Chivalry

Chivalry is the belief and practice of knights in the middle ages and even today. Chivalry was a code of ethics upheld by noble landholders and/or knights who were influenced by Christianity. The chivalric knight was loyal, courteous, protective, and gentle and honorable to all, including enemies. Knights sought love and glory, but not selfish love and glory; love and glory for his lady and king first. Knights were courageous, humble, obedient, and chaste. The three things that knights lived by: courage, honor, and fidelity.

The code of knighthood stressed loyalty to their military leader, participation in wars, and courage. The church codes stressed protection, humility, and service to the weak and poor. Since knights devoted themselves to the Virgin Mary, this is probably where their worshipful attitudes toward women came about. Women were literally treated as queens by chivalric men. They were respectful, worshipful, and reverent toward women. A knight's love for a lady was known as courtly love. To a knight, love and war was the untimate sacrifice. Knights upheld their lady's every "whim or desire", no matter what the cost, even if it meant death.

Knights went through a lot before they were given their actual knighthood. In order to be a knight, you had to own land and be born into nobility. At a young age, the boy would become a page or valet in his apprenticeship. During this time period, he would learn the conduct, rules, etc. for being a knight. Then, while being a squire or shield bearer for another knight, the boy would learn the art of war. Finally, it came time for the boy to be dubbed a knight, which usually took place on a major Christian holiday, like Christmas.

Chivalry was important because it brought order to the chaos that surrounded the feudal medieval times.

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