| For almost seven hundred years between the ninth | | | | fundamentals of court life such as table manners, |
| and sixteenth centuries knights were the lords of the | | | | care and maintenance of armor and weapons, and |
| battlefield, admired and respected for their abilities | | | | how to care for a horse. He would also learn how to |
| and their chivalry and courage. So how did a boy in | | | | read and how to appreciate music or even play the |
| these centuries become a knight? | | | | lute. His training would begin in the martial arts with |
| Becoming a knight was a tradition that changed over | | | | his learning how to hunt and how to hawk. |
| the centuries of the middle ages and by around the | | | | The Page Becomes A Squire |
| sixteenth century, with the advent of gunpowder | | | | At around the age of thirteen, as the boy is starting |
| and firearms, had pretty much become just a | | | | to develop the body, mentality, strength and abilities |
| symbolic title. But there was a commonly accepted | | | | of manhood he is promoted to squire. He is then |
| normal route that a boy could take in his quest to | | | | assigned as the personal assistant to a knight and it |
| become a knight during the height of the Middle Ages | | | | is in this time that he focuses on the combat arms of |
| when knighthood was important. | | | | knighthood. He would get intensive training in |
| The Rule of Birthright | | | | weapons, armor, tactics and mounted combat. Often |
| The first requirement for a boy to become a knight | | | | times he was allowed to carry a small sword and |
| was the requirement of his heritage. Generally, only | | | | shield with him as a symbol of his status as a squire |
| boys born to certain men were allowed the | | | | or a "knight in training". |
| opportunity to become a knight. These requirements | | | | Becoming a knight - The Ceremony of Knighthood |
| were usually that the boy be the son of a knight, | | | | The ceremony of becoming a knight was something |
| Lord, a wealthy merchant, or someone who held title | | | | that could often last several days and could include |
| and position in the court of the king or a lord. | | | | fasting or a Vigil where the knight would engage in |
| Where Training took place | | | | prayer and contemplation for a day and a night or |
| Contrary to popular belief, the king did not usually | | | | longer. Then there would often be elaborate feasts |
| train boys to become knights. This was the | | | | and hardy discussions with lords and knights about |
| responsibility of the king's lords, barons and knights. | | | | chivalry, courage, religion, and the nature of being a |
| Each of these men held stations, titles, lands and | | | | knight. During the actual knighting ceremony the |
| manors of his own. And it was to the lord's manor | | | | knight would swear allegiance to God and to his lord |
| that the boy would go to train under the knight of | | | | and he would receive presents such as a sword, a |
| the king. | | | | pair of spurs, armor, and a cloak. At the end of the |
| Over the centuries of the Middle Ages what a knight | | | | ceremony the king would tap the squire on the |
| was expected to do changed dramatically and | | | | shoulders with the flat of a sword blade and he |
| chivalry did not come into the picture until the late | | | | would become a knight. |
| middle ages. We will take a look at the traditional | | | | In modern times we have a very romanticized view |
| picture of what a knight learned in these later | | | | of what a knight was and for good reason. There is |
| centuries. | | | | a certain mysterious aura around the idea of |
| Training Begins as a Page | | | | knighthood and it is well founded. It was a serious |
| At around the age of six or seven a boy, who was | | | | path that a boy embarked on and something that he |
| of noble lineage, would report to the local lord's castle | | | | spent his whole childhood striving for and his whole |
| or manor to begin his training as a knight. There he | | | | adult life improving. The life of a knight was a life of |
| would learn a host of basic skills to make him a | | | | constant vigilance in combat and constant striving |
| well-rounded and educated knight. He would learn the | | | | toward improvement in the eyes of others. |