48 MARCH/APRIL 2022Becoming a knight meant
not only developing combat
skills but also hunting,
learning to read, and
playing games like chess.K
nights are among the most iconic char-
acters from the Middle Ages. Their
origins harken back to the fall of the
Roman Empire in western Europe
whose last emperor, Romulus Au-
gustulus, was toppled by a Germanic warlord in
a.d. 476. The vacuum left by Rome’s destruc-
tion was partially filled by the Roman Catholic
Church, and also by relationships between the
church and the dominant local lords. The church
supported the lords, in part by anointing kings
and lords as God’s chosen rulers, but also con-
trolled them through fear of cutting off God’s
approval through interdict and excommunica-
tion. The alliances between the papacy and the
king of the Franks lasted 500 years. Over time,
this was replicated across Europe and both led
to and supported the rise of feudalism, a system
dependent on knights to support the realm and
the church, and a way for society to recruit them.
The feudal system was based on a complex
web of rights and obligations among rulers, no-
bles, serfs, peasants, and freemen. With little
or no commerce, land and its produce were the
only forms of wealth and, with it, power. Each
feudal lord held sway over his land grant and its
people. Over time, feudalism was built on the
uniformity that had been previously imposed
by the Roman Empire. Due to a preexisting war-
rior culture, knights became exalted superstars.
They were the product of long training in both
military skills and spiritual and societal matters.
What bound knights together as a social group
was a detailed code of values, behavior, and ac-
complishments, including courtesy, refine-
ment, honesty, largesse, and gallantry. Becom-
ing a knight certainly meant developing skills of
combat and the use of arms, but it also entailed
hunting, learning to read, and playing games like
chess. Knightly ideals can be grouped into three
strands: noble birth, Christian values, and mili-
tary prowess. Literature about knights, such as
those of the legendary King Arthur and his court,
ARTHURIAN KNIGHTSSEATS
AT THE
ROUND TABLE