The stories of knights loyal to the king, a beautiful lady and military duty have been inspiring men to exploits for many centuries, and people of art to creativity.

Ulrich von Liechtenstein (1200-1278)

Ulrich von Liechtenstein did not storm Jerusalem, did not fight the Moors, did not participate in the Reconquista. He became famous as a knight-poet. In 1227 and 1240 he traveled, which he described in the courtly novel The Service of the Ladies.

According to him, he went from Venice to Vienna, challenging every knight he met to fight in the name of Venus. He also created The Ladies' Book, a theoretical essay on love poetry.

Lichtenstein's "Serving the Ladies" is a textbook example of a courtly novel. It tells about how the knight sought the location of a beautiful lady. To do this, he had to amputate his little finger and half of his upper lip, defeat three hundred opponents in tournaments, but the lady remained adamant. Already at the end of the novel, Lichtenstein concludes "that only a fool can serve indefinitely where there is nothing to count on and a reward."

Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199)

Richard the Lionheart is the only Knight King on our list. In addition to the well-known and heroic nickname, Richard also had a second one - "Yes and no." It was invented by another knight, Bertrand de Born, who dubbed the young prince so for his indecision.

Already being king, Richard did not manage England at all. In the memory of his descendants, he remained a fearless warrior who cared about personal glory more than about the well-being of his possessions. Almost the entire time of his reign, Richard spent abroad.

He took part in the Third Crusade, conquered Sicily and Cyprus, besieged and took Acre, but the English king did not dare to storm Jerusalem. On the way back, Richard was captured by Duke Leopold of Austria. Only a rich ransom allowed him to return home.

After returning to England, Richard fought for another five years with the French king Philip II Augustus. Richard's only major victory in this war was the capture of Gisors near Paris in 1197.

Raymond VI (1156-1222)

Count Raymond VI of Toulouse was an atypical knight. He became famous for his opposition to the Vatican. One of the largest feudal lords of Languedoc in Southern France, he patronized the Cathars, whose religion was practiced during his reign by the majority of the population of Languedoc.

Pope Innocent II excommunicated Raimund twice for refusing to obey, and in 1208 he called for a campaign against his lands, which went down in history as the Albigensian Crusade. Raymond offered no resistance and in 1209 publicly repented.

However, too cruel, in his opinion, the demands on Toulouse led to another discord with the Catholic Church. For two years, from 1211 to 1213, he managed to hold Toulouse, but after the defeat of the crusaders in the Battle of Muret, Raymond IV fled to England, to the court of John Landless.

In 1214, he again officially submitted to the pope. In 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council, which he attended, stripped him of his rights to all lands, leaving only the marquisate of Provence to his son, the future Raymond VII.

William Marshal (1146-1219)

William Marshal was one of the few knights whose biography was published almost immediately after his death. In 1219, a poem entitled "The History of William Marshal" was published.

The marshal became famous not because of his feats of arms in wars (although he also participated in them), but thanks to his victories in knightly tournaments. He gave them sixteen years of his life.

The Archbishop of Canterbury called the Marshal the greatest knight of all time.

Already at the age of 70, Marshal led the royal army on a campaign against France. His signature is on the Magna Carta as a guarantor of its observance.

Edward the Black Prince (1330-1376)

Eldest son of King Edward III, Prince of Wales. He received his nickname either because of his difficult character, or because of the origin of his mother, or because of the color of the armor.

The "Black Prince" gained his fame in battles. He won two classic battles of the Middle Ages - at Cressy and at Poitiers.

For this, his father especially noted him, making him the first knight of the new Order of the Garter. His marriage to a cousin, Joanna of Kent, also added to Edward's knighthood. This couple was one of the brightest in Europe.

On June 8, 1376, a year before his father's death, Prince Edward died and was buried in Canterbury Cathedral. The English crown was inherited by his son Richard II.

The Black Prince has left a mark on culture. He is one of the heroes of Arthur Conan Doyle's dilogy about the Hundred Years' War, a character in Dumas' novel The Bastard de Moleon.

Bertrand de Born (1140-1215)

The knight and troubadour Bertrand de Born was the ruler of Perigord, the owner of the castle of Hautefort. Dante Alighieri portrayed Bertrand de Born in his "Divine Comedy": the troubadour is in Hell, and holds his severed head in his hand as punishment for the fact that in life he fanned quarrels between people and loved wars.

And, according to Dante, Bertrand de Born sang only to sow discord.

De Born, meanwhile, became famous for his courtly poetry. In his poems, he glorified, for example, the Duchess Matilda, the eldest daughter of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. De Born was acquainted with many troubadours of his time, such as Guillem de Bergedan, Arnaut Daniel, Folke de Marseilla, Gaucelm Faydit and even the French trouveur Conon of Bethune. Toward the end of his life, Bertrand de Born retired to the Cistercian abbey of Dalon, where he died in 1215.

Gottfried of Bouillon (1060-1100)

To become one of the leaders of the First Crusade, Gottfried of Bouillon sold everything he had and gave up his lands. The pinnacle of his military career was the assault on Jerusalem.

Gottfried of Bouillon was elected the first king of the crusader kingdom in the Holy Land, but refused such a title, preferring to him the title of baron and Defender of the Holy Sepulcher.

