In the perception of descendants, the history of chivalry is fanned by romance. The legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, the wonderful novel by Walter Scott “Aivengo” and even the very ironic “Don Quixote” by Miguel Cervantes formed in the imagination of readers and viewers an image of a noble fighter for justice, a fiery lover and fearless defender of the weak and oppressed. However, such idealized ideas are hardly fully consistent with the truth.
Many historians wrote about the origin of chivalry, but could not develop a single point of view. Some believe that the first crusades became a direct cause of the emergence of the chivalrous movement. Others that chivalry appeared much later - at the beginning of the 8th century. The views on how the knights actually were - bold and generous, or cruel and arrogant, also differ significantly.
The beginning of the Middle Ages, which followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire, was marked by numerous civil wars, a widespread decline in morals, the destruction of science, which continued to develop only in closed monasteries. People, shocked by what was happening, were waiting for the arrival of the protector hero, and he was not slow to appear.
Warriors in iron armor wandered the roads of Europe, defeating the robbers and saving those who were in trouble. They really aroused admiration and admiration in the souls of ordinary people, but not only thanks to their noble deeds. In many ways, the knights owed this influence to the influence of the Church, which saw them as guardians of the faith and protectors of all unjustly offended and oppressed.
The authority of chivalry largely rested on excellent military training and excellent armament, at that time. Gradually, the word "knight" became the designation of the honorary title of the highest military class. Although originally knightly morality had little to do with church morality, over time the Church began to attract noble warriors to defend its interests. Taking part in the crusade, a knight could achieve such glory, wealth and influence that not every king possessed.
Fearless warriors enjoyed deserved popularity among the ladies. Chivalry lifted the woman to an unprecedented height, making her the subject of worship. The love of a knight, as a rule, was reverent, chaste. Usually the knight chose for himself the "lady of the heart", who was to become his wife in the near future, and performed feats for her. However, while remaining faithful to his lady, the knight was supposed to help other women who needed protection. Here you can recall the story of Aivengo from the novel by Walter Scott, who, being faithful to Lady Rowena, saved the life of the beautiful Jewess Rebekah.
Of course, in reality, everything was far from being as beautiful and sublime as it looked on paper. Among the knights there were money-givers, traitors, and ordinary robbers, but there were not so many of them. Participation in the crusades and the need to obey the strict rules and laws of honor disciplined soldiers. True, over time, the knights who took part in the battles for the Holy Sepulcher began to receive almost the status of saints, covering any atrocities. But this happened later, and initially the knight really was the embodiment of courage, mercy and valor.
