Knowra Chivalry Chivalry Chivalry is the social and ethical code associated with medieval knights, joining martial prowess and loyalty with duties of service, honor, and restraint.
Feudalism : A medieval social and political order organized around landholding, personal bonds, and obligations. Vassalage and military service supplied social foundations for knightly loyalty.
Knighthood : The social status and institution of mounted warriors, usually granted through formal recognition. Chivalry was an ideal attached to knighthood, not the status itself.
The Song of Roland : An Old French epic poem about Charlemagne's campaign in Spain and the death of Roland at Roncevaux. Roland's loyalty and courage became enduring models of knightly conduct.
Knights Templar : A medieval Catholic military order founded to protect pilgrims and defend Christian territories. The Templars combined knightly warfare with monastic vows, unlike ordinary secular knighthood.
Mounted knight : A warrior who fought on horseback, typically equipped with armor and trained for mounted combat. Chivalry developed around the status, duties, and military role of mounted warriors.
Vassalage : A personal bond in which a vassal owed service to a lord in return for protection or resources. Its reciprocal obligations gave loyalty a concrete political form.
King Arthur : A legendary British ruler central to medieval tales of Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. Arthurian stories gave chivalric ideals a celebrated court and fellowship.
Mercenary : A combatant who serves for payment rather than primarily through allegiance or civic duty. Mercenary service highlights the difference between paid violence and chivalry's ideal of loyal obligation.
dubbing : A ceremonial act conferring knighthood, often performed with a sword and oath. The rite publicly marked entry into the status governed by chivalric expectations.
Courtly love : A medieval literary tradition portraying idealized, often unattainable love within aristocratic court life. Romances linked knightly conduct to refined behavior and devotion, though not always to historical practice.
Show all 20