Medieval Knights and Chivalry

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Medieval Knights and Chivalry
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Fealty Oaths

• Fealty Loyalty
• Feudalism is based on the exchange of loyalty and
  service for protection and land.
• When one man swore allegiance to another, he
  became a vassal of that individual.

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Fealty Ceremony

• A man became a vassal by kneeling before the lord
  and placing his hands between those of his
  superior.
• He would swear fealty to the lord for as long as
  he lived.
• The vassal received a written charter or a staff
  or even a clod of dirt as a symbol of the land
  (fief) that was being given to him.

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Knights

• The original term for a knight is the French word
  Chevalier meaning horse warrior.
• Before the Middle Ages, soldiers on horseback
  were not effective in battle.
• Two important ideas borrowed from Asian invaders
  changed this
• Stirrup
• Horseshoe

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Chivalry

• The term comes from the French words cheval
  (horse) and chevalier (horse warrior).
• Code of Conduct for Medieval Knights
• Courage and Bravery
• Loyalty to Superior
• Devotion to Military Duty
• Courtesy to Women
• Protection of the Defenseless