Medieval Knights The Medieval period was dominated by the feudal system and the role of the Medieval knights and their servants. It was the duty of a Medieval Knight to learn how to fight and so serve their liege Lord according to the Code of Chivalry. But this was an extremely violent era in European and English history. Weapon practise included enhancing skills in the two-handed sword, battle axe, mace, dagger and lance. A Knight would be expected to guard a Castle and support his liege lord in Medieval warfare. Details of the life of Medieval knights in a castle, together with castle warfare, are covered in the section about Medieval Castles.
Becoming a Medieval Knight There were two ways that a man could become a knight during the Middle Ages. The first was earning the right on the battlefield. If a soldier fought particularly bravely during a battle or war, he may be awarded knighthood by the king, a lord, or even another knight. The second way was to become an apprentice to a knight and earn the title through hard work and training.
Who could become a knight? No doubt many young men growing up in the Middle Ages dreamed of becoming a knight, but only a few could afford to become knights. The first requirement of a knight was someone who could afford a knight's weapons, armour, and war horse. These items weren't cheap and only the very rich could pay for them.
Daily Life of a Knight in the Middle Ages The daily life of a knight in the Middle ages followed a similar schedule to that of his lord or the noble he served. The Daily life of a Knight during the Middle ages centred around castles or Manors or fighting for his lord and the King during times of war. Much of his time was spent on honing his weapons skills and keeping his levels of fitness high.
Armour and Weapons The most valuable items to a knight were his armour, weapons, and his war horse. These three items were very expensive, meaning that only the wealthy could afford to be knights. Many knights hoped to regain some of the cost through plunder when they conquered enemy towns and cities.
Armour During the Middle Ages knights wore heavy armour made of metal. There were two main kinds of armour: chain mail and plate armour.
Mail Mail was made from thousands of metal rings. The typical mail armour was a long cloak called a hauberk. Knights wore a padded cloak underneath the armour to help them carry the weight of the armour. A mail hauberk could weigh as much as 30 pounds. Although mail was flexible and offered good protection, it could be pierced by an arrow or thin sword. Some knights began to put plates of metal over vital parts of their bodies for added protection. Soon they were completely covered in plate armour and they stopped wearing mail.
Plate armour By the 1400s most knights were wearing full plate armour. This armour offered better protection, but it was less flexible and heavier than chain mail. A full set of plate armour weighed around 60 pounds. Many pieces of the armour had a unique name.
Here are some of the different pieces of plate armour and what they protected: Greaves - ankles and calves Sabatons - feet Poleyns - knees Cuisses - thighs Gauntlets - hands Vambrace - lower arms Pauldron - shoulders Breastplate - chest Rerebrace - upper arms Helmet - head
Weapons Knights of the Middle Ages used a variety of weapons. Some weapons were more effective when charging on a horse (like the lance), while others were better for hand to hand combat (like the sword).
Lance - The lance was a long wooden pole with a metal tip and hand guards. Because the lance was so long, the knight could attack from his horse. This gave the knight a serious advantage against foot soldiers. The lance could also be used to knock enemy knights off of their horses.
Sword - The sword was the preferred weapon once the knight had dismounted or if his lance was broken during battle. Some knights preferred a one-handed sword and a shield, while others preferred a larger two-handed sword.
Mace - The mace was a club with a big steel head. These weapons were designed to crush an enemy.
Longbow - Many knights considered the longbow to be a cowardly weapon. However, the longbow became a major part of winning battles in the Middle Ages. The longbow could attack from a distance or a castle wall.
War Horse One of the knight's most important possessions was his war horse. This horse was trained for battle. It wouldn't shy away from blood or combat. A good war horse could mean the difference between life and death for a knight. The knight's war horse was called a destrier. The horse also wore armour for protection including metal plates to cover its neck, head, and sides.
Siege Weapons Knights also had to know how to use siege weapons. These were special weapons used to capture castles.
