CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 6 CHAPTER 1 A GooD KNIGHT 9 CHAPTER 2 FIGHTING FOR SHOW 16 CHAPTER 3 THE LIFE OF A KNIGHT 24 CHAPTER 4 CRUSADING ARMIES 32 GLOSSARY 43 FOR FURTHER READING 45 INDEX 47
INTRODUCTIONIH tories of knights and knighthood have been passed down for centuries Movies and television depictions have strengthened the legend of the most significant military figures of the Mid dle Ages One envisions knights as warriors mounted on horses and dressed in suits of armor That view is more or less accurate The word knight is derived from the Old English word cniht the equivalent of the Latin word caballarius meaning horse man And they did indeed wear suits of armor chain mail or hardened leather for protection They also carried weapons such as SWOrds and lances Les EE Knights arose as a distinct order around the year 1000 The first knights appeared in France They were typically young men from noble families or from non noble fame ilies that owned land and property called landed gentry Their roles as warriors and B MRSA as protectors of royalty often earned them as at titles of lordship and property The ideal knight of the Middle Ages was D gallant virtuous and brave and was sworn to protect those who could not protect
INTRODUCTION themselves This idealistic behavior became known as the chivalric code Images of chivalrous knights rescuing damsels in distress and protecting the downtrodden were popularized and cemented by the literature of that period and beyond In reality however many knights did not live up to these expectations The era of knighthood emerged and thrived before guns and gunpowder forever changed military strategy Knights first appeared Many people today are fascinated by knights and the Middle Ages Some of these people have created and joined groups dedicated to re creating medieval culture crafts and skills Here two such men participate in a late medieval style
