Medieval Knight Life

Knights, were from the medieval era. At age twelve or thirteen a boy born in to nobility would become a squire. They became assistants to knights, they would look after the knight's armor and weapons. They would be able to follow the knight in to battle and learn the use of the weapons. When the knights were in tournaments, the squire was the only person allowed to help him. Once the squire was old and skilled enough, he would become a knight himself.

The word knight got this name from the Old English word cniht. The Knight’s duty were very similar to the samurai's. They were hired to protect land and the people that owned the land. They also had a code like the samurai. This code stuck them to their duties and made sure that they kept their morals. Knights controlled land and the land was managed by the peasants of the kingdom. It was the peasants who mostly fought the battles instead of the knights. The knights led the peasants into the battle they fought.

In the past years, the job of a medieval knight was to fight battles for his lord. They used weapons like daggers, or longswords, and many more. Knights were also referred to as warriors and they are commonly expected to guard a castle. There are a couple of jobs from America today that best relates to the job of a medieval knight. For example, one job that best relates to a medieval knight is a soldier working in the military.

The value of nobility in the middle ages can hardly be questioned. The majority of nobles lived a life of luxury, having riches beyond the wildest dreams of commoners. When one thinks of medieval knights, nobility is often comes to mind, but did knights have to be members of the noble class? Sir Thomas Malory’s “The Tale of Sir Gareth” examines this question and presents an interesting view as to the true value of a knight. Malory uses the actions of important characters to reveal his opinion that the nobility of a knight was secondary to his integrity, courage, and benevolence.

William (Sir Ulrich) will show nobility of a true knight throughout the film. William follows the creed of a knight which is truth, honor and loyalty. Throughout the move he will always remain truthful to those around him. He is humble with his victories, always retaining the honor of victory but never broasting. The ending of the film is a prime example of a true knight, where William goes to the extreme. William finds out that Adhemar told officials of him not being a true knight. He even with his followers around him and his love there does not listen to what they say, which is to run. Knowing what will happen he still goes through to going to the stadium and being arrested by the twelve dozen men. This was true character, knowing what was to come but still facing it.

The era of knights, lances, and chivalry, medieval times, cannot compare to the modern conveniences there are in modern day. From transportation to weapons, even ordinary indulgences, the conveniences of present day are superior to that of medieval times.

Everyone does certain things when they can’t have what they desire and often they are mean. Whether they mean it or not it still happens. In “The Most Dangerous Game” Zaroff can’t be the best hunter in the world with Rainsford still alive, so since he could not get what he desired Zaroff hunts and attempts to kill Rainsford. In “All Summer In A Day.” Margot can remember the sun from while on Earth, however on Mars the sun comes out only once every 7 years causing the kids not to remember and to be jealous. Resulting in the kids locking Margot in a closet before the sun comes out because they can not get what they desire, which is to see the sun everyday. Both Richard Connell in “The Most Dangerous Game” and Ray Bradbury in “All Summer In A Day” we can see how the authors use actions and feelings to get across the point of people do mean things when they can not have what they desire.

It was not easy to become a knight. They started off by becoming a page. A noble's son could start training to be a knight when he was seven years old. Nobles' sons had to train with weapons of course, but they also had to learn how to ride a horse, how to behave towards their liege lords and ladies, and even about music and the other arts. It was just like going to school, only their teachers were the squires. Once they reached a certain point in their training, they would be appointed as a squire. A squire, who was generally a teenager, had a different set of duties. They had to teach the pages of course, but they also had to wait on the knights. They continued their training in battle, but also were assigned to a specific knight who completed their training. As a squire you went into battle with the knight and fought at his side. This

By the time of the Crusades in Medieval Europe, Knights were nothing out of the ordinary. A knight's training began at around four or five. It involved them learning how to ride a pony. Around the age of eight, the young trainee would be sent to be a page for a lord or a relative with influence. At this point, they would refine their swordsmanship, improve their horse skills, and would be taught more about their religion. At the age of 14, pages were eligible to become a squire, where they continued their sword fighting skills. They would accompany a knight into a battle, care for him, care for his horses, and would simply hope to be chosen to

