Back to Blog
Definition chivalry code5/30/2023 ![]() ![]() This concept was designed to set the nobles or the knightly courts apart from the rest of society and “shape the cosmology of medieval nobility” (qtd. Defined in this way, chivalry is the criterion that knights adhere to, that they might elevate themselves in status. In Allen Frantzen’s Bloody Good: Chivalry, Sacrifice, and the Great War, he characterizes chivalry as a “discipline, which leads to worthiness that is measured by brave deeds…, extending to the greatest distinction, the crown of martyrdom and its promise of proximity to Christ” (qtd. In fact, myriads of values are placed under the composite term “chivalry”, including military bravery, generosity, valor, and devoted service. One could draw from this that chivalry itself is tied to military related behavior. Kate McGrath’s review of Chivalry in Medieval England, paraphrases the author Nigel Saul in saying that “chivalry began in England in 1066 with the Norman Conquest…” (qtd. Codes for knights to live by had been referenced before Geoffrey of Monmouth’s overview of the reign of Arthur in 1138 AD. The ideal of knightly behavior was not nascent during the period of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. In order to comprehend whether or not it was a peremptory choice, we must look at how the institution of chivalry is viewed in the context of knightly society-how the reader understands what “chivalry” really is, the function that chivalry served for the knights, and finally examining how knights fell short of exemplifying selflessness due to inconsistencies in the chivalric code. ![]() Tales from Arthurian legend are no different, the inveterate idea of chivalry fulfills a specific purpose, but a closer look at the customs of chivalry are needed. ![]() From the Song of Roland to the Order of the Garter in Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor, the concept of chivalry is one that has captivated many and created a template for what the ideal knight would have been like. Notions of honor and character govern individual behaviors, and while each is different relative to each person, the mores of the populace serve as a kind of litmus test. Whether explicitly stated or personally implied, society conducts itself according to codes. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |