Editing Chivalry (section)

===Origins in military ethos===
[[File:Roman Museum 007.jpg|thumb|Reconstruction of a [[Roman cavalry]]man ({{lang|la|[[Equites|eques]]}})]]
Emerging with the [[knight]]'s character and the chivalric ethos were novel elements: revised social status, innovative military tactics, and fresh literary themes.<ref>{{harvp|Keen|2005|p=42}}</ref> Chivalric codes encompassed regulations such as pledging loyalty to the overlord and upholding warfare rules. These rules dictated refraining from attacking a defenseless opponent and prioritizing the capture of fellow nobles for later ransom instead of immediate harm, akin to adhering to a perceived codified law.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Holt Literature and Language Arts Course Six|last=Holt|isbn=978-0030564987|location=Houston. TX|pages=100|date=May 2002}}</ref> The chivalric ideals are based on those of the early medieval warrior class, and martial exercise and military virtue remain integral parts of chivalry until the end of the medieval period,<ref name=sweeney>{{harvp|Sweeney|1983}}</ref> as the reality on the battlefield changed with the development of [[Early Modern warfare]], and increasingly restricted it to the [[Tournament (medieval)|tournament ground]] and [[duel]]ling culture. The [[joust]] remained the primary example of knightly display of martial skill throughout the [[Renaissance]] (the last Elizabethan [[Accession Day tilt]] was held in 1602).

The martial skills of the knight carried over to the practice of [[Medieval hunting|the hunt]], and hunting expertise became an important aspect of courtly life in the later medieval period (see [[terms of venery]]).  Related to chivalry was the practice of [[heraldry]] and its elaborate rules of displaying coats of arms as it emerged in the [[High Middle Ages]].