During the Middle Ages, an extremely closed corporation of professional warriors called knights formed among large feudal landowners. They were united not only by a similar way of life, but also by common personal ideals and moral and ethical values. The combination of these factors laid the foundation for a kind of chivalrous culture that did not know analogues in subsequent centuries.
The rise of the status of large feudal lords
It is generally accepted that the medieval military and agricultural estate, known today as chivalry, first began to form in the VIII century in the Frankish state in connection with its transition from a foot army to the horse guards of the vassals. The impetus for this process was the invasion of the Arabs and their allies ─ Christians of the Iberian Peninsula, who jointly captured Gaul. The peasant militia of the Franks, consisting entirely of infantry, could not resist the cavalry of the enemy and suffered one defeat after another.
As a result, the Carolinges in power were forced to resort to the help of the Signorat, that is, local feudal lords who possessed a large number of vassals and were able to form a strong horse army out of them. They responded to the call of the king, but demanded additional privileges for their patriotism. If in earlier times the seigneur was only the commander of free militias, now the army consisted of people who were directly dependent on him, which exorbitantly raised his status. Thus began the emergence of chivalry and chivalrous culture, with which the idea of the Middle Ages is now inextricably linked with us.
Estate of the titled nobility
In the era of the Crusades throughout Europe, a large number of religious and chivalric orders arose, as a result of which the feudal lords who entered them formed an extremely closed social group of the hereditary aristocracy. Under the influence of the Church (and partly poetry), a unique knightly culture has developed in it over the years, a brief description of which this article is devoted to.
In the following centuries, due to the strengthening of state power and the appearance of firearms, which ensured the superiority of infantry over cavalry, as well as the formation of regular armies, the knights lost their importance as an independent military force. However, they retained their influence for a very long time, turning into the political estate of the titled nobility.
Who was among the knights?
As mentioned above, the knightly culture of the European Middle Ages originated among large feudal lords ─ holders of high-profile titles and owners of not only vast land estates, but also numerous squads, sometimes comparable to the armies of entire states. As a rule, each of them had a pedigree, rooted in the depths of centuries, and surrounding it with a halo of higher nobility. These knights were the elite of society, and for this alone could not be numerous.
At the next stage of the social ladder of that era there were also noble offspring of ancient families, which, due to the circumstances, did not have large land plots and, accordingly, were deprived of material wealth. All their property consisted of a big name, military training and inherited weapons.
Many of them formed detachments from their peasants and headed them in the armies of large feudal lords. Those who did not have serf souls often traveled alone, accompanied only by a squire, and sometimes joined random units, becoming mercenaries. Among them were those who did not disdain frank robbery, if only to find means to maintain a lifestyle consistent with chivalrous dignity.
The closure of the new aristocratic class
One of the most important elements of the knightly culture of the Middle Ages was that professional military service was the destiny of only feudal lords. There are many cases where all kinds of merchants, artisans and other “black people” were prohibited at the legislative level from carrying weapons and even horse riding. Sometimes noble knights were overwhelmed by such unbridled arrogance that they defiantly refused to fight in battles if infantry took part in them, which was formed, as a rule, from commoners.
The stability of the knightly culture that has persisted for several centuries is largely due to the fact that their camp was extremely closed. Belonging to him was inherited and only in exceptional cases could be granted by the monarch for special merits and feats. According to tradition, a true knight was supposed to come from some noble family, thanks to which he could always refer to the genealogical tree of his ancestors.
In addition, he was supposed to have a family coat of arms included in the heraldic books, and his own motto. However, over time, the severity of the rules began to weaken gradually, and with the development of cities and all kinds of entrepreneurship, knighthood and related privileges began to be acquired for money.
Training future knights
When a son appeared in the family of the feudal lord, the basic elements of knightly culture were laid in him from an early age. As soon as the child was freed from nannies and nurses, he fell into the hands of mentors who taught him how to ride and use weapons — primarily with his sword and lance. In addition, the young man had to be able to swim and engage in hand-to-hand combat.
Upon reaching a certain age, he first became a page, and then a squire of an adult knight, sometimes his own father. This was an additional stage of training. And only after the young man, having completed the entire course of sciences, became able to demonstrate his acquired skills in practice, he was honored to be knighted.
Fun Made Duty
In addition to military affairs, hunting was another important element of knightly culture. She attached so much importance that, being, in fact, fun, she became the responsibility of representatives of the elite. As a rule, not only a noble seigneur took part in it, but also his whole family. From the surviving literature on the issues of “knightly art”, it is known that a certain procedure for hunting was established, which all noble gentlemen should follow.
So, it was prescribed that, on departure to the hunting grounds of the knight, his wife would certainly accompany her (of course, if he had one). She had to ride a horse on the right side of her husband and hold a falcon or hawk on her hand. Each spouse of a noble knight needed the ability to release a bird, and then take it back, because overall success often depended on her actions.
As for the sons of the feudal lord, from the age of seven they accompanied their parents during the hunt, but were obliged to stay on the left side of their father. This aristocratic entertainment was included in the general course of their training, and the young men had no right to ignore it. It is known that sometimes the passion for hunting took on such extreme forms from the feudal lords that this occupation was condemned by the Church, because, spending all their free time in pursuit of game, the gentlemen forgot to attend services, and therefore, ceased to replenish the parish budget.
Worldly fashionistas
The chivalrous culture of the Middle Ages developed for those who belonged to this narrow estate a special type of psychology and obliged them to have a number of certain qualities. First of all, the knight was supposed to have an admirable appearance. But since nature does not endow everyone with beauty, those on whom she saved, had to resort to all sorts of tricks.
