Knighthood

You probably know knights as the people who save the princess and then get married to her. That is a timeless tale that has been modified over time. And I know some girls get upset over that because they know they can fend for themselves, but back in medieval times girls didn’t take karate or fencing. They just took care of the family while knights did the exciting stuff. Today you will learn the real duty of a knight, because they don’t just save damsels in distress all day, they do other things too!

A knight’s real duty was to protect the people of the kingdom who are unable to protect themselves. In order to become a knight you had to do something brave enough to be recognized by the king and he would knight you, but the brave thing would have to be military based. That was only in medieval times. You can still be decreed a knight today but you don’t have to do something military based. I want to be a knight but I’m not going under the command of a general to do so! If you were a knight, you would have to wear a heavy suit of armor (over 175 lbs.) to stay safe. It was also worn to intimidate the enemy. If knights had to wear high heels, they would really be in a predicament of fashion and comfort. OUCH!

Medieval knights followed a conduct code of honor, which means they lived by these rules: Stay loyal to your master, always be courteous and kind, and always fight bravely. Christian knights perused the values of faith, hope, charity, justice, strength, moderation, and loyalty. During times of peace, they would live in a castle or a large fortified home. They also participated in hunts and tournaments during their off times. That sounds relaxing!

Knighthood is a big responsibility. You have to live life under the command of a king, you have to wear really heavy armor, and you’d have live by a conduct code of honor. If you want to be a knight but you don’t like hard work, then knighthood will not work out for you. And for all girls out there, thank the men who save from embarrassing or dangerous moments in your life. They should be your knight in shining armor!

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