Lady warriors armed with swords. Leaders who commanded fierce armies. Steel armor that showed a warrior’s true colors.
These amazing concepts have one thing in common. They all describe life for medieval knights.
Are you a hard-core fan of the epic tales of old? Do you find the stories of famous medieval knights fascinating? Keep reading for our list of knight facts that will make you come away with a new perspective on the life of knights.
Armor Makes the Man
Whether in movies or books knights are never depicted without their armor. That holds a lot of truth for real medieval knights. Medieval knight armor was essential for battle.
But armor wasn’t only used to protect the knights wearing it.
A knight’s armor showed their social class. Only the wealthiest knights could afford the best, heavy-weight armor.
If you’re at a museum and spot a medieval knight helmet, make sure to look at its quality. You’ll be able to tell if the knight was a high-ranking noble.
Head of the Round Table
While no one is sure if King Arthur existed, some leaders did command units of knights. There were many knight military units created in medieval times.
One of the most known was the Poor Fellow-Soldier of Christ and the Temple of Solomon. Also referred to as the Templars, this unit of elite noble knights had a Grand Master leading them.
The famous Jacques De Molay was the final Grand Master of the Templars. Look at these Jacques De Molay quotes. They speak to how incredible the Grand Masters were.
Damsel Knights
While men did make up the majority of knights, there were women who took up the sword.
Women were able to join orders of knighthood. They were not able to carry the official knight title. Instead of knights, the orders called women dames.
Many women who took to the battlefield weren’t official members of damehood. Eleanor of Aquitaine and Agnes Hotot may be some unfamiliar medieval knight names. The most famous example of a female knight taking to battle is Joan of Arc.
Chivalry Is Dead
The knights in romance novels always show off their commitment to chivalry. But that picture doesn’t reflect how real medieval knights behaved. The medieval times produced the concept of chivalry after knighthood first began.
Being a knight involved a lot of unsavory work. France established chivalry in an attempt to guide knights into being more respectable.
Chivalry was to make sure knights swore their loyalty to their lords and meant it. Lords put this measure in place so their knights would fight for them until the very end.
Medieval Knights Were Extraordinary
Medieval knights were an incredible and unique part of history. There is still much that remains unknown about them. But with this list, you can come away with a new outlook on the knights of old.
Do you want to discover other facts about history? Keep exploring our articles for more content on the world of the past.
