lady of the household, who taught him proper manners and presentation. A page would perform duties for his lord, such as taking care of his lord’s clothing, weapons, armor, and horse. In return the lord taught the page how to ride a horse and how to properly carry a sword and lance. Once a boy turned fourteen, he would be granted a promotion by his lord to move up to the position of a squire. Being to a squire meant becoming a knight’s apprentice. A squire did a lot of the same duties as a page, but a squire was also taught how to handle weapons and how to carve meat properly. During a boy’s time as a squire, he was fitted for his armor. When a squire turned twenty-one, he officially became a knight in a “dubbing” ceremony where he was knighted by his lord. The new knight would receive a pair of riding spurs, a shield, and a