The Age of Chivalry
SETTING THE STAGE
During the Middle Ages, nobles constantly fought one another. Their feuding kept Europe in a
fragmented state for centuries. Through warfare, feudal lords defended their estates, seized new
territories, and increased their wealth. Lords and their armies lived in a violent society that prized
combat skills. By the 1100s, though, a code of behavior began to arise. High ideals guided warriors’
actions and glorified their roles.
Knights: Warriors on Horseback
Soldiers mounted on horseback became valuable in combat during the reign of Charlemagne’s
grandfather, Charles Martel, in the 700s. Charles Martel had observed that the Muslim cavalry often
turned the tide of battles. As a result, he organized Frankish troops of armored horsemen, or knights.
The Technology of Warfare
Changes Leather saddles and stirrups changed the way warfare was conducted in Europe during the
700s. Both had been developed in Asia around 200 B.C.
The saddle kept a warrior firmly seated on a moving horse. Stirrups enabled him to ride and handle
heavier weapons. Without stirrups to brace him, a charging warrior was likely to topple off his own
horse. Frankish knights, galloping full tilt, could knock over enemy foot soldiers and riders on horseback.
Gradually, mounted knights became the most important part of an army. Their warhorses played a key
military role.
The Warrior’s Role in Feudal Society
By the 11th century, western Europe was a battleground of warring nobles vying for power. To defend
their territories, feudal lords raised private armies of knights. In exchange for military service, feudal
lords used their most abundant resource—land. They rewarded knights, their most skilled warriors, with
fiefs from their sprawling estates. Wealth from these fiefs allowed knights to devote their lives to war.
Knights could afford to pay for costly weapons, armor, and warhorses.
As the lord’s vassal, a knight’s main obligation was to serve in battle. From his knights, a lord typically
demanded about 40 days of combat a year. Knights’ pas times also often revolved around training for
war. Wrestling and hunting helped them gain strength and practice the skills they would need on the
battlefield.
Knighthood and the Code of Chivalry
Knights were expected to display courage in battle and loyalty to their lord. By the 1100s, the code of
chivalry, a complex set of ideals, demanded that a knight fight bravely in defense of three masters. He
devoted himself to his earthly feudal lord, his heavenly Lord, and his chosen lady. The chivalrous knight
also protected the weak and the poor. The ideal knight was loyal, brave, and courteous. Most knights,
though, failed to meet all of these high standards. For example, they treated the lower classes brutally.
A Knight’s Training
Sons of nobles began training for knighthood at an early age and learned the code of chivalry. At age 7, a
boy would be sent off to the castle of another lord. As a page, he waited on his hosts and began to
practice fighting skills. At around age 14, the page reached the rank of squire. A squire acted as a servant
to a knight. At around age 21, a squire became a full-fledged knight.
After being dubbed a knight, most young men traveled for a year or two. The young knights gained
experience fighting in local wars. Some took part in mock battles called tournaments. Tournaments
combined recreation with combat training. Two armies of knights charged each other. Trumpets blared,
and lords and ladies cheered. Like real battles, tournaments were fierce and bloody competitions.
Winners could usually demand large ransoms from defeated knights.
