What is a True Medieval Knight ？ Start from the “child labor” chores, master and horse dealers “bargain”!
The Western European Middle Ages (approximately 476 AD to 1453 AD), which lasted nearly 1,000 years, was actually different from many dynasties in ancient my country: there seemed to be no major historical processes and changes throughout the Middle Ages. And now, as long as people talk about the Medieval , they are actually most impressed by one group: Knights .
If you want to become a knight, you must learn to “do odd jobs” from an early age!
Every knight’s “canonization ceremony” is usually very grand: before the ceremony starts, a ritual bath is required. Then they will wear white shirts, red robes symbolizing nobility and black shoes symbolizing death.
In fact, in the early Middle Ages, knights were just synonymous with “terrorist predators”, used to describe those barbaric and unreasonable military ruffians!
It wasn’t until the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 that the word “knight” became a symbol of justice: they rode tall horses, wore shiny heavy armor, greeted people humbly when passing by, and the creed was “help the weak and destroy the strong” .
In fact, this point is similar to that of ancient Chinese chivalrous men. However, ancient Chinese knights are generally free warriors who roam around. But the medieval knights in Western Europe were not like this. They were not only a fighting individual who was loyal to the “master”, but also a social status.
In the medieval , you can’t become a knight if you want to, because there is an insurmountable threshold that has always stood in front of ordinary people: blood.
A real knight must first be a person with “status”, reincarnated into a noble family and made great military exploits, this is undoubtedly the “fast track” to upgrade to a knight.
Some eldest sons of aristocrats who aspired to be knights from an early age would leave their castles at the age of 7 and be sent by their parents to the homes of some more powerful lords as “servants”. They dispose of kitchen scraps, clean up trash for the castle, and clean stables, among other chores.
When the master went out to fight, these “child laborers” had to follow the master and take care of the armor, weapons and horses for the master. However, they are different from ordinary handymen: in addition to doing chores, they also need to learn combat skills such as riding and swordsmanship, and the training process is quite strict.
These aristocratic children who left home with a “knight dream” could only live such a life before the age of 14. Of course, they also need to learn some cultural lessons such as religion and arithmetic.
Therefore, in order to become a qualified knight, not only a strong military accomplishment is required, but the cultural level must also be higher than others. Just like Ned in the North and Robert in the Stormland in “A Song of Ice and Fire”, they all received such “training” in the castle of the Lord Arryn’s family in the valley.
Only after the “probationary period” expires and they are qualified can they obtain the status of “knight retinue”, which is equivalent to the status of “reserve knight”. And after becoming “knight servants”, the little nobles finally had the opportunity to go on the battlefield and show their “ambition”.
This practical training period usually lasts for 7 years, until the young nobles are 21 years old. If the master is very satisfied with his performance, he will hold a formal “knighthood ceremony” for them. Of course, if a small nobleman proves himself repeatedly in the battle, it is likely that the “titling ceremony” will be advanced.
The process of knights’ “canonization ceremony” is complicated, but only after the master’s “sword” is patted can they be orthodox knights!
Every knight’s “canonization ceremony” is usually very grand: before the ceremony starts, a ritual bath is required. Then they will wear white shirts, red robes symbolizing nobility and black shoes symbolizing death.
Then the “would-be knights” would go to the castle or church to pray all night, and the next day the ceremony officially began: the master would hold a sword and shield blessed by the priest, and the “would-be knights” would directly face these weapons to make a holy oath and declare their allegiance to their master.
After the swearing session, the master will give the sword and shield to the “would-be knight”, strike him on the shoulder with his palm or sword, and say: “I call you my knight”. At this time, the “quasi knight” finally became a real knight! Later, the new knight will put on his armor and stand beside his master.
At the last part of the ceremony, the great nobles will give a formal title to the “quasi knight”, which is generally “place name+person name”! Since then, in order to show respect for this knight, people will call him his title when they meet.
Of course, some casual masters will not perform such a tedious “canonization”. They just slap their swords: “Well, you are my knight!”
However, after the ceremony, the Grand Noble will officially recognize the orthodox identity of the knight. In addition, they usually give part of their fiefs to the knight of the Later Jin Dynasty as a reward for his long military service.
After getting the land, the knight of the Later Jin Dynasty will still serve his master for a period of time (usually 400 days). If he is successful in fighting, he will have the opportunity to become a great lord and award other knights by himself.
At this point, some people may ask: Are only small nobles qualified to be knights?
Of course not! Ordinary farmers can also become knights through military achievements. However, this process is very long and may require the efforts of several generations. The son of a knight may not be a knight. After all, no one can guarantee that their descendants will love this profession or have the ability to do it.
But to sum up, under the “hereditary system” in medieval Europe, if the son of a farmer wanted to become a knight, he had to pay more! It is relatively easier for a knight’s son to become a knight.
The real living conditions of a medieval knight are not so “beautiful”!
So, are medieval knights as “bright and beautiful” as in the movies? This is the scoring period and the owner.
For example, lance, sword and shield, and shining armor are standard equipment for knights. However, both chain mail armour and deck armour were expensive orders at that time, and the prerequisite for armor was that the “henchmen” would no longer grow. After all, only when their height and weight are fixed can they build a suitable armor.
Therefore, some generous lords will give their “retinues” a set of decent weapons and equipment when they grow up. But some stingy lords won’t give it, so they need to find their own way.
In fact, in the Middle Ages, most knights were short of money. Moreover, a shrewd lord would not let ordinary knights under his command have too much free money, so as to ensure that they would not “lie flat” and gradually lose their initiative and combat effectiveness.
For example, lance, sword and shield, and shining armor are standard equipment for knights. However, both chain mail armour and deck armour were expensive orders at that time, and the prerequisite for armor was that the “henchmen” would no longer grow. After all, only when their height and weight are fixed can they build a suitable armor.
Therefore, some generous lords will give their “retinues” a set of decent weapons and equipment when they grow up. But some stingy lords won’t give it, so they need to find their own way.
In fact, most medieval knights were short of money. Moreover, a shrewd lord would not let ordinary knights under his command have too much free money, so as to ensure that they would not “lie flat” and gradually lose their initiative and combat effectiveness.
Therefore, the medieval European knights were all “one man”. There was never any “female knights” in the European historical documents. At most, they appeared in legends and movies.
Even if the French national hero “Joan of Arc”, although she was once the leader of the knights, she did not have the status of a knight! After all, no European country will hold any “coronation ceremony” for a woman.
English 
Deutsch (Sie) 
Français 
Español 
Deutsch (Schweiz)