Chivalry, Courtly Love, and
Romance
The Ten Commandments of the
Code of Chivalry
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From Chivalry by Leon Gautier
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I. Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions.
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II. Thou shalt defend the Church.
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III. Thou shalt repect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
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IV. Thou shalt love the country in the which thou wast born.
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V. Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
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VI. Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.
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VII. Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of
God.
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VIII. Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.
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IX. Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone.
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X. Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against
Injustice and Evil.
• Live to serve King and Country.
• Fight with honor.
• Live to defend Crown and Country and all it holds dear.
• Avenge the wronged.
• Live one's life so that it is worthy of respect and honor.
• Never abandon a friend, ally, or noble cause.
• Live for freedom, justice and all that is good.
• Fight for the ideals of king, country, and chivalry.
• Never attack an unarmed foe.
• Die with valor.
• Never use a weapon on an opponent not equal to the attack.
• Always keep one's word of honor.
• Never attack from behind.
• Always maintain one's principles.
• Avoid lying to your fellow man.
• Never betray a confidence or comrade.
• Avoid cheating.
• Avoid deception.
• Avoid torture.
• Respect life and freedom.
• Obey the law of king, country, and chivalry.
• Die with honor.
• Administer justice.
• Exhibit manners.
• Protect the innocent.
• Be polite and attentive.
• Exhibit self control.
• Be respectful of host, women, and honor.
• Show respect to authority.
• Loyalty to country, King, honor, freedom, and the code of
chivalry.
• Respect women.
• Exhibit Courage in word and deed.
• Defend the weak and innocent.
• Loyalty to one's friends and those who lay their trust in thee.
• Destroy evil in all of its monstrous forms.
• Crush the monsters that steal our land and rob our people.
Courtly Love
"If tournaments were an acting-out of chivalry, courtly love
was its dreamland. Courtly love was understood by its
contemporaries to be love for its own sake, romantic
love, true love, physical love, unassociated with property
or family . . . focused on another man's wife, since only
such an illicit liaison could have no other aim but love
alone. . . . As formulated by chivalry, romance was
pictured as extra-marital because love was considered
irrelevant to marriage, was indeed discouraged in order
not to get in the way of dynastic arrangements.”
- Barbara Tuchman
Stages of Courtly Love
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Attraction to the lady, usually via eyes/glance
Worship of the lady from afar
Declaration of passionate devotion
Virtuous rejection by the lady (in public)
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 avoiding detection
Courtly Love is Associated With:
• Nobility (no peasants can engage in “fine love”
• Secrecy
• Adultery: often the one or both participants were
married to another noble or trapped in an
unloving marriage. In addition, “fine love” can
only be experienced when one casts aside
social roles and expectations.
• Paradoxically with chastity: the passion could
never be consummated due to social
circumstances, thus it was a "higher love"
unsullied by selfish carnal desires.