In the 11th century, the earliest knights appeared in Europe. It was in the lands of the Frankish kingdom that Charlemagne had selected a group of elite cavalry from the Janissaries and went to the battlefield with him. This is the moment when the knights come to the fore. But if you go back, the prototype of the knight is hidden among the Germans.
In the past, the Roman Empire was dominated by infantry phalanxes and fought everywhere. They were the empire's conquest weapons, phalanxed with strict military discipline, which once terrified the enemies of the empire. However, the Roman phalanx was less mobile and had shown insufficient. When encountering cavalry who are good at breaking through, it is even more flawed. Therefore, in the late Western Roman Empire, a large number of Germanic cavalry were recruited into the army.
The Germanic cavalry was not only highly mobile, but also had a very special culture in the army. Not only will the soldiers choose to swear allegiance to the leader, but the leader will also provide for and protect the soldiers. The two sides have a closer relationship. And in the Germanic army, there was a tradition of sharing booty. The chief will also openly give gifts to the soldiers to promote the relationship between the two sides. As cavalry gradually occupied the main force in the European battlefield, the Germanic tradition was also inherited.
When the Frankish kingdom was established, the first king, Clovis, in accordance with Germanic tradition, distributed the proceeds of the war to his soldiers and publicly donated land to receive the loyalty of his soldiers.
Charlie Matt
When Charles Matt was the chancellor of the Frankish kingdom, there were frequent wars, and in order to expand his military power, Charlie Matt expanded his vassals and gave them land so that they could provide horses and weapons, thus gaining more loyalty. This is the caiyi system.
During the reign of Charlemagne, the caiyi system spread throughout the Frankish kingdom and became a national system. It has since spread to the UK. In the 8th century, the Carolingian dynasty of the Frankish kingdom further developed the caiyi system. There are more detailed provisions on the obligations between feudal lords and vassals.
Recipients must perform military service and obey the call. Fiefdoms are not hereditary. If the lord died, they were to return the fief to the grantor of the land, or their heirs.
As time went on, in addition to the royal family, the great lords also began to distribute land to their vassals and gain their allegiance. The practice of the Great Lords greatly caused the royal family to fall to the side. The rapid decline of the Carolingian dynasty is also related to the caiyi system. With the decline of the royal family, vassals everywhere embraced the military and wanted to turn the land into hereditary. The caiyi system is also going to a strange road. But Europe left a feudal system of kings, dukes, marquises, counts, viscounts, barons, and knights.
In terms of identity, when the knight launches a call, the knight needs to respond. In terms of class, the knight, although the lowest level of the medieval aristocracy, had his own pride. They see the same people as the same class. This, coupled with a series of moral standards laid down for them by the Church, became the origin of later chivalry.
Charlemagne
In the beginning, however, knights were the representatives of rudeness, rudeness, and abuse of force. Many things changed during the long Middle Ages, and knights were no exception. Initially, because of the extremely low quality of the knights, the church and the people became their victims.
At that time, the threshold for becoming a knight was low, and as long as he could purchase equipment and weapons, and perform "surrender etiquette" to his master, he could become a knight. As vassals, knights also received land and other rewards. At that time, knights were canonized, and secular feudal lords could exercise canonization ceremonies without the consent of the church.
After the 10th century, as the roman church grew in power, they began to restrict knighthood in various ways. After two centuries of peace and truce in the Church, the appearance of knights has changed dramatically. Their conduct is strictly restricted, and they are not allowed to abuse violence, attack merchants, commoners, clergy, etc., and recognize the supremacy of the church, otherwise they will be expelled from the church.
In the mid-11th century, the knighthood ceremony took a new change. Compared with the "surrender ceremony" in the past, the "sword-granting ceremony" is more valued. However, this ritual did not improve until the 12th century.
knight
Under the new ceremony, the threshold of knighthood is quite high. According to the rules, if they became a knight at that time, they must be the heirs of the knights, or someone in the father's generation had the status of a knight. Generally, knights are canonized between the ages of 15 and 21.
Before canonization, it must undergo rigorous training. In addition to learning martial arts, it is also necessary to learn etiquette. Knights are guided by the Code of Knighthood and observe chivalric ethics such as loyalty, bravery, protection of the weak, etc. Whenever a new knight accepts the canonization, he takes an oath. Of course, all of this has a lot to do with church guidance.
However, in the actual canonization process, regardless of the ceremony and threshold, it will change at different times and places. Because the knight himself canonize a new knight. Many of the rules knights could not strictly enforce. In terms of age, young people born of the royal family or great nobles can be canonized and become knights at the age of ten. The children of the little nobles are relatively poor, and if their status is relatively low, they may not be able to be canonized for a lifetime.
In contrast, some civilians who are not knights, or mercenaries, can also be knighted if they perform well on the battlefield. The etiquette of canonization also varies greatly. In simple terms, it is enough to tap the right shoulder of the recipient with a sword. Complicated words, it requires fasting, washing, putting on red robes and white clothes, praying and other procedures to become a knight.
The monarch canonized knighthood
After the 11th century, the knights firmly occupied the advantage of the European land battlefield. As a heavily armored cavalryman, the knights were protected from the wind and were completely a small fortress. During the Crusades, the knights were the main force. By the 12th century, the Church of Rome had an overwhelming dominance in Western Europe.
The whole of Western Europe was freed from the threat of foreign invasion. At the same time, the upper class of Western Europe began to be keen to learn the philosophy, literature, law and other knowledge of the classical period. Culture is reawakening. Therefore, this period is also known as the "12th century Renaissance".
Knights, as part of the aristocracy, were also influenced by this ethos. In contrast, chivalry and demeanor are more valued than their past martial arts. A knight with high martial arts, no longer sought after.
Knowing how to become a gentleman, to be able to blend into the upper class life, to please the famous ladies, is the real knight. In the 15th century, guns appeared, knights fell on the battlefield, and gradually entered history, only becoming the honorary title of the present.