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Chivalry
*** Shopping-Tip: Chivalry
''See also
order of chivalry''
Image:Woman under the Safeguard of Knighthood allegorical Scene Costume of the End of the Fifteenth Century from a Miniature in a Latin Psalm Book Manuscript No 175 National Library of Paris.png thumb|right|Woman under the Safeguard of Knighthood, allegorical Scene.--Costume of the End of the Fifteenth Century, from a Miniature in a Latin Psalm Book (Manuscript No. 175, National Library of Paris).
'''Chivalry'''{{fn|1}} refers to the
medieval institution of
knighthood and, most especially, the ideals that were/have become associated with it throughout literature. It was also often associated with ideals of
knightly virtues,
honor and of
courtly love.
Chivalry was in essence a
warrior code which was later appropriated and propagated by the Church which added the Christian aspects. The Church allowed warrior
monks and mounted
soldiers of the
Middle Ages to become Orders of
Christian knights who would protect the church and society.
The word comes from the French word ''chevalier'' which means ''knight''. The English word ''cavalier'' comes from the same root. The intention is to distinguish the
aristocracy aristocratic knight on horseback from the peasant
infantry infantryman walking with his pike and the
artillery artilleryman dragging his vulgar machinery.
In war, the chivalrous knight was idealized as
Courage brave in
battle,
loyalty loyal to his king and
God, and willing to
sacrifice himself for the lord or king. Towards his fellow Christians and countrymen, the knight was to be
merciful,
humble, and
Politeness courteous. Towards noble ladies above all, the knight was to be gracious and gentle. The idealized relationship between knight and lady was that of
courtly love.
Today, chivalry is interpreted as courteous behavior, especially towards women.
Code of chivalry
There was no single code that served as a definition of how a knight should act, but there were several lists written down during the Middle Ages. One example code can be found in the book ''Chivalry'' by 19th century French historian
Leon Gautier.
*Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions.
*Thou shalt defend the Church.
*Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
*Thou shalt love the country in the which thou wast born.
*Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
*Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.
*Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God.
*Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.
*Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone.
*Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.
Notes
{{Wiktionary|chivalry}}
*{{fnb|1}} Etymology: English from
1292, loaned from
Old French ''chevalerie'' "
horsemanship," from ''chevaler'' "horseman" from
Medieval Latin ''caballarius'' "horseman"; ''
cavalry'' is from the
Middle French form of the same word.
See also
*
Bushido
*
Changes in Honour
*
Chivalric order
*
chivalric romance Chivalric romance
*
Courtly love
*
Court of Chivalry
*
Don Quixote
*
Feliciano de Silva
*
Futuwa
*
Jomsvikings
*
Medieval Combat Society
*
Pas d'Armes
*
Xia (philosophy) Xia
*
Nine Worthies
External links
-
Chivalry during the Reign of Edward III
-
Web site listing, among others, the existing Orders of Chivalry and the sites relative to the history of the Chivalry
Category:Warrior code
Category:Medieval warfare
Category:Middle Ages
Category:Knights
Category:Virtue
da:Ridderskab
de:Rittertum
es:CaballerÃa
fr:Chevalerie
pl:Rycerstwo
uk:ЛицарÑ?тво
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