The Role of Chivalry throughout the middle ages

Introduction

Chivalry was born in Western Europe at the turn of the X-XI centuries. The military class consisted in the service of big landed aristocracy. Soon, however, ideals, lifestyle and behavior of these elite warriors began to spread to all the nobility, including the highest aristocracy and the kings themselves. By the end of the XII century, almost all Western European nobility (except for the part, which chose a spiritual career) went through the ceremony of initiation into the Knights. In the XIII century, the word "knight" and "gentleman" became virtually synonymous. Initiation ritual became more solemn and magnificent.

Discussion

The King had the regional power, the command of all troops and other "security forces" including the knights. The Knights were not outcasts and eccentrics. They formed the core, or the backbone of society. They decided if it was peace or war, to dispose of all material goods, dispensed justice, determined policy of the state, and, finally, completely dominated the world of secular ideology and secular art. In the XIV-XV centuries, development of manufacturing and trade exchange increased the role of an increasingly bourgeois, merchants and organizers of production in society (Saunders, 215). However, this was only the start of a long process that led to the XIX-XX centuries. Bourgeoisie had a dominant role in the social, political and ideological spheres. At the time, the bourgeoisie were rich, but still negligible in the weak political and ideological in its role as reduced to almost zero. The true elite of the society, the nobility were the only ones who were doing their duty. All the aristocracy was thoroughly imbued with the ideals of chivalry and military mentality.

Despite the fact that in the XIV-XV centuries, the aristocratic class became more closed to the penetration of the common people, and at this time remained convinced that the fulfillment of military duty can ennoble man and put him in a vicious circle of the nobility. Thus, the distinction is not seen only as a hereditary gift, but as something that can be earned only weapon in the field of honor. Wealth is not in itself regarded as the dignity of man. It was believed that it was necessary for the kings and noble lords to have generosity. As mentioned in the treatise of the time, the King needed to have wealth and to hoard treasure, so that if necessary he could even apportion generous people that helped him to defend himself and the country from its enemies. With respect to the same wealth, acquired by the "business", the ideologues of chivalry spared contemptuous epithets. Feeling instinctively and perhaps deliberately, the birthplace of the force that destroyed traditional beliefs was built on the ideology of the sword world, knights clearly perceived hostile bourgeois, considering it an element harmful to society (Rogers, 180).

While the bourgeoisie was still far from being a political triumph, and the world was completely giving directions aristocracy forged his famous names at the clash of swords ...