He left an order to crown his brother Baldwin king of Jerusalem if Gottfried himself died - so a whole dynasty was founded.

As a ruler, Gottfried took care of expanding the boundaries of the state, imposed taxes on the emissaries of Caesarea, Ptolemais, Ascalon, and subjugated the Arabians on the left side of the Jordan to his power. On his initiative, a statute was introduced, which was called the Jerusalem Assisi.

He died, according to Ibn al-Qalanisi, during the siege of Acre. According to another version, he died of cholera.

Jacques de Molay (1244-1314)

De Molay was the last Master of the Knights Templar. In 1291, after the fall of Acre, the Templars moved their headquarters to Cyprus.

Jacques de Molay set himself two ambitious goals: he wanted to reform the order and convince the pope and European monarchs to equip a new crusade to the Holy Land.

The Knights Templar were the richest organization in the history of medieval Europe, and their economic ambitions were beginning to get in the way of European monarchs.

On October 13, 1307, by order of the King of France, Philip IV the Handsome, all the French Templars were arrested. The order was officially banned.

The last master of the Templars has remained in history, including thanks to the legend of the so-called "curse of de Molay". According to Geoffroy of Paris, on March 18, 1314, Jacques de Molay, ascending the fire, summoned the French king Philip IV, his adviser Guillaume de Nogaret and Pope Clement V to God's judgment. Already shrouded in clouds of smoke, he promised the king, adviser and pope that they outlive it by no more than a year. He also cursed the royal family to the thirteenth generation.

In addition, there is a legend that Jacques de Molay, before his death, founded the first Masonic lodges, in which the forbidden order of the Templars was supposed to remain underground.

Jean le Maingre Boucicault (1366-1421)

Boucicault was one of the most famous French knights. At 18, he went to Prussia to help the Teutonic Order, then he fought against the Moors in Spain and became one of the heroes of the Hundred Years War. During the truce in 1390, Boucicault entered the jousting tournament and took first place in it.

Busiko was a knight-errant and wrote poems about his prowess.

His was so great that King Philip VI made him Marshal of France.

In the famous Battle of Agincourt, Boucicault was captured and died in England six years later.

Cid Campeador (1041(1057)-1099)

The real name of this illustrious knight was Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. He was a Castilian nobleman, military and political leader, national hero of Spain, hero of Spanish folk tales, poems, romances and dramas, as well as the famous tragedy of Corneille.

The Arabs called the knight the Sid. Translated from folk Arabic, "sit" means "my lord." In addition to the nickname "Sid", Rodrigo also earned another nickname - Campeador, which translates as "winner".

The glory of Rodrigo was forged under King Alfonso. Under him, El Cid became the commander-in-chief of the Castilian army. In 1094, Cid captured Valencia and became its ruler. All attempts by the Almorravids to recapture Valencia ended in their defeats at the battles of Kuart (in 1094) and Bairen (in 1097). After his death in 1099, Sid turned into a folk hero, sung in poems and songs.

It is believed that before the last battle with the Moors, El Cid was mortally wounded by a poisoned arrow. His wife dressed Compeador's body in armor and put him on a horse so that his army would maintain morale.

In 1919, the remains of Cid and his wife, Doña Jimena, were buried in Burgos Cathedral. Since 2007, Tisona, a sword that allegedly belonged to Sid, has been located here.

William Wallace (c. 1272-1305)

William Wallace is a national hero of Scotland, one of the most important figures in her wars of independence from 1296-1328. His image was embodied by Mel Gibson in the movie "Braveheart".

In 1297, Wallace killed the English sheriff of Lanark and soon established himself as one of the leaders of the Scottish rebellion against the English. On September 11 of the same year, Wallace's small army defeated the 10,000th English army on Stirling Bridge. Most of the country was liberated. Wallace was knighted and declared Guardian of the Realm, ruling in Balliol's name.

A year later, the English king Edward I again invaded Scotland. On July 22, 1298, the Battle of Falkirk took place. Wallace's forces were defeated and he was forced into hiding. However, a letter from the French king to his ambassadors in Rome, dated November 7, 1300, survives, in which he demands that they support Wallace.

In Scotland, guerrilla warfare continued at this time, and Wallace returned to his homeland in 1304 and took part in several clashes. However, on August 5, 1305, he was captured in the vicinity of Glasgow by English soldiers.

Wallace rejected the accusations of treason at the trial, saying: "I cannot be a traitor to Edward, because I have never been his subject."

On August 23, 1305, William Wallace was executed in London. His body was beheaded and cut into pieces, his head hung on the Great London Bridge, and body parts are on display in the largest cities in Scotland - Newcastle, Berwick, Stirling and Perth.

Henry Percy (1364-1403)

For his character, Henry Percy was nicknamed "hotspur" (hot spur). Percy is one of the heroes of Shakespeare's historical chronicles. Already at the age of fourteen, under the command of his father, he participated in the siege and capture of Berik, ten years later he himself commanded two raids on Boulogne. In the same year, 1388, he was knighted in the Garter by King Edward III of England, and took an active part in the war with France.

For his support of the future King Henry IV, Percy became constable of the castles of Flint, Conwy, Chester, Caernarvon and Denbigh, and was also appointed Justicar of North Wales. At the Battle of Homildon Hill, Hotspur captured Earl Archibald Douglas, who was in command of the Scots.

