Knightly Wisdom

Everyone knows knights for their fighting abilities; however, that is not all they should be remembered for.  In the mid-to-high Middle Ages, knights valiantly served their King, the church, the people, and most importantly, God.  Joyfully, they obeyed the Code of Chivalry.  They gleamed in shiny armor.  Becoming a knight required much work.  Much can be learned by passing through the portal of time to take a closer look at these brave warriors.

In days of old, knighthood was thought to be a holy calling.  As a result, knights lived under the magnificent Code of Chivalry.  These were the standards that controlled their behavior.  Unlike any others, they obediently protected the feeble and women.  They were also commanded to guard the weak, never boast, and love the church.  Honoring their king and fighting for their country were important aspects of a knight's calling.  The requirements of knighthood were extremely difficult to meet.  Surprisingly, many succeeded.  Following the Code of Chivalry caused many to think that knights were called by God.

Knighthood also comes to mind at the mention of armor.  Originally, the armor was made of chain mail, a basic defense.  However, when the crossbow was invented, chain mail was not powerful enough to block flaming, zipping arrows.  Brilliantly, blacksmiths created a process of smithing metal plates which added an impenetrable defense to the chain mail.  There was just one problem: these new suits of armor were exceedingly expensive.  The price matched a modern tank's!  Without their famous yet expensive armor, modern people would not think of knights in the same way.

Becoming a knight was an extremely time-consuming process.  The training commenced at the mere age of seven.  Beginners were named pages.  They were taught how to fight with swords, how to wrestle, and how to hunt with falcons.  At the age of twelve, they could become squires.  Squires cared for their master's horse and polished his sword and armor.  Finally, at sixteen, they could become knights, if they were dubbed by their master.  Dubbing was when a knight taps his squire on the shoulder with his sword hilt.  This dubbing ended a long experience and began a new adventure.

Although they were not perfect, brave and courteous are terms to describe a knight.  They followed the Code of Chivalry from beginning to end.  Surprisingly, their brilliant armor remained shiny through many a bloody battle.  To be dubbed a knight, they had to persevere through nine years of hard work and trials.  Women and the feeble did not have to worry when a law-abiding knight was around.  Battling and living wisely, knights taught many lessons in their day which people today would do well to follow.