Table of Contents
What is chivalry and what was it?
There are 10 rules of chivalry.
In conclusion
What is chivalry and what was it?
Chivalry, a code of religious, moral and cultural values that helped to distinguish those in higher social classes from the lower ones and allowed knights to earn a favorable reputation for their personal and professional advancement.
A squire who becomes a knight swears an oath to uphold chivalry. This is a code of morals that all knights must follow. The code of chivalry governed the life of a knight in many ways. It included courtesy, loyalty and honour. The High Middle Ages were often called the Age of Chivalry. Unfortunately, knights weren’t all good men. In history, many were recorded as cowards, dishonourables, and cruel.
Around the age twenty, a squire will be promoted to knighthood. He had to have proven himself either in battle or by his lord. He would have determined that he is ready to be knighted. . After a lengthy ceremony, the squire is renamed a Knight. After a day of fasting, he would pray and purify himself. Then he would confess his sins to the priest, wash and wear a tunic that symbolized purity. A robe would be worn over the tunic as a symbol of his willingness for God to sacrifice blood. He wore black tights and his shoes, which symbolized death. He would go to church, attend a service called mass, bless his shield and sword, and promise ‘to protect the weak and the orphans, widows and women’. He would swear allegiance and then be knighted by his lord.
The 10 Commandments of Chivalry were: 1. Thou shall believe and obey everything that the church teaches.
2. Thou shall defend the church.
3. You must respect and defend all your weaknesses.
4. Love the country where you were born.
5. You must not retreat before your enemy.
6. The infidel must be fought mercilessly and without stopping.
7. Do not perform thy duties feudal in a way that is contrary to God’s laws.
8. Never lie to anyone and keep your promises.
9. Give generously to all.
10. You must be the champion for the good and the right everywhere, always.
Conclusion In Medieval Europe, there was a code of ethics called chivalry. This code contained expectations and rules for how the nobility must behave at all moments. As well as a religious, social and moral code, Chivalry served to separate the nobles from the commoners and helped knights gain a favorable reputation in order to progress in both their personal and professional lives. In the late eleventh century CE, knights were expected to demonstrate courage, military skills, loyalty to their king, justice, kindness, and generosity to others. The concept of chivalry has become romanticized, in large part due to a proliferation of literature. It continued right through medieval times with periodic revivals. All were familiar with and admired the Code of Chivalry.
