Editing Knight (section)

==Knightly culture in the Middle Ages==
===Training===
The institution of knights was already well-established by the 10th century.<ref name="Fact">{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Knights.aspx|title=Knight.|publisher=The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. |date=November 15, 2015}}</ref> While the knight was essentially a title denoting a military office, the term could also be used for positions of higher nobility such as landholders. The higher nobles grant the [[Vassal|vassals]] their portions of land ([[fief]]s) in return for their loyalty, protection, and service. The nobles also provided their knights with necessities, such as lodging, food, armour, weapons, horses, and money.<ref name="Craig">Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.{{cite web |url=http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/knight2.htm|title=How Knights Work|publisher=How Stuff Works |date=22 January 2008}}</ref> The knight generally held his lands by military tenure which was measured through military service that usually lasted 40&nbsp;days a year. The military service was the ''[[quid pro quo]]'' for each knight's [[fief]]. Vassals and lords could maintain any number of knights, although knights with more military experience were those most sought after. Thus, all [[Petty nobility|petty noble]]s intending to become prosperous knights needed a great deal of military experience.<ref name="Fact" /> A knight fighting under another's banner was called a ''[[knight bachelor]]'' while a knight fighting under his own banner was a ''[[knight banneret]]''.

Some knights were familiar with [[city]] culture<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Schama |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Schama |title=A History of Britain 1: 3000 BC-AD 1603 At the Edge of the World? |title-link=A History of Britain (TV series)#DVDs and books |publisher=[[BBC Worldwide]] |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-563-48714-2 |edition=Paperback 2003 |location=London |pages=155}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Weir |first=Alison |author-link=Alison Weir |title=The Princes in the Tower |date=August 1995 |publisher=[[Ballantine Books]] |isbn=9780345391780 |edition=1st Ballantine Books Trade Paperback |location=New York City |pages=110, 126, 140, 228}}</ref> or familiarized with it during training. These knights, among others, were called in to end large [[Insurgency|insurgencies]] and other large uprisings that involved [[Urban area|urban areas]] such as the [[Peasants' Revolt]] of [[Kingdom of England|England]] and the [[1323–1328 Flemish revolt]].

====Page====
A knight had to be born of nobility &ndash; typically sons of knights or lords.<ref name="Craig" /> In some cases, commoners could also be knighted as a reward for extraordinary military service. Children of the nobility were cared for by noble foster-mothers in [[castle]]s until they reached the age of seven.

These seven-year-old boys were given the title of ''[[Page (servant)|page]]'' and turned over to the care of the castle's lords. They were placed on an early training regime of hunting with [[hunter|huntsmen]] and [[Falconry|falconer]]s, and academic studies with priests or chaplains. Pages then become assistants to older knights in battle, carrying and cleaning armour, taking care of the horses, and packing the baggage. They would accompany the knights on expeditions, even into foreign lands. Older pages were instructed by knights in [[swordsmanship]], [[equestrianism]], chivalry, warfare, and combat (using wooden swords and spears).

====Squire====
When the boy turned 14, he became a ''[[squire]]''. In a religious ceremony, the new squire swore on a sword consecrated by a [[bishop]] or [[priest]], and attended to assigned duties in his lord's household. During this time, the squires continued training in combat and were allowed to own armour (rather than borrowing it).{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}[[File:DavidI&squire.jpg|thumb|[[David I of Scotland]] knighting a squire]]Squires were required to master the ''seven points of [[Agility|agilities]]'' &ndash; riding, [[Swimming (sport)|swimming]] and diving, shooting different types of weapons, climbing, participation in tournaments, [[wrestling]], [[Historical European martial arts|fencing]], [[long jumping]], and dancing &ndash; the prerequisite skills for knighthood. All of these were even performed while wearing armour.<ref>Lixey L.C., Kevin. ''Sport and Christianity: A Sign of the Times in the Light of Faith''. The Catholic University of America Press (October 31, 2012). p. 26. {{ISBN|978-0813219936}}.</ref>

Upon turning 21, the squire was eligible to be knighted. {{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

===Accolade===
{{main|Accolade}}
The accolade or knighting ceremony was usually held during one of the great feasts or holidays, like [[Christmas]] or [[Easter]], and sometimes at the wedding of a noble or royal. The knighting ceremony usually involved a ritual bath on the eve of the ceremony and a prayer vigil during the night. On the day of the ceremony, the would-be knight would swear an oath and the master of the ceremony would dub the new knight on the shoulders with a sword.<ref name="Fact"/><ref name="Craig"/> Squires, and even [[soldier]]s, could also be conferred direct knighthood early if they showed valor and efficiency for their service; such acts may include deploying for an important quest or mission, or protecting a high diplomat or a [[Monarchy|royal]] relative in battle.

