The Middle Ages is associated with noble knights who are able to perform feats for the sake of a beautiful lady. Stone castles, feudal lords, serfs and Catholic churches. Iron and blood - this is a brief description of the Middle Ages. Religion dominated in the Middle Ages. Peasants worked on the lands of the feudal lords. In the daily life of people, there was a lack of beautiful art and feats. Hence the culture of chivalry.
Knights are a privileged layer of society in the Middle Ages. This concept is applied to all feudal warriors. They had their own code of conduct and honor, the basic principles of which are faith, honor and valor.
History of chivalry in Europe
At the beginning of the 10th century, the states of Europe were scattered and consisted of many small principalities waging constant wars. Each principality had its own system of self-government, tax collection and assignment of duties. The life of those filed in such states was hard.
The knights were inspired by the lightly armed horsemen that dominated the Holy Roman Empire. Later they began to create religious orders such as the Templars, Hospitallers and Pilgrims.to Jerusalem. During this period, feudal landownership began to spread, a layer of warriors who defended the feudal lords formed. The knights were lightly armed warriors, vassals of their master. The main duty of the warriors was to protect the honor of their master and his land from the encroachments of other rulers. In each country, the knights performed different roles. So, in England they protected the kings. The title itself was hereditary. In Germany, the knights were higher in status than ordinary inhabitants, but they were still incomplete citizens. At the same time they had power over the villagers. There was a law that forbade the inhabitants of the city from having knightly weapons. In France, there was a rite of knighting.
Over time, warriors became the highest stratum of society, and they got rid of vassalage. With the onset of feudal fragmentation, they became like robbers. They plundered rich houses, attacked neighboring duchies. After the invention of firearms, knights ceased to exist as a military force and became an aristocratic class.
Wandering Knights
After the appearance of the class of knights who defended their masters, knights errant appeared. They did not stay to live in their estates, but left to travel the world in order to gain immortal glory. The white knight traveled to foreign countries, defended the poor, studied etiquette and met ladies and lords. They always followed the code of honor.
Especially popular knights errant were duringFrance. There are many written testimonies about French soldiers who visited the northern countries. Jacques de Laden, or Glorious Knight, took part in jousting. He was honorably received by the royal courts of Scotland, Portugal and Argon. After returning to their native country, the heroes reported to the lords, told stories about their exploits. Based on these stories, the troubadours composed legends about the heroic deeds of glorious warriors. It happened that several wandering warriors gathered at one court. Then they united and went on a campaign with a high goal. Dukes willingly invited knights-errant to castles to listen to stories of exploits. So the owner of the castle, showing generosity for the wanderer, hoped that his merits would be told to the king. Later, helmets began to be depicted on the gates - a sign of hospitality and shelter for white knights.
Knight's Symbol of Honor
For a warrior, the main value was the weapon. The knight's sword brought goodness and justice to the harsh medieval world. The swords were consecrated on the altar and given names. And if necessary, on the battlefield in front of him, you could pray and receive a blessing. And the expression "break the sword" meant to be defeated by the enemy.
Conclusion
In the legends, the knights were surrounded by a halo of romanticism and the struggle for justice. But in the realities of medieval life, they turned out to be cruel warriors who played the role of servants for their feudal lords.
In opposition to them, white knights appeared, who did not stayfor a long time in one country, but wandered around the world in search of exploits and gaining glory
