Becoming a Knight in Medieval Europe

Kurt Lohrengel

Regan & Martin

MDVL 1450

4/23/15

Becoming A Knight In Medieval Europe

        Being a knight in Medieval Europe was one of the greatest accomplishments young men could acquire in this day and age. For the skills and steps to becoming a knight was very difficult, and exclusive. Knights served many purposes throughout their lord’s court. For example, Knights competed in tournaments throughout their kingdom to prove their supremacy over other knights. They entertained their Lord’s and served on the council. Knights were also used to set an example for how young men should act in accordance to chivalry. Knights were the most elite warriors and their skills in combat were much greater than any normal soldier on the front line at this time. My paper will prove that knights were some of the greatest warriors in history because of the steps it took to become a knight.  

        As we know, medieval society was not the most ideal time period to live in. If you were born a poor peasant farmer you would most likely practice that your whole life. It was possible for any young man to become a knight, however, the weaponry and horses were very expensive. Ideally, noble men were given the opportunity to become knights. The idea was for nobleman to keep their family name in the council of their lord. The steps to knighthood started early in a boy’s life.

        The first real step of becoming a knight started with the young boys upbringing. It was the duty of the mother and father to teach their son chivalry and how to be a honorable man later on in life. Manners and respect was something parents infused into a child to make sure they would always be respectful to their Lord. Parents would give their child toys like wooden swords and shields to be familiar with the weapons of a knight. Also, a young boy would attend tournaments and see the things that knights do. I suppose this would be equivalent to a young kid at a sporting event, looking at the players hoping one day to be like them. Parents really played an important role in the life of a knight.

        Normally at the age of 7 parents would send their boy to serve at the house of their lord. Boys were given the term “Page’s” and were expected to get an education from their Lords. Some everyday tasks given to the Page consisted of waiting the table at meals, washing clothes, and help their lord dress. The purpose of this was to teach loyalty and obedience.  Normally a boy served as a Page from ages 7 to 14, and many times a lord would have multiple Page’s. This step in a young mans life was very important because it was the foundation of knighthood. Page’s learned skills such as: riding, hunting, combat, hawking, and games.