=== Chivalric code ===
[[File:Peraldus Knight.jpg|thumb|The ''[[miles Christianus]]'' allegory (mid-13th century), showing a knight armed with [[virtue]]s and facing the [[vice]]s in mortal combat.]]
{{Main|Chivalry}}
Knights were expected, above all, to fight bravely and to display military professionalism and courtesy. When knights were taken as prisoners of war, they were customarily held for ransom in somewhat comfortable surroundings. This same standard of conduct did not apply to non-knights ([[archer]]s, [[peasant]]s, [[foot-soldier]]s, etc.) who were often slaughtered after capture, and who were viewed during battle as mere impediments to knights' getting to other knights to fight them.<ref>See [[Marcia L. Colish]], ''The Mirror of Language: A Study in the Medieval Theory of Knowledge''; University of Nebraska Press, 1983. p. 105.</ref>

Chivalry developed as an early standard of [[professional ethics]] for knights, who were relatively affluent horse owners and were expected to provide military services in exchange for [[landed property]]. Early notions of chivalry entailed loyalty to one's [[Homage (feudal)|liege lord]] and bravery in battle, similar to the values of the [[Germanic Heroic Age|Heroic Age]]. During the Middle Ages, this grew from simple military professionalism into a social code including the values of gentility, nobility and treating others reasonably.<ref>Keen, Maurice Keen. Chivalry. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press (February 11, 2005). pp. 7–17. {{ISBN|978-0300107678}}</ref> In ''[[The Song of Roland]]'' (c. 1100), [[Roland]] is portrayed as the ideal knight, demonstrating unwavering loyalty, military prowess and social fellowship. In [[Wolfram von Eschenbach]]'s ''[[Parzival]]'' (c. 1205), chivalry had become a blend of religious duties, love and military service. [[Ramon Llull]]'s ''Book of the Order of Chivalry'' (1275) demonstrates that by the end of the 13th century, chivalry entailed a litany of very specific duties, including riding warhorses, [[jousting]], attending [[tournament (medieval)|tournament]]s, holding [[Round table (tournament)|Round Table]]s and hunting, as well as aspiring to the more æthereal virtues of "faith, hope, charity, justice, strength, moderation and loyalty."<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=INmdwCSkvIgC&pg=PA105 |editor-last1=Fritze |editor-first1=Ronald |editor-last2=Robison |editor-first2=William |year=2002 |title=Historical Dictionary of Late Medieval England: 1272–1485 |location=Westport, CT |publisher=Greenwood Press |page=105|isbn=9780313291241 }}</ref>

Knights of the late medieval era were expected by society to maintain all these skills and many more, as outlined in [[Baldassare Castiglione]]'s ''[[The Book of the Courtier]]'', though the book's protagonist, Count Ludovico, states the "first and true profession" of the ideal [[courtier]] "must be that of arms."<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Deats |first1=Sarah |last2=Logan |first2=Robert |year=2002 |title=Marlowe's Empery: Expanding His Critical Contexts |location=Cranbury, NJ |publisher=Rosemont Publishing & Printing–Associated University Presses |page=137}}</ref> ''Chivalry'', derived from the French word ''chevalier'' ('cavalier'), simultaneously denoted skilled horsemanship and military service, and these remained the primary occupations of knighthood throughout the Middle Ages.

Chivalry and religion were mutually influenced during the period of the [[Crusades]]. The early Crusades helped to clarify the moral code of chivalry as it related to religion. As a result, Christian armies began to devote their efforts to sacred purposes. As time passed, clergy instituted religious vows which required knights to use their weapons chiefly for the protection of the weak and defenseless, especially women and orphans, and of churches.<ref>Keen, p. 138.</ref>

===Tournaments===
{{Main|Tournament (medieval)}}
[[File:Codex Manesse (Herzog) von Anhalt.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tournament (medieval)|Tournament]] from the ''[[Codex Manesse]]'', depicting the mêlée]]
In peacetime, knights often demonstrated their martial skills in tournaments, which usually took place on the grounds of a castle.<ref>Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.{{cite web |url=http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/knight4.htm|title=How Knights Work|publisher=How Stuff Works |date=January 22, 2008}}</ref><ref>Johnston, Ruth A. ''All Things Medieval: An Encyclopedia of the Medieval World, Volume 1''. Greenwood (August 15, 2011). pp. 690–700. ASIN: B005JIQEL2.</ref> Knights could parade their armour and banner to the whole court as the tournament commenced. Medieval tournaments were made up of martial sports called ''[[hastilude]]s'', and were not only a major spectator sport but also played as a real combat simulation. It usually ended with many knights either injured or even killed. One contest was a free-for-all battle called a ''[[Melee (tournament)|melee]]'', where large groups of knights numbering hundreds assembled and fought one another, and the last knight standing was the winner. The most popular and romanticized contest for knights was the ''[[joust]]''. In this competition, two knights charge each other with blunt wooden lances in an effort to break their lance on the opponent's head or body or unhorse them completely. The loser in these tournaments had to turn his armour and horse over to the victor. The last day was filled with feasting, dancing and [[minstrel]] singing.