The outstanding commander of the Hundred Years War, Bertrand Deguquelin, in his childhood, did not look much like the future famous knight.

According to the troubadour Cuvelier of Tournai, who compiled the biography of Dugueclin, Bertrand was "the ugliest child in Rennes and Dinan" - with short legs, too broad shoulders and long arms, an ugly round head and swarthy "boar" skin.

Deguquelin entered the first tournament in 1337, at the age of 17, and later chose a military career - as researcher Jean Favier writes, he made war his craft "as much out of necessity as out of spiritual inclination."

Most of all, Bertrand Du Guesclin became famous for his ability to take well-fortified castles by storm. His small detachment, supported by archery and crossbowmen, stormed the walls with ladders. Most castles, which had insignificant garrisons, could not resist such tactics.

After the death of Dugueclin during the siege of the city of Châteauneuf-de-Randon, he was given the highest posthumous honor: he was buried in the tomb of the French kings in the church of Saint-Denis at the feet of Charles V.

John Hawkwood (c. 1320-1323 -1394)

The English condottiere John Hawkwood was the most famous leader of the "White Company" - a detachment of Italian mercenaries of the XIV century, which served as a prototype for the heroes of Conan Doyle's novel "The White Company".

Together with Hawkwood, English archers and footmen at arms appeared in Italy. Hawkwood for his military merits received the nickname l'acuto, "cool", which later became his name - Giovanni Acuto.

The fame of Hawkwood was so great that the English King Richard II asked the Florentines for permission to bury him in his homeland in Hedingham. The Florentines returned the ashes of the great condottiere to their homeland, but ordered a tombstone and a fresco for his empty grave in the Florentine Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

A classic symbol of the Middle Ages is a knight in armor and weapons in his hands. The formation of the culture of knights is directly related to the feudal system. This is due to the fact that the knights often became feudal lords, thanks to the faithful service of the monarch, who subsequently endowed them with land and money. After all, medieval knights were primarily professional warriors. At the head of squads or armies were knights of noble origin.

Knighthood - the privilege of the nobility

War in the Middle Ages was the privilege of the upper class, which received for their service not only land, but also entire villages and cities. Naturally, a knight in medieval Spain, France or England was not interested in the appearance of rival knights. Many feudal lords forbade not only peasants, but also merchants, artisans, and even officials to carry weapons. Sometimes the contempt of medieval knights for commoners reached the point of absurdity, proud feudal lords refused to fight along with ordinary foot soldiers, which often cost them their lives.

A real medieval knight (especially a knight in medieval Spain) had to come from a noble knightly family and know his family tree, at least up to the fifth generation. The family coat of arms and motto served as proof of the noble origin of the knights. The title of knights was inherited or given by the king for military exploits.

The emergence of knightly estates arose in the 8th century among the Franks, when there was a transition from a foot militia to a vassal horse army. Under the influence of the church, the medieval cavalry turned into an elite military estate that served high ideals. The era of the Crusades finally turned the medieval knight into a role model.

The emergence of the knightly cavalry

The first equivalent of knights can be called the estate of horsemen in ancient Rome. It was they who fought on horseback, often using high-quality armor, but the cavalry in the Roman troops was never the basis of the army. Cavalry detachments were intended to pursue fleeing enemies, although the heavy cavalry of the aristocrats could, if necessary, hit the enemy.

The beginning of the era of knights can be considered the 4th-6th centuries, when the Roman Empire fell under the blows of horse nomads. It was the Sarmatian horsemen, using heavy armor and a shield, that became the prototype of the knightly cavalry of Europe.

Since it was the nomads who became a privileged caste in the territory of the former Roman Empire, it is their combat costume (armor and weapons) that underlies the combat ammunition used by the knights of Europe. However, since the aliens were quite few, it took centuries before their fighting traditions could spread to Europe.

Ancient Franks - the first knights

The history of the appearance of knights in the form in which they are now presented is closely connected with the Franks. It was here that an urgent need arose for the creation of a mobile cavalry army, as cases of attacks by the Arabs who captured Spain became more frequent. The Arabs, who moved quickly on their horses, were inaccessible to the foot troops of the Franks. In addition, the peasants could not serve in distant regions, so the Carolingians began to create cavalry from the nobles of the state.

Since the crown was in dire need of horsemen dressed in armor, Karl Martel and his sons began to distribute church and crown lands to their warriors, demanding that they perform horse military service for this. If under Charlemagne a large number of infantry participated in the war, then the wars under Louis 1 and Charles 2 took place completely without the participation of infantry.

In 865, every noble vassal of the king was required to have mail or scale armor, a shield, and a sword. In addition, the quitrent population could get a position at the lord's court, serving as a lightly armed horseman. With proper dexterity and a share of luck, such a rider could earn a benefice, after that he went into heavy cavalry. The newly-minted feudal lord had to immediately acquire knightly armor, otherwise the land could have been taken away. Thus, a new medieval class of servants appeared who were obliged to participate in the war along with their feudal lord. The best servants received fiefs and became knights.

Such a transition to the knighthood was practiced until the 12th century, after which, by decree of Frederick 1 (in Germany), the knights became a completely hereditary estate. Peasants were forbidden to wear a sword, shield and spear, and merchants had to tie the sword to the saddle, but not to gird it.

