During the Middle Ages, among the large landowners-feudal lords, an extremely closed corporation of professional warriors called knights was formed. Between themselves, they were united not only by a similar way of life, but also by common personal ideals and moral and ethical values. The combination of these factors laid the foundation for a kind of chivalrous culture that had no analogues in subsequent centuries.
Elevation of the status of large feudal lords
It is generally accepted that the medieval military and agricultural estate, known today as chivalry, first began to take shape in the 8th century in the Frankish state in connection with its transition from the foot troops of the people to the equestrian squads of vassals. The impetus for this process was the invasion of the Arabs and their allies ─ the Christians of the Iberian Peninsula, who jointly captured Gaul. The peasant militia of the Franks, which consisted entirely of infantry, could not repulse the enemy's cavalry and suffered one defeat after another.
As a result, the Carolingians who were in power were forced to resort to the help of the signorate, that is, local feudal lords,possessing a large number of vassals, and capable of forming a strong cavalry army out of them. They responded to the call of the king, but demanded additional privileges for their patriotism. If in former times the seigneur was only the commander of free militias, now the army consisted of people who were directly dependent on him, which exorbitantly elevated his status. Thus began the birth of chivalry and knightly culture, with which we now have an inextricably linked idea of the Middle Ages.
Estate of titled nobility
In the era of the Crusades, a large number of religious knightly orders arose throughout Europe, as a result of which the feudal lords who entered them formed an extremely closed social group of hereditary aristocracy. Under the influence of the Church (and partly poetry), over the years, a unique chivalrous culture has developed in it, a brief description of which this article is devoted to.
In subsequent centuries, due to the strengthening of state power and the emergence of firearms, which ensured the superiority of infantry over cavalry, as well as the formation of regular armies, the knights lost their importance as an independent military force. However, they retained their influence for a very long time, turning into a political class of titled nobility.
Who were the knights?
As mentioned above, the knightly culture of the European Middle Ages originated among large feudal lords ─ bearers of high-profile titles and owners of not only vast land holdings, but also numerous squads, sometimescomparable to the armies of entire states. As a rule, each of them had a pedigree, rooted in the mists of time, and surrounded by a halo of the highest nobility. These knights were the elite of society, and this alone could not be numerous.
On the next rung of the social ladder of that era were also the noble offspring of old families, due to the prevailing circumstances, did not have large land plots and, accordingly, were deprived of material we alth. All their we alth consisted of a big name, military training and inherited weapons.
Many of them formed detachments from their peasants and served at the head of them in the armies of large feudal lords. Those who did not have serf souls often traveled alone, accompanied only by a squire, and sometimes joined random detachments, becoming mercenaries. Among them were those who did not disdain outright robbery, just to find the means to maintain a lifestyle corresponding to knightly dignity.
The insularity of the new aristocratic class
One of the most important elements of the knightly culture of the Middle Ages was that professional military service was the lot of only the feudal lords. There are many cases when all sorts of merchants, artisans and other "black people" at the legislative level were prohibited from carrying weapons and even riding. At times, noble knights were filled with such unbridled arrogance that they defiantly refused to fight in battles if infantry, usually formed fromcommoners.
The stability of the knightly culture, which has been preserved for several centuries, is largely due to the fact that their camp was extremely closed. Belonging to it was inherited and only in exceptional cases could be bestowed by the monarch for special merits and deeds. According to tradition, a true knight had to come from some noble family, thanks to which he could always refer to the genealogical tree of his ancestors.
In addition, he had to have a family coat of arms, included in the heraldic books, and his own motto. However, over time, the severity of the rules began to gradually weaken, and with the development of cities and all kinds of entrepreneurship, knighthood and the privileges associated with it began to be acquired for money.
Training future knights
When a son appeared in the family of a feudal lord, the main elements of knightly culture were laid in him from an early age. As soon as the child was freed from nannies and nurses, he fell into the hands of mentors who taught him horseback riding and weapons ─ primarily with a sword and a lance. In addition, the young man had to be able to swim and conduct hand-to-hand combat.
After reaching a certain age, he became first a page, and then a squire of an adult knight, sometimes his own father. This was an additional learning step. And only after a young man, having completed the entire course of science, became able to actually demonstrate the acquired skills, he was honored to beknighted.
Fun Made Duty
Besides military affairs, another important element of knightly culture was hunting. It was given so much importance that, being, in fact, fun, it became the responsibility of the elite. As a rule, not only a noble lord, but also his whole family took part in it. From the surviving literature on the "art of chivalry", it is known that a certain hunting procedure was established, which all noble gentlemen had to follow.
So, it was prescribed that the knight must be accompanied by his wife when leaving for the hunting grounds (of course, if he had one). She had to ride a horse on the right side of her husband and hold a falcon or hawk on her hand. Each wife of a noble knight was required to be able to release a bird, and then take it back, because the overall success often depended on her actions.
As for the sons of the feudal lord, from the age of seven they accompanied their parents during the hunt, but they were obliged to stay on the left side of their father. This aristocratic entertainment was part of the general course of their education, and the young men had no right to ignore it. It is known that sometimes the passion for hunting took on such extreme forms among the feudal lords that this occupation itself was condemned by the Church, because, spending all their free time chasing game, the gentlemen forgot to attend services, and, accordingly, ceased to replenish the parish budget.
High society fashionistas
The knightly culture of the Middle Ages developed a special type of psychology among those who belonged to this narrow class and obliged them to have a number of certain qualities. First of all, the knight had to have an admirable appearance. But since nature does not bestow beauty on everyone, those on whom she saved had to resort to all sorts of tricks.
