By: Ruby Peña
It is the…
 The medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and
social code.
 the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, esp.
courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help the
weak.
 The word chivalry comes from the French
chevalier, meaning “horseman” or “knight.”
synonyms:
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knight errantry
courtly manners
knightliness
courtliness
nobility; bravery, courage, boldness, valor
heroism
daring, intrepidity.
 Chivalry was a system of ethical ideals
developed among the knights of medieval
Europe. Arising out of the feudalism of
the
period, it combined military virtues with
those of Christianity, as epitomized by the
Arthurian Legend in England.
 Chivalry was the code of conduct by
which knights were supposedly guided.
 A knight was expected to have not only the strength and skills to face combat in the
violent era of the Middle Ages but was also expected to temper this aggressive side
with a chivalrous side to his nature. The ideals described in the Code of Chivalry
were emphasized by the oaths and vows that were sworn in the Knighthood
ceremonies of the Middle Ages and the Medieval era. These sacred oaths of combat
were combined with the ideals of chivalry and with strict rules of etiquette and
codes of conduct towards women.
Code of Chivalry The Song of Roland
A Code of Chivalry was
documented in an epic poem
called 'The Song of Roland'.
The 'Song of Roland' describes
the 8th century Knights of the
Dark Ages and the battles
fought by the Emperor
Charlemagne. The code has
since been described as
Charlemagne's Code of
Chivalry. The Song of Roland
was written between 1098-1100
and described the betrayal of
Count Roland at the hand of
Ganelon. Roland was a loyal
defender of his liege Lord
Charlemagne and his code of
conduct became understood
as a code of chivalry. The Code
of Chivalry described in the
Song of Roland and an
excellent representation of the
Knights Codes of Chivalry.
Of the seventeen entries in the
Code of Chivalry described in
the Song of Roland, at least
twelve of the codes relate to
acts of chivalry as opposed to
acts of combat.
• To fear God and maintain His
Church
• To serve the liege lord in
valour and faith
• To protect the weak and
defenceless
• To give succour to widows
and orphans
• To refrain from the wanton
giving of offence
• To live by honour and for
glory
• To despise pecuniary reward
• To fight for the welfare of all
• To obey those placed in
authority
• To guard the honour of
fellow knights
• To eschew unfairness,
meanness and deceit
• To keep faith
• At all times to speak the
truth
• To persevere to the end in
any enterprise begun
• To respect the honour of
women
• Never to refuse a challenge
from an equal
• Never to turn the back upon
a foe
The origins of Courtly Love were believed to be in Aquitaine in France in
the 12th century and spread to other European countries. The art of courtly love
was practiced in English courts from the 1300's to the 1500's. During this period of
time marriages were arranged and had little to do with love. A successful marriage
was perceived as one that brought material advantages to the participants and
their families. As love was clearly unrelated to marriage the requirement for
romance could be gained outside marriage - as long as the rules relating to
chastity and fidelity were strictly adhered to.
• The romance of Courtly Love practiced
during the Middle Ages was combined
with the Code of Chivalry.
• There were strict rules of courtly love
and the art of courtly love was practiced
by the members of the courts across
Europe during the Middle Ages.
• The romance, rules and art of courtly
love allowed knights and ladies to show
their admiration regardless of their
marital state.
Courtly love is the code of romantic love
that enjoyed a vogue among the
aristocracies of Western Europe,
particularly from the 12th to the 14th
centuries. In its literary form, if not in life,
it involved a vassal-lord relationship under
which the knight was his lady’s obedient
servant, prepared to overcome any
obstacle or undergo any suffering to win
her favor. Courtly love was always
conducted outside wedlock
and of necessity in secret; between spouses
it was held to be impossible. Although the
unattainability of the beloved was
sometimes central to the ideal, its customs
served equally well to dignify adultery
•
Attraction to the lady, usually via eyes/glance
•
Worship of the lady from afar
•
Declaration of passionate devotion
•
Virtuous rejection by the lady
•
Renewed wooing with oaths of virtue and
eternal fealty
•
Moans of approaching death from unsatisfied
desire (and other physical manifestations of
lovesickness)
•
Heroic deeds of valor which win the lady's
heart
•
Consummation of the secret love
•
Endless adventures and subterfuges avoiding
detection
Whatever the primary
Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine
source of courtly love, a
cross-fertilization of
ideas and practices
certainly occurred. The
ideals of courtly love
were most clearly
defined in the English
and French royal courts
presided over by Queen
Eleanor of Aquitaine and
her daughter Marie de
Champagne, under
whose sponsorship some
of the most famous
books on the subject
were written: Chrétien
de Troyes’s Lancelot and
Guillaume de Lorris’s Le
Roman de la Rose.
Marie de Champagne