Medieval knights in different countries of Europe

Each European country had its own characteristics regarding the knighthood:

1. In Germany, by the end of the 12th century, it was not easy to become a knight. If earlier a candidate for a knighthood could prove his origin in a duel, then after the publication of the Saxon Mirror, only one whose father and grandfather were knights could be considered a knight. The constitution of Frederick 1 forbade peasants and priests (and their descendants) to carry a sword;
2. If we talk about the French knights, then most often they were rich feudal lords, since the second sign of nobility was initiation into the knighthood. Although the war often helped to get knights and ordinary people, it was difficult for them to acquire a set of armor, which in medieval society cost as much as the annual income of an entire village. The unspoken rule of knighting in France was that the applicant had a fief. Merchants and townspeople who wished to become knights could buy a plot of land for themselves, automatically falling into the feudal estate. Already in the 13th century, the purchase of land by people of non-noble origin was subject to a huge tax, although it was still possible to get knighted through the award of the title by the king;
3. Medieval England was constantly torn apart by internal wars, besides, England was one of the main targets for the Scandinavian conquerors. This left a very significant imprint on the formation of the knightly class in England. Kings Henry 3 and Edward 1 demanded obligatory knighting from all lennikov;
4. The Spanish peninsula was constantly at war with the Arabs. This made the local knights the most skilled warriors of the Middle Ages. Many knights rode across Europe, hoping to help the Christian brothers in their endless wars against the Arab invaders.

Even at the time of the birth of chivalry, the church had a huge influence on this estate. Initially, in the church, the knights took an oath of allegiance to their king, then they swore to serve the church. The service of the church meant being fair and merciful, not violating the oath to their king and carrying Christian morality to the pagans.

Raising a True Knight

Future knights began to prepare from childhood. Training began at the age of 7 and continued until the age of 21, when the young man was officially knighted. First, the boys were taught to stay in the saddle, then to wield weapons. Armor was not given to children, although there are cases when rich feudal lords ordered a reduced set of armor, which exactly copied the armor of adult knights.

In addition, the children of noble landowners were taught:

• Swimming (when the boy got older, he had to be able to swim in full combat gear);
• Fight without weapons;
• Graceful manners;
• Strategy and tactics;
• The art of capturing castles.

Soon the boys became pages at the court of a king or a powerful lord. Despite the fact that the pages flaunted in beautiful costumes, their training became more difficult and exhausting every year.

The grown up pages entered the service of the knights as squires. Their task was to accompany the knight in all his military campaigns. The squire had to look after the suit and armor of the knight, wear his shields and weapons, and make sure that everything was in perfect condition.

Only after that, young people were knighted and received the right to wear the family coat of arms on the field of their shield.

Since, apart from war, only hunting was considered an occupation worthy of a knight, young people were taught all the intricacies of this business.

Code of Honor for Medieval Knights

Solidarity was extremely developed among the medieval knights. One of the clearest examples of such solidarity occurred during the war between the Franks and the Saracens. Before the battle, one of the best knights of Charlemagne challenged the Saracen knight to a duel. When a French knight was deceived into captivity, the Saracen voluntarily surrendered to the enemy in order to be exchanged for a knight captured by deceit.

The code of knightly honor is known to us from numerous written sources. The code of the knight is based on:

1. Loyalty to one's master;
2. Cult of the Beautiful Lady;
3. Serving the ideals of the church.

The ministry of the church led to the creation of knightly orders. They appeared during the Crusades. Knights in such orders were considered crusader monks and wore cassocks over armor. In addition, their shield was decorated with the emblem of the cross.

Valor of real knights

Every medieval knight had to strive to possess the following qualities:

• Courage in battle (a real knight, without flinching, could fight with an entire army);
• Loyalty (meaning loyalty to one's master);
• generosity;
• Moderation;
• Refinement in communication.

The main knightly commandments were as follows:

• Always stand in defense of the interests of the church;
• Help the weak and disadvantaged;
• Fight for your country and king;
• Keep your word;
• Fight evil in all its manifestations.

Naturally, a fairly small percentage of the knightly class possessed a set of such qualities, but many aspired precisely to this ideal.

Weapons and tactics of medieval knights

If the sword, shield and spear have always been the main weapon and protection of the knight, the armor has gradually evolved over the centuries. Starting with chain mail and light shields in the early Middle Ages, in the 14th century the knight's defense consisted of full armor and a heavy shield.

With the development of armor, the weapons of the knights also evolved. Swords began to be used for stabbing, which made them more difficult. The spears also became more massive. Only battle axes remained practically unchanged, their power was still enough to cut through chain mail and cut through whole armor.

In battle, each knight was accompanied by squires, whose task was to help the knight during the battle. Wealthy feudal lords often took their own detachment into battle, from people devoted to themselves.

The blow of the knightly cavalry was an iron wedge, crushing an unprepared enemy in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, for a sufficient run, the knightly cavalry needed a level ground, so knightly skirmishes took place on the plains.

During times of peace, knights trained in tournaments using blunt weapons.

