The Code of Chivalry
The Code of Chivalry
The term chivalry has its origin in the medieval institution of knighthood. Chivalry and knighthood have been popularly studied by scholars. The term chivalry originates from the old French word chevalerie. This word itself derives from the Latin term caballarius that means someone on the horseback. Chivalry is not a legal or technical term, rather the word has its root in the vernacular of twelfth century. The meaning of this word as used in the French literature of the High Middle Ages remains imprecise, as it could “refer variously to a group of mounted aristocratic warriors or the behavior of such a group or the standard that members of the group would have liked to meet” (Bouchard 103). The old French term chevalerie continued to describe warrior like qualities of armed men on horseback up until the final decades of twelfth century. The term did not have moral and political overtones at the time. The term that described polite and virtuous behavior of nobles including the art of courtly behavior was cortoisie (Bouchard 103). Historians have spoken of Age of Chivalry in Europe when the Viking raids came to an end. In the Middle Ages a code of knighthood, also known as Code of Chivalry developed that emphasized bravery, honesty, and courtesy. The Age of Chivalry distinguishes feudalism in Middle Ages apart from the others. Feudalism was not unique to Europe but almost every contemporary kingdoms throughout the world used some form of feudal government. The society in Medieval Ages was harsh and brutal. The knights were the same barbaric tribesmen that had devastated Rome not long back. Hence a Code of Chivalry was developed to tone down the brutal temperament of the warriors in a Christian setting. All knights were supposed to follow the Code of Chivalry. It set up standards for the training, and behavior of knights both in and out of combat. The Catholic Church was concerned with harshness and brutality prevalent during the
The term chivalry has its origin in the medieval institution of knighthood. Chivalry and knighthood have been popularly studied by scholars. The term chivalry originates from the old French word chevalerie. This word itself derives from the Latin term caballarius that means someone on the horseback. Chivalry is not a legal or technical term, rather the word has its root in the vernacular of twelfth century. The meaning of this word as used in the French literature of the High Middle Ages remains imprecise, as it could “refer variously to a group of mounted aristocratic warriors or the behavior of such a group or the standard that members of the group would have liked to meet” (Bouchard 103). The old French term chevalerie continued to describe warrior like qualities of armed men on horseback up until the final decades of twelfth century. The term did not have moral and political overtones at the time. The term that described polite and virtuous behavior of nobles including the art of courtly behavior was cortoisie (Bouchard 103). Historians have spoken of Age of Chivalry in Europe when the Viking raids came to an end. In the Middle Ages a code of knighthood, also known as Code of Chivalry developed that emphasized bravery, honesty, and courtesy. The Age of Chivalry distinguishes feudalism in Middle Ages apart from the others. Feudalism was not unique to Europe but almost every contemporary kingdoms throughout the world used some form of feudal government. The society in Medieval Ages was harsh and brutal. The knights were the same barbaric tribesmen that had devastated Rome not long back. Hence a Code of Chivalry was developed to tone down the brutal temperament of the warriors in a Christian setting. All knights were supposed to follow the Code of Chivalry. It set up standards for the training, and behavior of knights both in and out of combat. The Catholic Church was concerned with harshness and brutality prevalent during the
Cited: Bloch, Marc. Feudal Society, Vol 2: Social Classes and Political Organisation, 2nd Edition, Routledge 1989 Bouchard, Constance Brittain. STRONG OF BODY, BRAVE AND NOBLE: Chivalry and Society in Medieval France, Cornell University Press 1998 “Knights Code of Chivalry”. Accessed November2, 2009 from http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/knights-code-of-chivalry.htm Marshall Cavendish., .Alex Woolf; Steven Maddocks (Eds.) Exploring the Middle Ages. Marshall Cavendish 2006. Stanton, Mary & Hyma, Albert. Streams of Civilization: Earliest Times to the Discovery of the New World. Christian Liberty Press, 1992