Dictionary).  At the beginning of the Middle Ages, chivalry was strictly pigeon holed by its followers and members into only protecting religious pilgrimages and to maintain the church of God, to serve in valor and combat, and to bind oneself to courtly etiquette and the respect and protection of women.  Many of these beliefs and ideals stemmed from medieval literature, especially influenced by Spanish and Arabic literature, such as Arabian Nights, bringing forth

The Squires job was as a servant to a knight during the Middle Ages. This was the fourth and final step of becoming a Knight. During war Squires accompanied Knights on to the battlefield. They helped to maintain and hand the knights they were serving their heavy weapons and shield, and assisted them in mounting and dismounting from their horses and help guard the prisoners of war. Often knighthood was rewarded on a squire at an earlier age for bravery on the battlefield. If not the Squire served in this role for seven years and became a Knight at the age of twenty-one. Many boys never made it passed this step because they were killed during their duty as a squire, due to the lack of full

During the Middle Ages a peasant’s life was, indeed, very rough, there were anywhere from ten to sixty families living in a single village; they lived in rough huts on dirt floors, with no chimneys, or windows. Usually one end of the hut was given over to storing livestock. Furnishings were quite sparse; three legged stools, a trestle table, beds softened with straw or leaves and placed on the floor; the peasant diet was mainly porridge, cheese, black bread, and a few homegrown vegetables. Peasants had a hard life, yet they did not work on Sundays, and they could travel to nearby fairs and markets. The basic diet of a lord consisted of meat, fish, pastries, cabbage, turnips, onions, carrots, beans, and peas, as well as fresh bread, cheese, and fruit. This is by no means equivalent to the meals the peasants ate, a lord might even feast on boar, swan, or peacock as well.

Knights had their own code called “chivalry.” Chivalry was the qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women. The Song of Roland describes 8th century knights and what has been called Charlemagne’s Code of Chivalry. This code included, fear God and maintain his church, serve the liege lord, protect the weak and defenseless, give succor to widows and orphans, refrain from the wanton giving of offence, live by honor and for glory, despise pecuniary reward, fight for the welfare of all, obey authority, guard the honor of fellow knights, eschew unfairness, meanness, and deceit, keep the faith, speak the truth, persevere to the end of any enterprise begun, respect the honor of women, never refuse a challenge form an equal and never turn your back to a foe (Medieval). In order, for a squire become a knight to he had to go through the Order of Knighthood Ceremony.

Behind each house was a garden or small plot of land. The common fields surrounding the village were some distance away, divided into strips and separated by twigs and pieces of unplowed land. Past the open fields was the waste, the uncultivated land which provided grazing land for the cattle, sheep and pigs and also fuel and timber for building.11 Bread was the staple item of the peasant diet. Eating meat was either a rare or nonexistent occurrence. Peasants ate whatever they grew: grains and a small percent of vegetables and potatoes. Barley and oats were made into both food and drink for consuming. The good grains, the meat from the animals, and the tasty fruits and vegetables went to either the lords or to the upper classes.12 “The peasant’s housing was as basic as his diet.” Most houses consisted of two rooms, one for living and one for sleeping. The walls were constructed of clay or straw supported by wooden frames. The roofs were thatched and animals were free to wander in and out. The smells of animals, sweat and waste were anything but pleasant and were more than plentiful.Water was gathered from an outside well or spring and there was no form of sanitation leading to a low level of personal

Knights are one of the most mistaken figures of the medieval era due to fairytales and over exaggerated fiction novels. When medieval knights roamed the earth, it was known that they were only human and, like humans, had faults. These knights did not always live up to the standards designated by society. However, in The Canterbury Tales, the knight is revealed as a character that would now be considered a knight in shining armor, a perfect role model in how he acts and what he does. Modern day people see them as chivalrous figures instead of their actual role as mounted cavalry soldiers. As time passes, the idea of what a knight is changes from a simple cavalry soldier to a specific type of behavior.