Knight's castles

Since the Middle Ages were filled with wars and skirmishes, every knight dreamed of building his own castle. The construction of such a fortress required huge financial investments. But the finished fortress became the center of life for the whole area. It was here that fairs were held, merchants and artisans came here, who gradually built up the surroundings with their houses and trading shops. In case of danger, the knight could open the gates of his castle and shelter everyone behind impregnable walls.

Some castles have earned notoriety, during the time of the “wildness” of the knights, they became real robber nests, from where the robber knight attacked passing merchants.

The era of knights ended shortly after the advent of firearms. Bullets easily pierced even the best armor, so wearing heavy armor became impractical. Despite this, the knights forever remained in the hearts of people, symbolizing honor and dignity.

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I am fond of martial arts with weapons, historical fencing. I write about weapons and military equipment because it is interesting and familiar to me. I often learn a lot of new things and want to share these facts with people who are not indifferent to military topics.

An essay about knights grade 6 can be used in preparation for the lesson.

Who are the knights? Briefly

The era of knights falls on 500 - 1500 years, that is, in the Middle Ages. It was marked by numerous wars, diseases and epidemics. Previously, infantry soldiers took part in hostilities. But since the invention of the stirrup and the improvement of the saddle, they began to fight on horseback, using a heavy spear as a weapon. Then the rider or riding warriors began to be called knights.

It is difficult to imagine a knight without his faithful horse. On it, he not only fought, but also hunted, participated in tournaments. Such horses cost a lot of money: only special breeds with a strong build and endurance were selected for military affairs. These qualities were reinforced by constant training.

As a rule, the knights were wealthy people and lived in castles with moats and thick walls. Those who were poorer lived in stone houses with moats filled with water.

How could one become a knight?

The estate of knights was formed from the children of the nobility: at the age of 7, sons were prepared for the service of a page. Boys were taught swimming, horseback riding, fisticuffs, and the habit of wearing heavy battle armor. When they were 12-14 years old, they became squires and left the family to serve and live in the knight's castle. Here he learned to handle the sword and spear. At the age of 21, young people were solemnly knighted.

Virtues of a knight

The value of a knight is his dignity and honor. So he followed certain rules. Also, the knight must be generous. They owned the wealth that they received from the exactions of the peasants, military campaigns and robberies of neighboring feudal lands. Therefore, they distributed their wealth to the needy, "sponsored" talented and inventive individuals. Extravagance for a knight of that time was a familiar and prestigious phenomenon. It was believed that in this way he eradicates the sinful vices of stinginess, greed, self-interest and pride.

Also, the knights were preachers of morality and the Christian religion among Muslims. They demonstrated their military prowess not only during campaigns, but also at knightly tournaments. On them, he could show one more of his dignity - generosity, sparing the defeated opponent.

How were the knights armed?

The armament of the knights was armor and various weapons. The vestment weighed up to 25 kg, so the master always had his own squire, who helped to dress, undress and handed over weapons. Often, war horses were also dressed in heavy armor.

Under the armor, the knight wore chain mail, consisting of 1000 rings. Metal pants, gloves, a chin rest, a bib and details that protected the face were attached to it. The image of a warrior was completed by a helmet and shoes with spurs.

• The knights were small people - their height did not exceed 160 cm.
• Under the knight's helmet, fleas and lice swarming in the folds of his clothes. They bathed no more than 3 times a year.
• Putting on and taking off armor took neither more nor less - 3 hours. Therefore, in military campaigns, they often relieved themselves.
• For a long time, knights were considered the strongest warriors on the field. Nobody could defeat them. The secret lay in an effective projectile that instantly hit the heart of the enemy - a crossbow.
• In 1560, chivalry ceased to exist as an estate of the population.
• The weapons were a spear and a sword. In addition, the knights wielded a bow.

We hope that the message about the knights helped you learn a lot of useful information. And you can add a story about knights through the comment form below.

The history of the creation of chivalry has not been sufficiently studied to this day and does not have a single agreed opinion of historians. It is interpreted in a wide range and variously dates the organization of chivalry from the seventh to the tenth century. This military estate received general recognition upon the fact of its existence, when researchers allow semantics from the German word "ritter" - horseman. Some researchers see in the knights all the secular feudal lords of the early Middle Ages, while others see only a part of them - petty feudal lords, while implying military servants (horsemen) who were vassals of the nobility. Considering also that as feudal fragmentation grew, which favored the expansion of the rights of small knights, the line between knights and nobility gradually blurred, equalizing their rights.

These examples, presented on the already accomplished fact of the existence of chivalry, do not take into account the degree of logical expediency of any actions of historical characters entering the stage of the theater of history. And the logic is such that knightly equipment is a very expensive pleasure that not every nobleman could afford, as evidenced by the tradition of transferring the helmet and armor of the defeated knight to the winner. It is known that in the early Middle Ages, interstate relations often had a military character, when different kings and sovereigns, being leaders of military detachments, had to wield weapons and constantly improve their military skills. Therefore, it can be assumed that knightly armor is a combat form, first of all, of a king to protect him from enemy weapons.

