The Knights Code of Chivalry and the vows of Knighthood
The Knights Code of Chivalry described in the Song of Roland and an excellent representation of the Knights Codes of Chivalry are as follows:
To fear God and maintain His Church
To serve the liege lord in valour and faith
To protect the weak and defenceless
To give succour to widows and orphans
To refrain from the wanton giving of offence
To live by honour and for glory
To despise pecuniary reward
To fight for the welfare of all
To obey those placed in authority
To guard the honour of fellow knights
To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit
To keep faith
At all times to speak the truth
To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun
To respect the honour of women
Never to refuse a challenge from an equal
Never to turn the back upon a foe
Of the seventeen entries in the Knights Codes of Chivalry, according to the Song of Roland, at least 12 relate to acts of chivalry as opposed to combat.
A knight is a kind of warrior. Just like a Samurai is another kind.I know a knight and a warrior are not necessarily the same thing...
A knight is a kind of warrior. Just like a Samurai is another kind.
I think you're confusing the distinction between a warrior knight and the professional soldier that emerged with the modern state. Chivalry in many ways is a further development of the earlier "pure and simple" type of warriorship found among the Germanic tribes of Europe by being fused with the traditions of the Christian faith and along with it the Classical world.For some reason I think of a warrior pure and simple as a type preceeding the more rule bound in behaviour knight or samauri type, that both of those highly rule bound in behaviour types emerged as society became less violent and more regulated, moving away from warring states.