Knights And Knighthood During The Medieval Period

Knights and Knighthood Throughout history, knights have remained a captivating wonder. These mighty and honorable warriors have been recorded as significant figures in Medieval history. To understand the knights of the Medieval period, a person should become familiar with the origins, the culture, their tools and training, the influences of literature, and the decline of the knighthood. The origins of the knight date back before the 9th century. The word “knight” was is connected to the beginnings of this Medieval figure. The name knight comes from the word "cniht" or "cnoeht", which is Anglo Saxon for young man, youth, or boy (Robards 6). In other countries the name knight is closely related to horses. A knight is called a "Cavalier" in
One of the factors that led to the rise of the knight was the demand for protection. Invaders would attack and plunder areas of the kingdom. These raiders could not be stopped on an individual basis so a group of elite soldiers were formed. In the ninth century, the population was mostly comprised of small communities and farmers. They had no means to protect themselves against attackers. The peasants looked to higher ranking officials to aid them in their peril (Robards 18). As the search for well trained, loyal soldiers continued, Mercenaries were formed. The commanders were high nobles or professional soldiers. Mercenaries were often called upon by the king during times of war (Edge 68). Eventually the formation of feudalism established a better system for the soldiers who are transitioning into an elite group called knights. The feudal system was a major part of the undertaking or growth of knights. The system provided the king with knights that were well trained (Edge 66). The knight would serve a prince or lord under the feudal system in exchange for land or property. This system was important to the creation and stability of knighthood (Robards 6). The Roman Catholic Church had an influence on knighthood. The church leaders instilled a spiritual presence within this military group. A sense of a holy mission was impeded in the knights. "Knighthood did not come into being until the Frankish leaders joined
A major part of a knight’s daily routine centers around weaponry and enhancing their knightly skills. A knight would train for hours with various weapons. Some weapons included daggers, battle axes,and bows.Two-handed axes were used along with maces and swords. One of the greatest inventions of the 14th century that transformed warfare was the longbow. Within short range, the longbow could even pierce the plate. The English army became an undefeated force for the next 100 years (Edge 69). The armor of the knights was extremely important. It was also extremely expensive. Each piece of armor had to be tailor fit for the knight. Knights would not want an ill-fitted piece of armor inhibiting them in battle. The knight’s armor would overall weight about 50 pounds. The earliest warriors used the most basic form of protection: the shield. In the beginning fighters would just use a piece of animal skin to protect their non-dominant arm. A wooden frame was later constructed. The warrior would wear leather, wicker, padded cloth, and wood as part of their armor (Robards 11). The knights wore a helm which was a metal helmet with iron loops to attach to the breastplate and backplate. The helmet was very restricting. The 14th century saw a lot of changes to the knights equipment. The knights used a breast plate made out of latten (which is a brass-like copper metal), whalebone, iron, and steel. The Roman