| Prowess Skill in the use of arms A true knight was a good judge of weapons. He could use above all the sword, the shield and the lance, although the mace was also popular, in various forms. To maintain this skill required constant practice. The knight was also knowledgeable about armor. He had his preference as to design, various types, and even manufacturers. Regional styles developed, so that, by the end of the Middle Ages, armor was distinctly Italian or French or English. Physical Strength To wield these weapons and bear the armor required tremendous physical strength. There were no weight training programs, only practice in the sense of scrimmaging--the repeated actual use of arms. Thus, when no wars were afoot, knights held games known as tournaments. They also went hunting, which provided practice in riding, use of spears, teamwork, and which also simply afforded physical exercise. An example A 15thc source, writing of M. Boucicaut, the Marshal of France, said that the knight could turn a somersault when fully armed (except for his helmet), and when completely armed could vault onto a horse or climb the underside of a scaling ladder using his hands alone. And 15thc armor was heavy indeed. Personal Bravery The true knight could not fear pain or death, or at least could not show his fear or allow it to interfere with his function as a warrior. Bravery meant above all placing one's own body in jeopardy for the sake of one's lord. It meant charging into a mass of armed men even though outnumbered, trusting in God and one's right arm. It did not mean having to fight peasants, however; bravery only covered fighting one's equals. In fact, attacking peasants was not combat at all, properly speaking. It peasants got in the way, they should get back out of the way; if they resisted, then they should be killed. Killing peasants brought neither glory nor shame. All men--that is, all knights--wished to be esteemed men of prowess. "Be preux" said the lord when dubbing a new knight, by which he meant the new knight should exhibit the qualities listed above. |