Knights

A knights would have to go through stages and learn the different fundementals of being a knight like shooting a bow and arrow and also the code of chivalry which was all the rules and manners a knigh needed. The stages were a page which went first, then came a squire, and last but definetely not least came a noble knight.Knights started as pages for there father.Pages were alot like Assistants.After knights were Finished training they had a big ceromoney.They had many very great weapons but they used the sword alot.The word Knight comes from the old english cniht that means horseman. here comes the more detailed version of that.

“Okay, here we go. I am very nervous for the tournament. This is my chance to win a fortune! All I need is a perfect hit. But, if I fail, I will be quite poor. So in other words, the next few moments will determine my future. Oh, now the king is talking about “being chivalrous.” I never really listen to him when he says this, for I learned the code of chivalry when I was a page. That was long ago. I can remember it; twelve years I was care free and now I am battling with Sir Thomas, and whether I win or not depends on those few, rapid seconds. We both are using blunted swords, perhaps for fear one of us should be killed or get badly injured.” Often knights felt like this before a tournament. But before competing in them, they had to be trained so they could actually become a knight.  Before a young man could become a knight, he needed to go through special training. The first stage was being a page. You would start as a page when you were seven years old. As a page, you would live with your feudal lord. You would memorize the code of chivalry, be taught how to wear armor, and how to handle small weapons. In your free time, you would attend to noble ladies, or play games. At the age of fourteen, you would become a squire. A squire was a personal servant to a knight. He went to battle with the knight, and helped him when he was unhorsed. You would learn the rules of hawking, and how to prepare deer meat for a feast. When you were 21, you would get knighted. The night before you were knighted, you would pray all night, take a purifying bath in the morning, and have a remarkable breakfast feast. Then, the knighting ceremony would start. Your “parrain,” (the person who knights you,) would tap you on the shoulder with his sword and say, “I dub thee, knight.”  The code of chivalry was a code of conduct for every knight, no matter how powerful or poor he was. The word “chivalry” comes from the Latin word, “cheval,” which means horse. The rules of chivalry stated rules that said to believe in the Church, obey your lord, be courteous to women, be generous, and more rules that involved respect. But, often knights disobeyed these rules. They killed peasants and stole their belongings. Knights also often only married women because they were rich, instead of because they truly loved them. If you were caught doing these types of things, your spurs, or sharp armor gadgets attached to your wrists and/or ankles, were broken, which would be very embarrassing.  When knights went to battle, they needed to wear both normal clothes and armor at the same time//.// The type of clothing that they wore changed over time. From the early 1000’s to the late 1200’s, knights would wear a plain undertunic, and a fir lined surcoat. But from the 1300’s on, things got a lot more rich and colorful. But that is only what they wore under the armor, which was definitely a spectacle. Early knights had metal pads called “aketons.” These knights didn’t wear much armor at all. All knights wore chain mail, which is a form of armor with little iron rings linked together, which was quite strong. Their helmets were carved with iron, and the visors, (eyeholes) changed shape over the centuries. Later, armor got painted. It was very strong, because it could absorb powerful blows. Armor was also becoming more flexible; some knights could do a cartwheel wearing armor!  Tournaments were a great way to practice during a time of peace. During a tournament, knights played games, such as jousting. Tournaments usually took place on the countryside. One of the most common tournament games consisted of two teams, and they fought each other. This battle could last for days. At last, when one team lost, the losers gave their armor and spurs to the winners. Some people made a fortune. Tournaments were played from the time of the Franks to the time when knights were not used anymore.  Knights would be of no use without weapons. There were many different types of weapons. A war horse was considered a weapon, for it gave the knight much more strength, speed, and confidence. Sometimes special land was used for an unexpected attack. There was also a special horn, made out of an elephant’s tusk, with drawings carved onto it. It was used to signal knights for battle. The most famous weapon of all was the sword. There were many types of swords, like the great sword, the shining sword, the short ax, and many others. In earlier times they used heavy weapons like maces, axes, pricks, crossbows, and swords. Some of the axes used then could cut off an opponent’s head with one slash! Later though, knights used lighter weapons, such as handguns, catapults, and cannons. These were first used by the Germans. A knight’s weapons were his most prized possessions.  Knights were very useful in the Middle Ages. Without them, kings and feudal lords could not settle arguments. The various things knights used and wore are inspiring to many of the worlds’ greatest explorers. Although during battles many were killed, and over fifteen gallons of blood were shed, it is still amazing how knights and their way of life came to be.