History medieval chivalry

There are four periods in the history of medieval chivalry. The period of foundation, that is, the time when the Church waged its long struggle against the violence that engulfed the era and until it managed to cope with the cruel spirit of feudal wars, which until then did not recognize any laws other than brute force.

First period: Crusades

The Crusades ushered in a golden era of chivalry, and the Crusaders served as the model for the perfect knight. Saving the Holy Land from Muslim rule and protecting pilgrims became the object of his oath. In return, the Church took him under its special protection and gave him exceptional secular and spiritual privileges, such as forgiveness of all sins, exemption from the jurisdiction of secular courts, and as a means of financing travel to the Holy Land, the Knights were given one-tenth of all church fees.

Second period: Military orders

After the capture of Jerusalem, the need to have a regular army became undeniable. Hence arose the Military Orders, which, as their fourth monastic vow, took the vow to wage constant holy war against the infidels. In these orders, the largest of which was the Order of the Poor Warriors of Christ and the Temple of Jerusalem, there was an effective fusion of religious and military spirit, thanks to which the development of chivalry reached its apogee. Moreover, medieval chivalry thereby opened a new chapter in the history of literature. It paved the way for epic romance in literature, reflecting the ideals of chivalry and glorifying its successes and achievements. The main centers of such literature, spread throughout Europe by troubadours, were Provence and Normandy.

Third period: Secular chivalry

With the end of the era of the Crusades, chivalry began to constantly lose its religious aspect. During this third period of development, honor began to be considered the main virtue of chivalry. The spirit of honor filled the chronicles of the long “Hundred Years” War between England and France.

Fourth period: palace knighthood

During this period, knighthood turned into a palace service, the purpose of which was to establish the splendor and splendor of the Rulers.
Chivalric ideals continued to exist, perhaps only because, despite the disappearance of knightly reality, the imagination was given free rein. In the 19th century, when no one had read Aristo anymore, Sir Walter Scott and other romantics began to write on themes of chivalry.

Today

Today, in the 21st century, the spirit of chivalry is reborn with new vitality. The calling to serve the noble cause followed by those who follow the Knightly Path has behind it the difficult task of preserving the great values ​​of humanism.