Knights and Armor

I. The Life of a Knight

  1. Armor: Chain Mail existed before the sheet armor typically associated with knights.
  2. The armor grew as weapons became more sophisticated.
  3. Knights needed horsemanship skills and honor.
  4. 13th Century the tournament became a social event; lethal weapons were forbidden.
  5. Castles, Chivalry, and Honor were important to the knight’s life.
  6. Battles were more often “siege battles” than hand-to-hand combat. Catapults were used.
  7. The Age of the Knights lasted for about 500 years. The “Knights in Shining Armor” represent the end of that period—using plate armor rather than chain mail and a shield.
  8. The Battle of Hastings in 1066 marks the beginning. These knights used chain mail.

II. Bayeux Tapestry: Battle of Hastings in 1066

  1. The battle was a great turning point in British History.
  2. Medieval battle field was the size of a few football fields—fairly small.
  3. Battle lasted from dawn until dusk, with about 6000 people on each side.
  4. William the Conqueror’s Knights used a cavalry charge.
  5. The English foot soldiers were effective with swords and battle axes for the earlier part of the day, but they didn’t have a great deal of staying power.
  6. The tapestry tells the death of Harold, the King.
  7. This allowed for William to become the ruler of England.

III. Tournaments

  1. Joust: Knights charged each other with lances. It was a sporting contest, friendly.
  2. These had begun as a way to win land, horses, and honor. It was warfare.
  3. Chivalry took second place to winning, so knights sometimes charged individuals or those unarmed.
  4. In the 13th Century, King Richard III issued licenses and knights had to pay to take part in tournaments.
  5. The margin between real violence and mock violence was small.
  6. At the end of the 13th Century, weapons were far less lethal.
  7. As the tournament became safer, they became spectator sports. They used “Arms of Peace.”
  8. By the middle of the 15th Century, the tilt barrier was used, a wooden tilt between opponents.
  9. Tournament armor allowed the knight to fall off the horse easily, which was different from battle armor that kept the knight firmly attached.
  10. Took an hour to be dressed in armor.
  11. Important from 11th to 15th Centuries.

V. Minstrels

  1. Came to tournaments.
  2. Encouraged masters with songs and shouts.
  3. If knights gave money and goods, the minstrel would spread your reputation.
  4. Minstrels had a place in “an economy of honor.”

VI. Ladies/Social Aspect of Tournaments

  1. As spectators (after the late 12th Century)
  2. Knights would wear colors of ladies to defend their honor. This was symbolic of their honor.

V. Castles

  1. A Knight was employed to protect his lord at the Castle.
  2. Throughout the 11th Century, local lords built castles to defend their land.
  3. In exchange for loyalty, lords would give knights land.
  4. If loyalty was damaged, a knight could lose his land.
  5. 1066, William the Conqueror took over. He placed his toughest knights along the border of Wales. William Marshal was rewarded for loyalty to the king.
  6. At the heart of any castle was the great hall.
  7. Castles were the highest demonstration of wealth. They were beautiful.
  8. The halls were elaborate and beautiful. It was a central social institution for the

aristocracy.

VI. William Marshal 1146-1219

  1. Was regarded at his death as one of the best knights to have ever lived.
  2. He ruled as Regent for Henry III.
  3. Married to the heiress Isabel de Clare and acquired all of her land.
  4. He had Chepstow Castle in South Wales

VII. King Arthur

  1. In the 12th Century the culture of Arthur was a part of a knight’s life. Tales of his life

stood as the standard for all knights.

  1. “Round Tables” were held to re-enact the stories of King Arthur.
  2. Camelot is the ideal court, setting “models of excellence” for a chivalric society.
  3. In the 15th and 16th Centuries, re-enactments were still popular.
  4. Historians think Arthur was a military leader of the Britons. There is no evidence that he

had anything to do with Knights (or a Round Table).

  1. “The Knights of the Round Table” were an ideal to uphold. The Round Table made all of

the knights equal.

  1. Edward III set an “Order of the Garter” based on Arthur’s legendary honor.

VIII. Order of the Garters

a.  The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, Membership in the order is limited to the sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and no more than twenty-four members, or Companions.

  1. The order's emblem, depicted on insignia, is a garter with the motto Honi soit qui mal y pense (Old French: "shame upon him who thinks evil of it") in gold lettering. Members of the order wear such a garter on ceremonial occasions.
  2. In St. Georges Chapel Windsor, the emblems (coats of arms) of the members of the order

hang.

IX. Armor

  1. As noted, armor evolved with changing weapons and the different goals of tournaments.
  2. Armor also reflected changes in fashion. Later, it directly mimicked clothing.
  3. Some suits of armor were made for parades. These would have comical masks.
  4. Suits for children were made entirely for display.
  5. Much armor was not shining silver, but rough unpolished silver.
  6. Black was the color in which to go to battle.
  7. The point of armor was protection from weapons, but with advanced weapons, this became increasingly difficult.
  8. Arrows could pierce the armor.

X. Coats of Arms and Heraldry

  1. Coats of Arms distinguish knights from one another in battles and in tournaments.
  2. The design should be simple so that you could determine identity quickly.
  3. This came from the designed shields of the Anglo-Saxon period.
  4. In the 1100s, shield design became systematic.
  5. Heraldry developed as knights used the same symbol and it was passed on through generations.
  6. Today six heralds are direct decedents from the medieval.
  7. You can get a coat of arms if you can prove English decent. There is still honor attached to the coat of arms.