Download File - Louise McCutcheon

Medieval Europe
Knights
Discuss in
pairs.
Think about and write in your
books.
Take notes in your book from the slide.
Read the
information.
Listen to the teacher
explain.
Do the activity.
Originally
• Originally knights were recognised for their
skill on the battlefield and, as a result, it
was possible for a peasant to earn a
knighthood.
• However, by the 13th century only those of
noble birth were admitted to the
knighthood.
Knights At First
• At first any skilled man with a
horse could be a knight. But
during the 12th century knights
most came from wealthy noble
families.
• This was because it cost a lot
of money to buy a horse and
protective armour.
• A knight had to supply his own
horse and armour, as well as a
troop of fighting men, if his lord
called on him to fight.
• It was also because by this
time knights had become a
privileged class in medieval
society.
Training to be a Knight
• At the age of seven a lord’s boy would leave
to live with another lord’s family as a page.
• There he was taught:
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–
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to ride a horse
serve food
Sing
play chess
To love and serve God
Manners
War games with blunt wooden weapons.
Training to be a Knight
• At the age of 15 the page became a squire to
another knight.
• He learned:
– Sword fighting
– Hawking and
hunting
– Wrestling
– How to handle
different weapons
– How to care for a
horse
– How to put armour
on
– The knight’s code
of conduct.
Becoming a Knight
• At the age of 21 the squire could become a
knight.
• This could happen as a result of bravery on the
battlefield or through the ceremony of
dubbing.
By the way: This man
being knighted is Sir
Patrick Stewart otherwise
known from Star Trek as
Captain Jean-Luc Picard
and X-men as Professor
Charles Xavier.
He was knighted in 2010
for his services to Drama.
Activities
1. Create a flow chart explaining the steps
involved with becoming a knight.
2. Write a diary entry from a training knight.
You can be at any stage of his training.
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What did you do that day?
How do you feel about what you are doing?
How do you imagine what your future might be?
3. Research Question: Find the last 3 people to
be knighted by Queen Elizabeth. Who were
they? Why were they knighted? When were
they knighted?
Code of Chivalry
• A knight was expected to follow a set of
rules and act according to the code of
chivalry.
• He had to be brave and honest and a good
Christian. He had to stand up for what was
just and good.
• He had a duty to help those in trouble and
to defend a lady’s honour.
• If he broke the code he would be disgraced
and his sword and spurs would be broken.
A chivalrous knight was:
• Faithful to the Church
and prepared to die for
it.
• The champion of justice
• Prepared to help the
weak and oppressed
• Brave and courageous
in battle
• A defender of a
woman’s honour
‘Warriors’ with Terry Schappert