The Age of Chivalry

European Middle Ages500-1200

Setting the Stage• Feuding between nobles

kept Europe fragmented and created a violent society that prized combat

• By 1100, a code of behavior based on high ideals guided warriors actions and glorified their roles

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Knights - Warriors on Horseback

• Knights - armored soldiers mounted on horseback were first organized under Charles Martel

• Developments of the saddle and stirrups changed the face of warfare

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Warrior’s Role in Feudal Society

• Feudal lords raised private armies of knights to defend their territories

• Lords gave knights fiefs in exchange for required military service – Approximately 40 days per year

• The rest of the year they trained for war

Knighthood and Chivalry• By the 1100’s, the code of chivalry demanded

that a knight fight in defense of three masters:– His earthly feudal lord– His heavenly Lord– His chosen lady

• He was to:– Protect the weak and the poor– Be loyal, brave and courteous

A Knight’s Training

• Age 7 - boys were sent to castles of other lords to serve as a pages – Waited on his hosts – Started practicing fighting skills

• Age 14 - a page reached rank of squire• Age 21 - a squire became a knight• Spent 1-2 years fighting in local wars

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Literature of Chivalry

• Themes in medieval literature:– Downplayed brutality of feudal warfare– Glorified knighthood and chivalry

• Epic poems recounting a hero’s deeds and adventures were very popular– The Song of Roland - praises a band of French

soldiers who perished in battle during Charlemagne’s reign

Love Poems and Songs

• Troubadours: traveling poet-musicians at the castles and courts of Europe.

• Composed short verses, songs about the joys and sorrows of romantic love.

• These poems often promoted a false image of knights and the women they loved

Women in Feudal Society

• Most were powerless and considered inferior to men (view of the Church)

• Noblewomen could:– Inherit an estate, act as a military commander, defend

the castle– Most were confined to activities in the home

• Peasant women could:– Labored at home, worked the fields, bore children,

took care of families, did not receive education

For Next Class…

• Read Section 4