By tradition, members of the royal family can only cross arms with an equal in position, and chivalry turned out to be the very environment with which the king could, without losing his dignity, participate in tournaments on the lists, holding war games and competitions. So from history we know that at a similar tournament, the French king Henry II, who was defeated in a knightly duel by Count Montgomery, was mortally wounded by a fragment of a spear. The count, who, in the romantic interpretation of Alexandre Dumas, turned out to be the son of Count Montgomery, who spent half his life and died in prison because he drew his weapon against Henry II, who was then a prince, challenging him to a duel as a rival in a relationship with a woman. But in everyday life this cannot be done - you can only fight with representatives of the royal house on the lists in an equal duel, having dignity on the social ladder no lower than the title of a count.

So, having received an education corresponding to his status, a knight could take his proper place in the power hierarchy, from baron to king. This hierarchy can be represented, descending from top to bottom, as: "The King and - his barons (dukes, counts)". As time passed and with the beginning of the formation of knightly orders, the role of the baron in the knightly hierarchy decreased: the King is the Head of the order. Duke - Head of the detachment (Head of the Order). Count - Knight (team leader). Baron - Knight (team leader). A knight in the service of a baron.

The original name of the knight - the equestrian comes from the means of transportation necessary for a person armed in heavy armor, which is the horse. Thus, chivalry became a privileged shock military unit of heavy cavalry, capable of breaking through the ranks of an enemy armed with spears, while remaining virtually invulnerable to infantry. The main theme of chivalry is the theme of service and austerity, which are often accompanied by a mystical cult of the beloved - the Lady, whose colors the knight wore on his armor and served as a guarantor of the protection of the honor of this Lady in cases of the so-called "God's judgment", when the conflict was resolved in a mortal duel between representatives accusing and defending side. Even the king had no right to cancel such a court.

Knighting was carried out in a solemn atmosphere, when only the king could knight, later the Grand Master of the Order of Knights began to do this. The training of a knight took place in serving as a page of a noble lady, and then a squire for one of the knights, who then presented his squire to the king for knighthood. Thus, each knight had his own history and belonging to any land ownership or military knightly order, marked with the appropriate heraldic symbols, which the knight usually wore on his shield. The first military monastic order arose in the 11th century in Palestine, when seven knights created the Order of the Temple to protect pilgrims.

Then other knightly monastic orders were created, into which the children of nobles who did not have the right to inherit the title - Maltese, Livonian, Teutonic, had the opportunity to join. The master or grandmaster, the head of the order, acted as abbot. Therefore, no one could see a woman among the knights (even if it was the queen herself), even in the most nightmare, because it was physically impossible. In the course of the historical period of time, the original meaning of chivalry was lost and perverted to those positions when the knights began to reproduce themselves through a blow to the face and some oral parting words. With the invention of firearms, chivalry ceased to be the main military strike force. And after women were also called knights (masters), the institute of chivalry generally lost any meaning. Freemasonry, which considers itself the heirs of chivalric traditions, has invested a different esoteric meaning in heraldic symbolism, when in allegorical expression the title of a knight sounds like a master. Logos controlling his horse - matter. Here, the true concept of the semantic sounding of the word knight is inaccessible to most people without special education.

Knight without fear and reproach

The most famous knight was Bayard Pierre du Terail. He was called "a knight without fear and reproach", his name became a household name, synonymous with honor, disinterestedness and military prowess. Bayard was born near Grenoble in the family castle in 1476. The Terailei dynasty was famous for its chivalrous feats, many of Bayard's ancestors ended their lives on the battlefields. He was raised by his grandfather, who was a bishop and gave the boy a good education and upbringing. One of the main elements of education at school in those days was physical training. From birth, Bayard did not differ in good health and physical strength, so he devoted a lot of time to gymnastics and various exercises. Since childhood, he dreamed of devoting his life to the service of France as a warrior. From an early age, Bayard got used to wearing heavy weapons, jumping on a horse without a stirrup, overcoming deep ditches and climbing high walls, shooting from a bow and fighting with a sword. All his life he remembered the advice of his parents: to hope in God, always tell the truth, respect your equals, protect widows and orphans.

By tradition, Bayard began his service as a page of Count Philippe de Beauges. Having become a knight, he participated in many tournaments. Bayard's duel with the Spanish knight Inigo is described in D'Azeglio's novel "Ettore Fieramosca, or the Tournament in Barletta": "Bayard ... was the first to enter the arena on a beautiful Norman bay stallion; The stallion had three white legs and a black mane. According to the custom of that time, he was covered with a huge blanket that covered his body from ears to tail; a blanket of light green color with red stripes, and the coat of arms of a knight was embroidered on it; it ended with a fringe that reached the horse's knees. Sultans of feathers of the same colors fluttered on the head and on the rump of the stallion, and the same colors were repeated on the spear badge and on the feathers of the helmet ... Bayard restrained his horse against Doña Elvira and, as a sign of greeting, bowed his spear in front of her, and then hit him three times into Inigo's shield... This meant that he summoned Inigo for three blows of his spear... Having done all this, Bayard rode off to the entrance to the amphitheatre. At the same moment Inigo was in his place, opposite him; both held a spear at their feet, point upwards...

