Monday, December 2, 2013

Knighthood: The Origin of Knights

  Lesson 45 Essay

 The word “knight” was the title given to a person honored by a king or a monarch for a service. Originally, however, a knight was a mounted soldier and was considered a lesser noble. Knights eventually became just honored people, and they were recognized for noble deeds outside the military. In the Middle Ages, knights were part of two systems:
The Feudal System hierarchy
The service of the king's army
  The whole idea of “warriors on horseback”, came from the Franks after the fall of Rome and was expanded by Charlemagne. Any person who could ride and owned armor was considered a knight in these early times. Eventually, knighthood became a more refined position in the Feudal system. Knights were of the lower class nobles, and though they rode horses into battle, they were still distinct from the cavalry.
  An important part of knighthood was chivalry. The knights took this very seriously, even getting to the point where they organized a code for it. Chivalry was an ethical standard that all knights had to adhere to. When they weren't needed for battle, knights would live in castles or large fortified houses. Knighthood and chivalry was influenced by Christianity. Knights tried to pursue the values of “faith, hope, charity, justice, strength, modesty, and loyalty”. Chivalric ideals were popular in medieval writing and were often combined with romance in the Renaissance. The stories of a knight saving a damsel in distress is still very popular in modern culture.
  However, knighthood and chivalry was forgotten during the Renaissance. Knighthood is still granted in some societies today. Knighthood now is granted for doing great deeds.

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