Code Of Chivalry Research Paper

From the moment someone says their first word to the day they start school, he or she is expected to be successful. Now imagine if all the hard work paid off to become well known in a country’s history. Attaining the luxurious life of fame and fortune as guardian of a kingdom was not easy, however. Knights were faced with a lifetime of grueling work. In order to become a medieval knight one first needed to learn the code of chivalry before enduring rigorous training as a Page and advancing as a Squire. In order to become a medieval knight, one first needed to learn the Code of Chivalry. The word chivalry derives from the French term “chevalier”, meaning knight.

The Code of the Knight was a set of rules brought forth by Henry II’s wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, from France to England in the mid to late 1100s. The code included rules such as: being as brave as their lords, fighting until death was at one’s side, never refusing a challenge, never betraying one’s lord, and, most important of all, never going back on one’s word.

According to www.medieval-life-and-times.com, “The Code of Chivalry was a moral system which went beyond the rules of combat and introduced the concept of chivalrous conduct.” (1) While knights needed to be godly warriors, they also needed to set an example for the common people. Being compassionate, protecting the weak and defenseless, maintaining their faith, honoring women, and being humble were some of the many rules of chivalry set forth by the code. There was also an emphasis on piety, or being religious, humility, and chastity. The young knights practiced these rules during their grueling sixteen plus years of