Heraldry is a form of symbolism that originated to help identify individuals or families in battle or in tournaments. With the advent of the barrel helm in the 13th century an individual’s face became concealed. It therefore became necessary to create a method to distinguish ally from enemy.
Heraldic symbols ranged from simple geometric shapes such [...]
The sword was a standard fighting weapon long before the evolution of the medieval knight. Nevertheless, the medieval knight found the sword to be an effective weapon. Medieval swords usually were made from a low carbon steel. Most swords were double-edged, and featured a crossguard, hilt, and pommel. Many surviving examples of medieval swords feature [...]
Protecting oneself in battle has always been a concern for any soldier, and medieval knights were no exception. In fact, it was their protective armor that helped define them as a military unit and social class. Armoring one’s self during the Middle Ages was a great expense that only the wealthy could afford.
Among the earliest [...]
The Crusades began as a result of Jerusalem’s capture by the Seljuk Turks in 1071. The Turks were not tolerant of the pilgrims from medieval Europe who journeyed to the holy city and began arresting, imprisoning, and enslaving them. In addition, the Byzantine Empire, important to the stability and protection of medieval Europe, was losing [...]
Orders of Knighthood flowered in the Middle Ages in order to promote the pageantry and mystique of knighthood. The two most famous orders were the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers.
The Knights Templar were originally guides and guardians for the pilgrims visiting Jerusalem during the rule of the Seljuk Turks. They lived near the Temple of [...]
Medieval knights were generally born into families of knights or title lords. Thus, they were raised with the goal of knighthood in mind. An aspiring young knight was raised by the women in his own house until he reached the age of seven or eight. At that point, he was sent to the household of [...]
Although the roots of knighthood can be traced back further in time, the knight is essentially a product of the militarization of society which began in the tenth century and accelerated in the eleventh.
The knight is associated with the advent of feudalism, a form of society distinguished by the decentralization of authority, by the growth [...]
The word chivalry comes from the French word, chevalerie, which means skills to handle a horse. The ability to handle a horse, especially in combat, was of the utmost importance to a medieval knight. As the Middle Ages progressed, the term chivalry began to take on new meanings.
From the 12th century onward chivalry came to [...]
Theoretically, anyone could become a knight. However, being a knight was quite expensive. Knights were required to purchase heavy armor to help their survival rate, good weapons, and at least two horses–one to ride and one to carry equipment. If captured, be it in battle or in tournament, a knight had to pay a hefty ransom. [...]
Arguably the most lasting influential aspect of medieval knighthood was the idea of itself as depicted in literature over the ages. When most contemporary people hear the words medieval knight, they think of knight in shining armor riding a large white horse. They imagine the knight bravely wielding his sword or lance in defense of [...]