Besides formal tournaments, there were also unformalized [[Trial by combat|judicial duels]] done by knights and [[Squire|squires]] to end various disputes.<ref name="Dav">David Levinson and Karen Christensen. ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present''. Oxford University Press; 1st edition (July 22, 1999). pp. 206. {{ISBN|978-0195131956}}.</ref><ref>Clifford J. Rogers, Kelly DeVries, and John Franc. ''Journal of Medieval Military History: Volume VIII''. Boydell Press (November 18, 2010). pp. 157–160. {{ISBN|978-1843835967}}</ref> Countries like [[Germany]], [[Britain (country)|Britain]] and [[Ireland]] practiced this tradition. Judicial combat was of two forms in medieval society, the feat of arms and chivalric combat.<ref name="Dav"/> The feat of arms were done to settle hostilities between two large parties and supervised by a judge. The chivalric combat was fought when one party's [[honor]] was disrespected or challenged and the conflict could not be resolved in court. Weapons were standardized and must be of the same caliber. The duel lasted until the other party was too weak to fight back and in early cases, the defeated party were then subsequently executed. Examples of these brutal duels were the judicial combat known as the [[Combat of the Thirty]] in 1351, and the [[trial by combat]] fought by [[Jean de Carrouges#Trial by combat|Jean de Carrouges]] in 1386. A far more chivalric duel which became popular in the Late Middle Ages was the ''[[pas d'armes]]'' or "passage of arms". In this [[hastilude]], a knight or a group of knights would claim a bridge, lane or city gate, and challenge other passing knights to fight or be disgraced.<ref>Hubbard, Ben. ''Gladiators: From Spartacus to Spitfires''. Canary Press (August 15, 2011). Chapter: Pas D'armes. ASIN: B005HJTS8O.</ref> If a lady passed unescorted, she would leave behind a glove or scarf, to be rescued and returned to her by a future knight who passed that way.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}}

===Heraldry===
{{main|Heraldry}}
One of the greatest distinguishing marks of the knightly class was the flying of coloured banners, to display power and to distinguish knights in battle and in tournaments.<ref>{{cite book|last=Crouch|first=David|title=The image of aristocracy in Britain, 1000–1300|year=1993|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=978-0-415-01911-8|pages=109|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zdzILRmW54wC|edition=1. publ.|access-date=4 December 2011}}</ref> Knights are generally ''armigerous'' (bearing a [[coat of arms]]), and indeed they played an essential role in the development of [[heraldry]].<ref>Platts, Beryl. ''Origins of Heraldry''. (Procter Press, London: 1980). p. 32. {{ISBN|978-0906650004}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/feud/hd_feud.htm|title = Feudalism and Knights in Medieval Europe|last = Norris|first = Michael|publisher = Department of Education, The Metropolitan Museum of Art|date = October 2001}}</ref> As heavier armour, including enlarged shields and enclosed helmets, developed in the Middle Ages, the need for marks of identification arose, and with coloured shields and [[surcoat]]s, coat armoury was born. [[Roll of arms|Armorial rolls]] were created to record the knights of various regions or those who participated in various [[Tournament (medieval)|tournaments]].

=== Equipment ===
[[File:Gothic armour parts.png|thumb|Elements of a harness of the late style of [[Gothic plate armour]] that was a popular style in the mid 15th to early 16th century (depiction made in the 18th century)]]
{{see|List of medieval armour components}}
Knights used a variety of weapons, including [[Mace (bludgeon)|maces]], [[Battle axe|axes]] and [[sword]]s. Elements of the knightly armour included [[helmet]], [[cuirass]], [[Gauntlet (glove)|gauntlet]] and [[shield]].

