KNIGHTS OF OLD

Northern Advocate, 10 November 1934, Page 6

KNIGHTS OF OLD

THE DAYS OF CHIVALRY. There is no more picturesque age in the woxdd’s history than the days when chivalry flourished in all its glory. It grew up in the Middle Ages, reaching its height about the thirteenth century, and its high ideals were probably the most refining and civilising influence in all that time. The aim of everj' young nobleman in those days was to become a knight, but this honour could only be won by a hard training, so that it was richly deserved by those who had the grit and ability to attain to it. The knight’s training actually began at the age of seven. Until then he was left to the tender care of his mother, •but at that early age he had to leave home and enter the service of some nobleman as page—the first grade in chivalry. The page waited at his lord’s table, and was trained in the rules of courtesy and the routine of the stables, the kennels, and the armoury. He learned poetry and heraldry by heart, but the most important branch of his training consisted of manly sports and exercise, boxing, running, wrestling, and, above all, riding. He was schooled in all these by the squires of the lord’s household—a hard school, for the squires were always very severe to him, just as the knight was always very hard on his squires. But at the age of fourteen the page was promoted to squirehood—the second grade of chivalry. Now his duties consisted chiefly in personal attendance on his lord. He groomed the knight’s horses, saw to his armour, made his bed, and frequently slept at his door. He armed him for tournaments, held his horses and lances in a contest, and fought a. his side in battle. At the same time, he had to become expert in all the gentler arts, such as waiting on the women of the castle, serving wine, and carving at dinner. When the squire reached the age of twenty-one and distinguished himself by his prowess he could aspire to knighthood. The dream of all squires was to be knighted on the field of battle for conspicuous bravery, but usually a number of them would be brought before a lord, prince, or king on some special occasion, and would be knighted by him. The novice, as he was called, had to go through very ceremonious preparations, beginning the day before he was knighted. These varied considerably in different ages and countries, but this was - the most usual procedure: — ; He was stripped of all his clothes by his fellow-squires and put in a bath, as the symbol of purification. Then he was dressed in a white robe, also the emblem of purity, with a scarlet doublet as the symbol of nobility. During this day he had to fast and make full confession of all his past misdeeds, then in the evening his armour was put before an altar, and he had to kneel there, keeping watch over it all night. In the morning he was dressed by his fellow-squires in full armour, with gauntlets • and spurs, after which his lady to whom he had vowed eternal service would invest him with his belt and sword. Then he would be escorted with all honour to receive his knighthood. The knight’s life was henceforth filled with noble adventure and the constant pursuit of good. He vowed himself to truth, charity, courtesy, and honour, the championing of the oppressed, and the protection of women. All this must be done without hope of profit or reward, yet the khight held himself more than repaid when, returned from his wanderings, he at last knelt at the feet of his lady-love, in whose honour he had performed his most brilliant deeds, his most noble actions.