Knights Castle free essay sample

It was the duty of a Middle Ages Knight to learn how to fight and to serve their liege Lord according to the Code of Chivalry. The Code of Chivalry dictated that a Knight should be brave and fearless in battle but would also exhibit cultured Knightly qualities showing themselves to be devout, loyal, courteous and generous. (Bouchard 2) Weapon practice included enhancing skills in the two-handed sword, battle-axe, mace, dagger and lance. A Knight would be expected to guard the Castle and support his liege lord in Middle Ages warfare. Details of the life of Middle Age knights in a castle, together with castle warfare, are covered in the section about Middle Ages Castles. To gain Knighthood in the Middle Ages was a never-ending task. Knighthood was not passed down purely because a young man was the son of a noble. There were many steps to achieving a knighthood, requiring years of training. The steps towards achieving a knighthood started with training as a page and then as a squire, also referred to as an esquire. Generally there were two ways that a boy could eventually become a knight. The first way was to be born into it. If a boy was the son of a knight or royalty he could be assured the opportunity of becoming a knight. Secondly it was possible for a man to become a knight by proving himself through bravery and prowess on the battlefield. The Knights job in the Middle Ages centered around enhancing their Knightly skills in the use of weapons, horsemanship and medieval warfare. (Bouchard 5) The sons of Nobles, except those who were destined to take Holy Orders, were placed in the service of the great Lords of the land. Bouchard 5) These sons of the Middle Ages nobles were sent to live in the castle of their liege lord and commence their education and learn the skills required as a Knight. The Middles Ages castles served as Knight School! Strict Codes of Conduct dictated the life of a Knight during the Middle Ages and the strict etiquette of their everyday life revolved around the Code of Chivalry, courtly manners and courtly love. A knight would start their life in a castle as a Page and then move up to the role of a Squire. For a boy that was born of royalty there was a common process for becoming a knight. At around the age of eight, he would be sent off the to the local lords court to become a Page. This meant that he would learn all the necessary things for knighthood, things such as the rules of court, Chivalry, writing, music and weapons. Then, at around the age of 13, he would become a squire and because he was getting older and starting to develop into his manhood, and his training would focus much more on weapons, horsemanship and combat. One thing that was very seriously focused on was the rules of tactics for horse-mounted combat. This was the most essential aspect of combat for a knight. It was this mounted combat that made a knight a feared and respected foe. (Bouchard 5) The Knights Armor of the Middle Ages was extremely expensive to produce. It had to be tailor-made to fit the Knight exactly. If the Knight were to run the risk of an ill-fitting suit of armor, it would get him seriously injured in battle. In the Middle Ages, a Knights Armor was a complex series of garments, chain mail and iron plate. Every part of the body had to be protected. The only opening within the entire suit, was around the eyes so that they were able too see. The armor used in the Middle Ages was gradually perfected, up until the point where the knight became a living fortress. A Medieval Knights Armor was vital on the Battlefields of the Middle Ages. The Knights Armor provided essential body protection from the various weapons, which were used in battle including the two-handed sword, bow and arrows, crossbow, battle-axe, mace, dagger and lance. Padded garments and armor were used prior to the development of suits of Armor and subsequently worn in conjunction with the armor suits. Bouchard 7) A Medieval knights armor was designed and developed to protect them from any new, and even more lethal, weapons that were introduced during the violent period of the Middle Ages. The Knights developed their knightly skills at the tournaments of the Middle Ages. Various forms of combat were practiced at the tournaments including jousting, archery and hand-to-hand combat using swords and other weapons. (Bouchard 9) Tournaments provided a means for kni ghts to practice warfare and build their strength in times of peace. Bouchard 9) Tournaments were essentially mock battles with audiences. The audience was usually made up of fair damsels. This was another way in which a knight was expected to act chivalrous. (Bouchard 9) The tournaments had different rules that had to be followed. They were judged by umpires that watched for dishonest play. Tournaments were usually fought between either two people or two teams. If two people fought a tournament, it was usually by jousting. The two knights would gallop across the playing field at each other. They carried long, blunt poles and shields. The objective was to knock the other person out of his saddle. Team play was conducted with fierce mock combat between two bands of fighters. They fought with wooden or blunted weapons so as to reduce the risk of getting hurt. However, this was often not the case. Many people did get hurt or die by accident. A Tournament was a series of mounted and armored combats, fought as contests, in which a number of knights competed and the one that prevailed through the final round or who finished with the best record was declared the winner and awarded a prize, or a great amount of money. Bouchard 9) Roger of Hoveden was an English chronicler, who was employed by King Henry II (1133 1189) described tournaments as military exercises carried out, not in the spirit of hostility but solely for practice and the display of prowess. (Bouchard 9) The Tournaments were the favorite sport of Medieval Knights. The tournaments kept the knight in excellent condition for the role he would need to play duri ng medieval warfare. Tournaments were exciting and colorful pageants. Hundreds of Knights participated in this popular entertainment of the Middle Ages. Jousts, Melees, Pageantry, Courtly Love and the Chivalric code all played a part in Medieval tournaments. All of the contests fought in tournaments were fought with blunted swords or lances. (Bouchard 10) However there were still many casualties, as many as 10% were injured, and there were also fatalities. (Bouchard 10) The number of fatalities dropped as the tournaments became better regulated, and more under control. Medieval physicians and doctors were always at hand during the tournaments. In 1292 the Statute of Arms for Tournaments was established, which provided new laws for tournaments. The Statute of Arms ordained that no pointed weapons should be used they should be blunted. And those tournaments had to be properly organized, and only authorized combatants were allowed to carry arms. The traditional weapon for jousting was the lance. This is because the lance was actually one of the most effective weapons that a knight had. It was a long weapon, sometimes as long as twelve feet. A knight on horseback would be able to charge through enemy formations of soldiers used it. he length of it allowed the knight to attack the enemy while still remaining a distance away from their weapons. Because it was so important a weapon it was very highly regarded and knights were always ready to show off their skills with it. Medieval Castles are magnificent structures that were first created around the tenth century. These first castles were made of earth and wood. Their major use was to protect people from attacking armies and over the centuries as technologies and tactics of warfare changed so too did medieval castles change. Bouchard 11) Today, they are just museums or residences for royalty or the wealthy. Many nobles and knights went on crusade with the hope of not only reconquering the holy land, but of carving out for themselves fiefs and kingdoms in this land of milk and honey. The first leaders to take the cross succeeded in retaking Jerusalem in 1096. After this initial venture, there followed subsequent crusades which attempted to free Jerusalem again, but none succeeded like the first crusade. Bouchard 13) Throughout the next two hundred years, the battle for Jerusalem between Islam and Christianity continued, with one side gaining ground just to lose it again to the other. Ultimately, Jerusalem fell to the Moslems in 1244 not to be regained by Christians again during the Middle Ages. Life in the Middle Ages could be very challenging and difficult . But there were many stretches of time when warfare was at a minimum, crops were plentiful, and castles were the homes of Lords, Ladies and large staffs of administrators and servants. (Bouchard 12)