If you look at paintings, engravings or tapestries made by medieval craftsmen who depicted knights not in armor, but in “civilian” clothes, the sophistication of their outfits is striking. Modern scholars have written hundreds of works devoted to the fashion of the Middle Ages, and still it represents an immense field for researchers. It turns out that the knights ─ these severe and strong people, were extraordinary mods, which not every secular lioness would have kept up with.
The same can be said about hairstyles. In old paintings, the audience is presented with lush curls, falling on his armored shoulders, and a tough hedgehog, giving its owner a strict and decisive look. As for the beards, here the barbers' imagination was simply limitless, and the arrogant faces of the gentlemen were decorated with the most unthinkable hair compositions from the vulgar broom to the finest needle at the end of the chin.
New Fashion Forged in Steel
Fashion trends followed when choosing armor, which should have been not only reliable protection for their owner, but also an indicator of his status. It is interesting to note that they were forged in accordance with the fashion for ceremonial costumes that was prevailing at that time. This is not difficult to verify by reading the collections of protective weapons presented in the largest museums in the world.
For example, in the “Knight's Hall” of the Hermitage many armor is presented, reminiscent of the outfits of court dandies, which are usually mentioned by museum guides. In addition, many samples of weapons of that era are real works of decorative art, which also served to maintain the prestige of their owners. By the way, the weight of the set of armor and related weapons reached 80 kg, therefore, the knight should have had good physical preparation.
Endless quest for fame
Another indispensable requirement of the knightly culture of medieval Europe was concern for their own glory. In order for military valor not to fade, it was required to confirm with new and new exploits. As a result, the true knight was in constant search of opportunities to acquire the next laurels. For example, even the smallest trifle could serve as an occasion for a bloody duel with an unfamiliar enemy, of course, if he belonged to the chosen estate. Soiling his hands on a commoner was considered completely unacceptable. The knight had servants to punish the stink.
Knightly culture also provided for such a form of manifestation of valor as participation in tournaments. As a rule, they were competitions of equestrian warriors on spears, and were held with a large crowd of people. If the peaks broke, then the fighters drew their swords, and then picked up the maces. Similar spectacles poured out on real holidays. Since the purpose of the duel was to knock the enemy out of the saddle and throw him to the ground, and not kill or injure at all, the participants in the battles were required to observe certain precautions.
So, it was allowed to use only blunt spears or even equipped with tips in the form of transversely mounted plates. Swords previously blunted. Also, tournament armor had to have extra strength, unlike combat armor, which, to the detriment of security, was made easier, but at the same time allowing the knight to save strength for a long battle. In addition, during the tournament match, the riders were separated from each other by a special barrier so that if one of them fell to the ground, he would not fall under the hooves of his opponent’s horse.
However, despite all the precautions, the fights often ended in injury or even death of the participants, which gave them a special attraction in the eyes of the audience and served to the great glory of the winner. An example of this is the death of the King of France, Henry II of Valois, who tragically died in a tournament in 1559. The spear of his opponent, Earl of Montgomery, broke when he hit the shell, and the fragment fell into the eye slit of the helmet, which made the valiant monarch die at that very moment. Nevertheless, according to the laws of chivalry and chivalrous culture, such a death was considered the most worthy end to life. The ballads were composed of those who died at the tournaments, which were then performed by troubadours and minstrels ─ the medieval predecessors of modern bards.
Courtesy knightly culture
Before talking about this very peculiar phenomenon of the Middle Ages, one should give a definition to the very concept of “courtesy”. It came into use thanks to many literary monuments reflecting the code of knightly honor, and includes a system of rules of conduct adopted once at the courts of European monarchs.
According to the prevailing requirements, a true knight was obliged not only to show military prowess, but also to be able to behave in secular society, maintain an easy conversation, and even sing. It was the courtly-knightly culture that formed the basis for the creation of etiquette rules in the future, which were widespread in Europe and became the norm for all educated people.
Literature of tender feelings and military exploits
Courtesy was reflected in the literature. In particular, on this occasion it is appropriate to recall the lyric poetry of the troubadours, which was especially widespread in the south of France. It was she who gave rise to the "cult of the Beautiful Lady", which the true knight was obliged to serve, sparing neither strength nor life.
It is characteristic that in the works of love lyrics, describing the knight’s feelings for his mistress, the authors use very specific terminology, constantly resorting to such expressions as “service”, “oath”, “signor”, “vassal”, etc. In other words , the concept of knightly culture, including the service of the Beautiful Lady, puts it on a par with military valor. No wonder it was customary to say that victory over the heart of the obstinate beauty is no less honorable than over the enemy.
The development of knightly culture gave impetus to the emergence of a new and very peculiar literary genre. The main plot of his works was a description of the adventures and exploits of noble heroes. These were chivalric novels, singing perfect love and fearlessness, shown in the name of personal glory. The works of this genre were extremely popular in Europe, and found a lot of fans even in those times when only a few could read. It is enough to recall the famous Don Quixote who fell victim to these medieval bestsellers.
The novels of this kind that have reached us are of not only artistic, but also historical interest, since they fully reflect the features of knightly culture and the features of everyday life of that era. A characteristic feature of the works of this genre is the emphasis that authors begin to do on individual human personalities. Their heroes are not gods or any mythical characters, but people.
So, in many novels such historical and semi-historical figures appear, such as the king of the Britons Arthur and his closest associates: Isold, Lancelot, Tristan, as well as other knights of the Round Table. It is thanks to these characters in the minds of modern people that a romantic, but by no means always reliable image of a noble knight has stepped up to us from the Middle Ages.