Belfry - The belfry was a tall rolling tower that would allow soldiers to safely approach the castle walls. Once they reached the castle, they would exit the tower onto the top of the walls.
Catapult - A catapult could throw huge boulders onto the walls of the castle. These boulders could break down the walls and destroy buildings inside the castle.
Battering ram - The battering ram was a huge heavy log used to smash down the gates of the castle.
Coat of Arms Knights and nobles in the Middle Ages often had a coat of arms. This was a special symbol that represented their family. Having a special symbol or coat of arms is often called "heraldry".
How did having a coat of arms get started? The first coat of arms was used to distinguish one knight from another. When a knight had on his full armour, including plate mail and helmet, even his friends couldn't recognize him. Because of this, knights began to paint symbols on their shields. They eventually began to put the symbol on their banner and the coat they wore over their armour. This is how it got the name "coat of arms".
Each coat of arms needed to be unique. However, there were so many knights that it was tough to keep track of who had what symbol. It became the job of people called heralds to keep track of the different coats of arms. They made sure that new coats of arms were unique. They also kept track of who each coat of arms belonged to.
Laws Over time, there became strict laws in applying for a new coat of arms. Each new coat of arms needed to be registered with the government. A coat of arms belonged to the family of the knight. He would pass the coat of arms down to his eldest son.
Designing a Coat of Arms The original coats of arms had fairly simple designs. As there became more and more coats of arms, the designs became more complicated in order for each one to be unique. All coats of arms have certain elements, however.
Escutcheon - The escutcheon is the main shape of the coat of arms. It was in the shape of a shield, but the exact shape could vary (see picture below).
Field - The field was the background colour. At first the field was a solid colour, but later patterns began to be used for the field.
Charge - The charge is the main picture in the centre of the coat of arms. It was usually an animal, but could be other things such as a sword or a ship.
Ordinaries - Ordinaries were designs that appeared on the field. They added additional colour and uniqueness to the coat of arms.
What did the colour mean? Different background colours came to have different meanings. Red was the colour of a warrior and nobility. Other colours included blue for truth and sincerity, black for piety and knowledge, and green for hope and joy. The colours in heraldry are called tinctures.
What did different charges mean? The charges used as the main figure in the coat of arms had different meanings as well. For example, the lion stood for majesty and strength, the elephant for wit and ambition, the boar for courage and ferocity, and the sun for power and glory.
Tournaments, Jousts, and the Code of Chivalry When not fighting wars, knights needed to hone their skills. One way to do this was through tournaments and jousting. These events were a great way to keep in shape during times of peace.
Tournaments Tournaments were pretend battles between groups of knights. When a town or area would have a tournament they would invite knights from other areas. Typically the local knights fought against the knights from outside the area. The battle took place on a large field. On the day of the tournament a large crowd would gather to watch. There would even be stands built where the local nobles could sit to watch. Both sides would parade past the spectators shouting war cries and showing off their armor and coat of arms. The tournament would begin with each side lining up and preparing for the charge. At the sound of a bugle each side would lower their lances and charge. The knights that were still on their horses after the first charge would turn and charge again. This "turning" is where the name "tournament" or "tourney" comes from. This would continue until one side won. As you can imagine, tournaments were dangerous. The lances used were blunted so that knights would not be killed, but many were still injured. The best knight from each side was often awarded a prize.
Jousts Jousting was another very popular competition among knights during the Middle Ages. A joust was where two knights would charge each other and try to knock the other off their horse with a lance. Jousting was the highlight of many games and events. The winners were heroes and often won prize money.
The Ideal Knight Knights were expected to behave a certain way. This was called the Code of Chivalry. The ideal knight would be humble, loyal, fair, Christian, and have good manners.
Code of Chivalry Here are some of the main codes which Knights tried to live by:
To follow the church and defend it with his life
To protect women and the weak
To serve and defend the king
To be generous and honest
To never lie
To live by honor and for glory
To help widows and orphans
Many knights took vows that they would maintain the code. Not all knights followed the code, especially when it came to dealing with people of the lower classes.