"Chivalry and Courtesy: The Making of a Medieval Knight"

Dr. Francis K.H. So 蘇其康教授(中山大學)


I. Education: 
a. etiquette of the court?useful to his lord in social &    political contexts
b. tactics of warfare
c. virtue? courtly virtues, pleasing to his lady; 
    Christian virtues
 

II. Social Status:
          knight—high order—discipline
          knight—king—peer—aristocracy
                a.  temporal governance
                b.  governing order of society 

III. Activities:
        a.  joust--tournament, tilt, violence
        b.  war; just war   1.  legitimate ruler to declare or wage war
                                     2.  Just cause
                                     3.  belligerents have proper intention in mind
        c.  feasts and entertainments-- 7 days celebration? revels
        d.  trial by battle (English common law)
              16 such trials in Morte Darthur
        e.  adventures-- tests of knighthood
 

IV. Privileged Orders
a.  Round Table Knights
     1. Support of the Church-- main obligation
             i.  heroic-- Gawain
             ii.  worshipful-- Arthur (courtly feudal)
             iii. true-- religious-feudal  (SGGK)
     2. fellowship--Arthur dubs his knights

b.  Templars (founded in 1118)--safeguard pilgrims to Jerusalem

c.  Order of the Garter (Edward III, 1344)--26 knights--charitable &
     religious obligations
     Highest order of English knighthood
 
 

V. Relations— kings depend on his knights— body politic
             (head)           members
             His Lady
 

VI. Castles

VII. Obligations:
1. loyalty
2. peace-keeping, defend widows & orphans
3. religious mission: defend the Church, Grail knights
4. not to defend guilty party in trial of battle
5. justice, exercise of authority & maintenance of right 
 

             Here do you keep a hundred knights and squires,
             Men so disordered, so debauched and bold
             That this our court, infected with their manners,
             Shows like a riotous inn.  Epicurism and lust
             Makes it more like a tavern or a brothel
             Than a graced palace.  The shame itself doth speak
             For instant remedy.  Be then desired.
                                       (Lear. 1.iv. 238-244)
 
 
 

               A KNYGHT ther was, and that a worthy man,
              That fro the tyme that he first bigan
              To riden out, he loved chivalrie,
              Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.
              Ful worthy was he in his lordes were.
                                     (CT General Prologue 43-47)