When the trumpet sounded for the third time, it seemed that the same impulse animated the fighters and their horses. To bend over a spear, to spur a horse, to rush forward with the speed of an arrow was a matter of one minute, and both horsemen performed it with equal speed and swiftness. Inigo aimed at his opponent's helmet; it was a sure, though not easy, blow; however, when they came abreast, Inigo thought that in the presence of such a lofty assembly it was better to act without risk, and contented himself with breaking his spear on Bayard's shield. But the French knight... aimed at Inigo's visor and hit so accurately that even if they both stood still, he couldn't have struck better. Sparks flew from Inigo's helmet, the shaft of the spear broke almost at the very base, and the Spaniard leaned on his left side so much - for he also lost his left stirrup - that he almost fell. Thus, the honor of this first fight went to Bayard. Both knights continued to gallop around the arena to come out towards each other, each from the other side; and Inigo, throwing back a piece of his spear in anger, drew another from the barrel as he galloped. In the second fight, the blows of the opponents were equal... In the third fight... Inigo broke his spear on the visor of his opponent, and he barely touched his cheek with his spear. The trumpets sounded again and the shouts of "Hurrah!" The heralds announced that both knights were distinguished by the same valor, and together they went to the bed of Doña Elvira ... The girl met them with words of praise.

From the end of the 15th century, the era of the decline of heavily armed mounted knights begins. No, they still participate in wars, they are considered a force, but new types of weapons lead to the emergence of combat-ready infantry and knightly cavalry begins to give up their positions one by one. The feudal militia is largely giving way to mercenary troops, and light cavalry takes the place of heavy cavalry. In the 16th century, the French army already consisted of a standing army and part of mercenaries, the knightly militia was recruited only in case of war. It was then that France was at war with Italy, and Bayard "did not get off his horse" until his death.

He went with the king on a campaign against Naples. In frequent, almost daily battles, he showed miracles of heroism and was always distinguished by high honesty. In one of the battles, he managed to capture the Spanish general Alonzo de Mayor. For his release, according to the customs of that time, it was supposed to receive a ransom, but since the Spaniard gave his word of honor that he would not leave until money was sent, Bayard ordered the general to be released from supervision. But the Spaniard left, and soon he was captured again, and, having paid a ransom, began to tell that Bayard treated him very strictly and slandered the knight in every possible way. Then Bayard challenged him to a duel, in which the Spanish general was killed. But it was a rare case when Bayard ended the duel with the death of the enemy - his generosity and generosity were amazing. His opponents knew this too. Once, pursuing a defeated enemy, Bayard broke into Milan, where he was taken prisoner. Having learned who was taken prisoner, he was immediately released without ransom as a sign of respect for his military merits.

Luck was not always on the side of the French army. In Italy, the French were unlucky and retreated. The French settled down to rest on the banks of the river Garigliano, across which a wooden bridge was thrown. The Spaniards decided to punish the French for such carelessness. A detachment of two hundred cavalry rushed to the bridge to attack the French. Bayard was the first to notice them and rushed towards the enemy. The Spaniards went in threes. Bayard defended the bridge alone until help arrived. The Spaniards could not believe that they were opposed by only one person, and the king of France gave the brave knight an inscription on the coat of arms as a reward: "One has the strength of an entire army." Bayard participated in many more battles. In 1512, he was seriously wounded, and then again was taken prisoner. His opponents Emperor Maximilian and King Henry VIII released him without any ransom. The emperor received Bayard with respect, and the king offered him to go to his service, which was then very common. But Bayard replied that he had "one God in heaven and one fatherland on earth: he cannot change either one or the other." In 1514, Bayard accompanied the French king Francis I on a military campaign to Italy. He prepared a bold passage through the Alps and showed such fearlessness in battle that the king himself, who was twenty-one years old, wished to be knighted by Bayard's hand. He at first refused such an honor, but the king insisted. After the dedication, Bayard said to the king: "God grant that you do not know the flight." Soon Bayard received from Francis I the command of a company of bodyguards. Such a distinction was granted only to princes of the blood.

And again campaigns, battles, victories and defeats. In April 1524, Bayard was sent to Italy to conquer Milan. The campaign was not successful, the French were forced to retreat to the Alps across the Sesia River. Bayard commanded the rearguard. He gave the order to hold the bridge over the river, and he himself rushed to the enemy. The bullet pierced his side and shattered his lower back. Realizing that he would soon die, Bayard ordered to put himself under a tree facing the enemy. "I've always looked them in the face and when I die, I don't want to show my back," he said. He gave a few more orders, confessed, and put to his lips the cross that he had on the hilt of his sword. In this position, the Spaniards found him. The dying Bayard was approached by Charles de Bourbon, who went over to the side of the Spaniards and expressed his regret about what had happened. Overcoming the pain, Bayard answered him: "You should not regret about me, but about yourself, who raised arms against the king and the fatherland." Both the life and death of this glorious knight were flawless.

Order of Malta

One of the most interesting knightly orders was the Order of Malta. This spiritual and knightly order was founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century. It owes its origin to merchants from Amalfi (a town south of Naples), who obtained permission from the Caliph of Baghdad to build a hospital in Jerusalem for Christian pilgrims who visited the Holy Sepulcher. The hospital was run by Benedictine monks from the Jerusalem church of Santa Maria Latina. When Gottfried of Bouillon conquered Jerusalem during the 1st crusade (1099), Gerard, the first master of the order, organized from these monks the monastic order of the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. The monks wore a black cloak with a white eight-pointed cross. In 1113, Pope Paschal II officially approved the order. Five years later, the French knight Raymond Dupuy, the first Grand Master of the order, became Gerard's successor, and the order itself turned into a military organization - the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, subordinate to the Augustinian order. The order by that time had grown so much that it was divided into 8 "nations" or "languages", with divisions in various countries of Europe, and was obliged not only to observe chastity and humility, but also to fight for the cause of Christianity to the last drop of blood. Probably, the same Dupuis singled out three classes in the order: knights of the order of noble origin, who cared for the sick and carried out military service; chaplains who were in charge of the religious activities of the order; and brothers who performed the duties of servants in the order.