The sword was a weapon designed to be used solely in combat; it was useless in [[hunting]] and impractical as a [[tool]]. Thus, the sword was a status symbol among the knightly class. Swords were effective against lightly armoured enemies, while [[Mace (bludgeon)|maces]] and [[War hammer|warhammers]] were more effective against heavily armoured ones.<ref name="metmuseum" />{{Rp|85–86}}

One of the primary elements of a knight's armour was the [[shield]], which could be used to block strikes and projectiles. Oval shields were used during the [[Dark Ages (historiography)|Dark Ages]] and were made of wooden boards that were roughly half an inch thick. Towards the end of the 10th century, oval shields were lengthened to cover the left knee of the mounted warrior, called the [[kite shield]]. The [[heater shield]] was used during the 13th and the first half of the 14th century. Around 1350, square shields called bouched shields appeared, which had a notch in which to place the [[Lance|couched lance]].<ref name="metmuseum">{{cite web|title=The Art of Chivalry: European Arms and Armor from The Metropolitan Museum of Art|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/The_Art_of_Chivalry_European_Arms_and_Armor_from_The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art?Tag&title&author&pt&tc&dept&fmt|access-date=2021-03-04|website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art }}</ref>{{Rp|15}}

Until the mid-14th century, knights wore [[Chain mail|mail armour]] as their main form of defence. Mail was extremely flexible and provided good protection against sword cuts, but weak against blunt weapons such as the [[Mace (bludgeon)|mace]] and piercing weapons such as the [[lance]]. Padded undergarment known as [[Gambeson|aketon]] was worn to absorb shock damage and prevent [[Chafing (skin)|chafing]] caused by mail. In hotter climates metal rings became too hot, so sleeveless [[surcoat]]s were worn as a protection against the sun, and also to show their [[Coat of arms|heraldic arms]].<ref name="metmuseum" />{{Rp|15–17}} This sort of coat also evolved to be [[tabard]]s, [[waffenrock]]s and other garments with the arms of the wearer sewn into it.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Black Prince: achievements of The Black Prince at Canterbury|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004124356_emdt_com_157|access-date=2021-07-05|journal=Encyclopedia of Medieval Dress and Textiles|date=23 April 2012|doi=10.1163/9789004124356_emdt_com_157|last=Watts|first=Karen}}</ref>

Helmets of the knight of the early periods usually were more open helms such as the [[nasal helmet]], and later forms of the [[spangenhelm]]. The lack of more facial protection lead to the evolution of more [[Enclosed helmet|enclosing helmets]] to be made in the late 12th to early 13th centuries, this eventually would evolve to make the [[great helm]]. Later forms of the [[bascinet]], which was originally a small helm worn under the larger great helm, evolved to be worn solely, and would eventually have pivoted or hinged visors, the most popular was the [[Bascinet#Hounskull|hounskull]], also known as the "pig-face visor".<ref>{{cite book|last=David.|first=Lindholm|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/137244800|title=The Scandinavian Baltic crusades, 1100-1500|date=2007|publisher=Osprey Pub|isbn=978-1-84176-988-2|oclc=137244800}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Mann|first=James G.|date=October 1936|title=The Visor of a Fourteenth-century Bascinet found at Pevensey Castle|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0003581500084249|journal=The Antiquaries Journal|volume=16|issue=4|pages=412–419|doi=10.1017/s0003581500084249|s2cid=161352227|issn=0003-5815}}</ref>

[[Plate armour]] first appeared in the 13th century, when plates were added onto the torso and mounted to a base of leather. This form of armour is known as a [[coat of plates]], and was initially used over chain mail in the 13th and 14th centuries, at the time of [[Transitional armour]]. The torso was not the only part of the knight to receive this plate protection evolution, as the elbows and shoulders were covered with circular pieces of metal, commonly referred to as [[Rondel (armour)|rondels]], eventually evolving into the plate arm harness consisting of the [[rerebrace]], [[vambrace]], and [[spaulder]] or [[pauldron]]. The legs too were covered in plates, mainly on the shin, called [[schynbalds]] which later evolved to fully enclose the leg in the form of enclosed [[greave]]s. As for the upper legs, [[cuisses]] came about in the mid 14th century.<ref>{{cite journal|date=2010-01-01|title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of Medieval Warfare and Military Technology|publisher=Oxford University Press|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780195334036.001.0001|doi=10.1093/acref/9780195334036.001.0001|isbn=978-0-19-533403-6}}</ref> Overall, plate armour offered better protection against piercing weapons such as [[arrow]]s and especially [[Crossbow bolt|bolts]] than mail armour did.<ref name="metmuseum" />{{Rp|15–17}}Plate armor reached his peak in the 15th and 16th centuries, but was still used at the beginning of the 17th century by the first [[Cuirassiers]] like the [[London lobsters]].

Knights' horses were also armoured in later periods; [[caparison]]s were the first form of medieval horse coverage and was used much like the surcoat. Other [[Barding|armours]], such as the facial armouring chanfron, were made for horses.<ref>{{cite web|date=2015-03-24|title=Online Etymology Dictionary|url=http://etymonline.com/index.php?term=caparison%09&allowed_in_frame=0|access-date=2021-07-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324211817/http://etymonline.com/index.php?term=caparison%09&allowed_in_frame=0|archive-date=2015-03-24}}</ref>