If you look at paintings, engravings or tapestries made by medieval masters depicting knights not in armor, but in “civilian” clothes, the sophistication of their outfits is striking. Modern scientists have written hundreds of works on the fashion of the Middle Ages, and yet it is an endless field for researchers. It turns out that the knights, these stern and strong people, were extraordinary fashionistas that not every socialite would have kept up with.
The same can be said about hairstyles. In ancient paintings, the viewer is presented with lush curls falling on shoulders clad in armor, and a hard hedgehog, giving its owner a strict and decisive look. As for the beards, here the barbers' imagination was simply limitless, and the arrogant physiognomies of the gentlemen were decorated with the most unimaginable hair compositions from a vulgar broom to the thinnest needle at the end of the chin.
New fashion forged from steel
Fashion trends were also followed when choosing armor, which should have been not only reliable protection for their owner, but also an indicator of his status. It is curious to note that they were forged inin accordance with the fashion for ceremonial costumes that existed at that time. It is not difficult to be convinced of this by looking at the collections of protective weapons presented in the largest museums in the world.
For example, in the "Knight's Hall" of the Hermitage there is a lot of armor, reminiscent of the outfits of court dandies, which museum guides usually mention. In addition, many weapons of that era are real works of decorative art, which also served to maintain the prestige of their owners. By the way, the weight of a set of armor and related weapons reached 80 kg, therefore, the knight had to have good physical fitness.
Endless quest for fame
Another indispensable requirement of the chivalrous culture of medieval Europe was concern for one's own glory. In order for military prowess not to fade, it had to be confirmed with new and new feats. As a result, a true knight was in constant search of opportunities to acquire new laurels. For example, even the slightest trifle could serve as a pretext for a bloody duel with an unfamiliar opponent, of course, if he belonged to the chosen class. Dirty hands on a commoner was considered completely unacceptable. To punish the smerd, the knight had servants.
Knightly culture also provided for such a form of manifestation of valor as participation in tournaments. As a rule, they were competitions of equestrian warriors on spears, and were held with a large crowd of people. If the peaks broke, then the fighters drew their swords, and then took up maces. Similar spectaclespoured into real holidays. Since the goal of the duel was to knock the enemy out of the saddle and throw him to the ground, and not at all to kill or injure, the participants in the battles were required to observe certain precautions.
Thus, it was allowed to use only blunt spears or even those equipped with tips in the form of transversely mounted plates. Swords were previously blunted. Tournament armor also had to have additional strength, unlike combat armor, which, at the expense of safety, was made lighter, but at the same time allowed the knight to save strength for a long battle. In addition, during a tournament duel, riders were separated from each other by a special barrier so that if one of them fell to the ground, he would not fall under the hooves of his opponent's horse.
However, despite all the precautions, fights often ended in injury or even death of the participants, which gave them a special attraction in the eyes of the audience and served to the greater glory of the winner. An example of this is the death of the king of France, Henry II of Valois, who tragically died at a tournament in 1559. The spear of his adversary Count Montgomery broke upon impact with the shell, and the fragment hit the eye slot of the helmet, causing the valiant monarch to die at the same moment. Nevertheless, according to the laws of chivalry and chivalrous culture, such a death was considered the most worthy end of life. Ballads were written about those who died at tournaments, then performed by troubadours and minstrels ─ medieval predecessorscontemporary bards.
Courtly chivalric culture
Before talking about this very peculiar phenomenon of the Middle Ages, it is necessary to define the very concept of "courtesy". It came into use thanks to many literary monuments that reflect the code of knightly honor, and includes a system of rules of conduct once adopted at the courts of European monarchs.
According to the prevailing requirements, a true knight had to not only show military prowess, but also be able to behave in a secular society, maintain an easy conversation, and even sing. It was the courtly-knightly culture that was the basis for the creation of the rules of etiquette in the future, which became widespread in Europe and became the norm of behavior for all well-mannered people.
Literature of tender feelings and military exploits
Courtliness is also reflected in literature. In particular, on this occasion it is appropriate to recall the lyric poetry of the troubadours, which was especially widespread in the south of France. It was she who gave birth to the "cult of the Beautiful Lady", which the true knight was obliged to serve, sparing neither strength nor life.
It is characteristic that in the works of love lyrics, describing the feelings of a knight for his mistress, the authors use very specific terminology, constantly resorting to such expressions as “service”, “oath”, “signor”, “vassal”, etc. In other words, the concept of chivalrous culture, including service to the Beautiful Lady, puts it on a par with military prowess. No wonder it was customary to say that victory over the heart of an obstinate beauty is no less honorable than overenemy.
The development of chivalric culture gave impetus to the emergence of a new and very peculiar literary genre. The main plot of his works was a description of the adventures and exploits of noble heroes. These were chivalric romances that sang of ideal love and fearlessness, manifested in the name of personal glory. The works of this genre were extremely popular in Europe, and found many admirers even in those days when only a few could read. Suffice it to recall the famous Don Quixote, who fell victim to these medieval bestsellers.
Novels of this kind that have come down to us are not only of artistic, but also of historical interest, since they fully reflect the features of knightly culture and the features of life of that era. A characteristic feature of the works of this genre is the emphasis that the authors begin to place on individual human personalities. Their heroes are not gods or any mythical characters, but people.
Thus, many novels feature such historical and semi-historical figures as King Arthur of the Britons and his closest associates: Iseult, Lancelot, Tristan, and other knights of the Round Table. It is thanks to these characters that a romantic, but far from always reliable image of a noble knight who stepped towards us from the Middle Ages has developed in the minds of modern people.