The knights defended Jerusalem from the infidels, but in 1187 they were expelled by Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and settled in Akka (Akko), which they held for a hundred years. Then the knights had to move to the island of Cyprus. In 1310, under the command of the Grand Master Devilaret, they captured the island of Rhodes, driving out the pirates from there. Three times the Turks besieged the island, but the knights held out until 1522, when they were attacked by Suleiman the Magnificent and surrendered on honorable terms after a heroic defense led by Philip Villiers de Lille-Adan. In 153, Emperor Charles V granted them the island of Malta, where in 1565 the knights, under the command of Master Jean de La Valeta, successfully repulsed the Turks. The city of Valletta, built on the site of the destroyed fortifications, bears the name of the hero of this struggle. For two centuries, the Knights of Malta patrolled the Mediterranean, fighting Turkish pirates, building new hospitals and caring for the sick. The French Revolution dealt the order a mortal blow. By decree of 1792, their property in France was confiscated, and in 1798 Napoleon occupied Malta, forcing the knights to seek a new refuge. Most of the knights went to Russia, where Emperor Paul I was elected Grand Master in order to resurrect the former greatness of the order, but after the death of the emperor (1801), the order ceased to exist. In 1879, an attempt was made to revive the order when Pope Leo XIII restored the position of Grand Master, and over the following years three "nations" were organized - in Italy, Germany and Spain, but the order could not return to its former glory. Grand British Priory Honorary Order of the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, this Protestant order, founded in England in 1830, maintains a distant, though unofficial, connection with the Order of the Knights of Malta. This organization is known for its merits in the field of social work and work in hospitals, as well as the creation of the Sanitary Association of St. John during the First World War. Catholic branches of the order existed until the 20th century. in a number of European and African countries, in the USA and South America.

Warband

The Teutonic Order was founded during the Third Crusade (1189 - 1192). Its full Latin name is Ordo domus Sanctae Mariae Teutonicorum ("Order of the House of St. Mary of the Teutonic"), German - "Deutscher Order" - "German Order". Members of this German Catholic spiritual and chivalric order were considered both monks and knights and took three traditional monastic vows: chastity, poverty and obedience. At that time, the members of the order were completely dependent on the Pope, being his powerful tool and not subject to the authority of those sovereigns on whose territory their possessions were located. In 1198, the order was established by Pope Innocent III, and in 1221, Pope Honorius III extended to the Teutons all those privileges, immunities and indulgences that the older orders had: the St. John and the Templars.

The end of the XIV - the beginning of the XV century was the heyday of the military power of the Teutonic Order, which received great help from Western European feudal lords and the Pope. In the struggle against this formidable force, Polish, Russian and Lithuanian troops united. In 1409, between the Teutonic Order, on the one hand, and Poland and Lithuania, on the other, a war broke out again, called the Great. The decisive battle between the army of the Teutonic Order and the Polish-Lithuanian-Russian troops took place on July 15, 1410 near Grunwald (the Lithuanians call this place Žalgiris, and the Germans - Tannenberg). Under the leadership of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, the main forces of the Teutons were defeated. This put an end to the expansion of the German feudal lords and crusaders to the East, which lasted 200 years. The epochal significance of the battle, in which Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen and almost all members of the military leadership of the order were killed, lies in the fact that the military and political power of the Teutons was broken, their plans for domination in Eastern Europe were dispelled. The Teutonic Order could no longer recover from the defeat inflicted on it. In vain he sought help from the Pope and from the ecumenical councils, which at that time were trying to strengthen the shattered authority of the Catholic Church. Under the combined blows of Poland and the rebellious cities, the Teutonic Order was forced to admit defeat and give up political independence.

In the first quarter of the 16th century, interesting events unfolded in the history of the Teutonic Order. On April 2, 1525, the Teutonic grand master Albrecht Hohenzollern entered Krakow, the capital of Poland, in a white cloak of the "holy army" decorated with a black order cross, and already on April 8, he signed peace with Poland not as a grand master of the Teutonic Order, but as a duke of Prussia, which was in vassalage dependence on the Polish king Sigismund. Under this agreement, all the old privileges enjoyed by the Teutons were lost, but all the rights and privileges of the Prussian nobility remained in force. And a day later, in the old market of Krakow, kneeling Albrecht took the oath of allegiance to the King of Poland. Thus, on April 10, 1525, a new state was born. The Teutonic Order was abolished in order for Prussia to exist.

In 1834, the order was restored with slightly modified tasks in Austria (under Grandmaster Anton Viktor, who became known as Hochmeister), and soon de facto in Germany, although the official order authorities claim that the Teutons resumed their activities in this country only after the end of World War II, because the knight brothers were persecuted under Nazism.