At an earlier time, the knightly ceremony, when performed on the bat-
tlefield, was sudden and brief. A young arms-bearer, having distinguished
himself in combat, might be recognized by an older knight, who would
simply strike him with his fist or the flat of his sword and call out: “Sir
knight!” It is not likely that many of the noble demands of chivalry were
transmitted in such a nimble encounter, but they would be learned later.
The ceremony of knighthood was greatly changed by the end of the
eleventh century. Now, the knight-to-be took a ritual bath to cleanse him
of his sins. He then spent a night alone at the altar of his local church in
quiet prayer, with his arms beside him. At dawn he went to mass, received
communion, and listened to the celebrant affirming his obligations to
knighthood and chivalry, the role of the knight being often likened to the
role of a priest in a perilous society.
We learn of a more elaborate knightly ceremony from the writings of
a thirteenth-century bishop, Guillaume Durand. He tells us in his Pontifi-
calthat the sword of the knightly candidate was placed on the altar by the
officiating bishop, who called upon God to bless the weapon so that the
wielder might defend churches, widows, and orphans against the cruelty of
heretics and infidels. The initiate was admonished that he must be a good
soldier, faithful and courageous; and with words from the Old Testament,
he was reminded that the Lord God had formed his hands for battle and
his fingers for war.
The bishop then girded the sword on the new knight, who unsheathed
it, brandished it three times, and returned it to its scabbard. Finally, the
bishop gave the knight a slight blow on the cheek and exhorted him to
“awake from evil dreams and keep watch, faithful in Christ and praise-
worthy of fame” (Barber 1995, 27).
The consecration of a warrior and his arms gave moral strength to
chivalry and knighthood, as well as support for the feudal system in which
they flourished. Chivalric behavior became an ideal of civilized fellowship
among the privileged class, and although much easier to achieve in con-
temporary ballads than in real life, became a code of conduct that served
society as a model of knightly aspiration.
During periods of peace, knights engaged their energies in the tourna-
ment, an armed sport that allowed them to flaunt their military skills and
personal courage before an assembly of their peers. Contenders came from
far and wide to the domain of some renowned prince, where many pavil-
ions and platforms were raised around a mock battlefield. Here the chal-
lenging knights would rest their heraldic shields, affirming that they were
of noble birth and pure character and truly sons of chivalry’s elite. The en-
counter of two knights, called jousting or tilting, took place on horseback,
with each knight trying to unhorse the other with lance and sword. Al-76 Chivalry