By: Ruby Peña

Chivalry and Courtly lovein the Middle Ages:

It is the…The medieval knightly system with its religious, moral,

and social code. the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight,

esp. courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help the weak.

The word chivalry comes from the Frenchchevalier, meaning “horseman” or “knight.”synonyms: knight errantry courtly manners knightliness courtliness nobility; bravery, courage, boldness, valor heroism daring, intrepidity.

What is Chivalry?

Chivalry was a system of ethical ideals

developed among the knights of medieval

Europe. Arising out of the feudalism of the

period, it combined military virtues with those of Christianity, as epitomized by the Arthurian Legend in England.

Chivalry was the code of conduct by which knights were supposedly guided.

Chivalry Cont.

A knight was expected to have not only the strength and skills to face combat in the violent era of the Middle Ages but was also expected to temper this aggressive side with a chivalrous side to his nature. The ideals described in the Code of Chivalry were emphasized by the oaths and vows that were sworn in the Knighthood ceremonies of the Middle Ages and the Medieval era. These sacred oaths of combat were combined with the ideals of chivalry and with strict rules of etiquette and codes of conduct towards women.

~The Knight's Code of Chivalry~

Code of Chivalry - The Song of Roland

A Code of Chivalry was

documented in an epic poem

called 'The Song of Roland'.

The 'Song of Roland' describes

the 8th century Knights of the

Dark Ages and the battles

fought by the Emperor

Charlemagne. The code has

since been described as

Charlemagne's Code of

Chivalry. The Song of Roland

was written between 1098-

1100 and described the

betrayal of Count Roland at

the hand of Ganelon. Roland

was a loyal defender of his

liege Lord Charlemagne and

his code of conduct became

understood as a code of

chivalry. The Code of Chivalry

described in the Song of

Roland and an excellent

representation of the Knights

Codes of Chivalry.

Of the seventeen entries in the

Code of Chivalry described in

the Song of Roland, at least

twelve of the codes relate to

acts of chivalry as opposed to

acts of combat.

• To fear God and maintain His Church

• To serve the liege lord in valour and faith

• To protect the weak and defenceless

• To give succour to widows and orphans

• To refrain from the wanton giving of offence

• To live by honour and for glory

• To despise pecuniary reward

• To fight for the welfare of all

• To obey those placed in authority

• To guard the honour of fellow knights

• To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit

• To keep faith • At all times to speak the

truth• To persevere to the end

in any enterprise begun• To respect the honour of

women• Never to refuse a

challenge from an equal• Never to turn the back

upon a foe

The origins of Courtly Love were believed to be in Aquitaine in France in the 12th century and spread to other European countries. The art of courtly love was practiced in English courts from the 1300's to the 1500's. During this period of time marriages were arranged and had little to do with love. A successful marriage was perceived as one that brought material advantages to the participants and their families. As love was clearly unrelated to marriage the requirement for romance could be gained outside marriage - as long as the rules relating to chastity and fidelity were strictly adhered to.

The Origins of Courtly Love

Courtly Love• The romance of Courtly Love

practiced during the Middle Ages was combined with the Code of Chivalry.

• There were strict rules of courtly love and the art of courtly love was practiced by the members of the courts across Europe during the Middle Ages.

• The romance, rules and art of courtly love allowed knights and ladies to show their admiration regardless of their marital state.

Courtly Love Cont..

Courtly love is the code of romantic love that enjoyed a vogue among the aristocracies of Western Europe, particularly from the 12th to the 14thcenturies. In its literary form, if not in life, it involved a vassal-lord relationship under which the knight was his lady’s obedient servant, prepared to overcome anyobstacle or undergo any suffering to win her favor. Courtly love was always conducted outside wedlockand of necessity in secret; between spouses it was held to be impossible. Although the unattainability of the beloved was sometimes central to the ideal, its customsserved equally well to dignify adultery

Stages of courtly love• Attraction to the lady, usually via

eyes/glance

• Worship of the lady from afar

• Declaration of passionate devotion

• Virtuous rejection by the lady

• Renewed wooing with oaths of virtue and eternal fealty

• Moans of approaching death from unsatisfied desire (and other physical manifestations of lovesickness)

• Heroic deeds of valor which win the lady's heart

• Consummation of the secret love

• Endless adventures and subterfuges avoiding detection

Whatever the primary

source of courtly love,

a cross-fertilization of

ideas and practices

certainly occurred.

The ideals of courtly

love were most clearly

defined in the English

and French royal

courts presided over

by Queen Eleanor of

Aquitaine and her

daughter Marie de

Champagne, under

whose sponsorship

some of the most

famous books on the

subject were written:

Chrétien de Troyes’s

Lancelot and

Guillaume de Lorris’s

Le Roman de la Rose.

Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine

Marie de Champagne