The question of what medieval rites are depicted in ancient miniatures is quite often found in various school assignments (exercises, olympiads, etc.). Working with illustrative material is important because it forms a child's visual representation of the life of people of that distant time. The drawings help to better remember the features of clothing, weapons, homes of representatives of the military and upper classes, since they are most often depicted in the pictures.
Knight's Initiation - Around
When answering the question of what medieval rites are depicted in ancient miniatures, it should be remembered that these drawings, as a rule, depicted scenes that were especially important for the life of the society of the time in question. One of the most common compositions is the knighting ceremony.
This is because society was hierarchical. Almost every person was drawn into a system of vassal-lenny relations. Warriors occupied a prominent place in the hierarchical structure. In order to become a member of the chivalrous corporation, it was necessary to undergo a special rite, which consisted of encircling the sword. Therefore, when it comes to which medieval ceremonies are depicted in ancient miniatures, it must be remembered that this particular scene is especially common.
Knight's initiation - sword strike
The above initiation is rooted in the era of barbarian times. The features of the ceremony were influenced by the ancient German customs of the era of military democracy. Before a warrior became a knight, he went a long and difficult way to fulfill the duties of a squire, participated in battles, and at the same time he had to complete a military feat. That is why the ceremony was so carefully planned and regulated. The latter circumstance should be taken into account when studying which medieval rites are depicted in ancient miniatures.
There was another way of knighting - stabbing the applicant with the sword on the shoulder of the applicant. This option is also quite common in the drawings. However, it belongs to the period of the developed Middle Ages. Moreover, this ceremonial is mentioned in the famous novel Don Quixote.
Vassal oath
Another way to enter the hierarchical system was to take an oath of vassal. In the French version, this rite was called hommage - "homage". The knights always swore allegiance to their master - the man who endowed them with land, for which they were obliged to carry out military service. It is this scene that is often depicted by medieval ceremonies in ancient miniatures. In the 6th grade, there are a lot of information on this subject in history textbooks. This ritual involved swearing an oath and then exchanging a kiss symbolizing fidelity.