Knight

Although the roots of the word knight are most likely connected to the German knecht, or servant, the ideas of knighthood are arguably more closely tied to the Roman equites.

During the middle ages, the term knight referred to a mounted and armoured soldier. Originally, knights were warriors on horse-back, but the title became increasingly connected to nobility and social status, most likely because of the cost of equipping oneself in the cavalry. Knighthood eventually became a formal title bestowed on those noblemen trained for active war duty.

In theory, knighthood could be bestowed a man by any knight, but it was generally considered honorable to be dubbed knight by the hand of a monarch. By about the late 13th century, partly in conjunction with the focus on courtly behavior, a code of conduct and uniformity of dress for knights began to evolve. Knights were eligable to wear a white belt and golden spurs as signs of their status. Moreover, knights were also often required to swear allegiance to a liege lord.

A knight was to follow a strict set of rules of conduct. Theese were the knightly virtues. The virtues included:

• Mercy
• Humility
• Honor
• Sacrifice
• Fear of God

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These virtues became more idealized as time went on. Changes in millitary tactics, such as the successful use of the longbow against the French cavalry at Crécy (please add accent) and Agincourt lessened the importance of the cavalry. In times of peace throughout the later Middle Ages and as late as the end of the 16th century, the role of the knight was promoted and extolled through highly stylized tournaments that bore little resemblance to the bloody warfare in which the "tyical knight" had once participated.

When even the tournaments went out of fashion, knighthood became less and less tied to warfare, and increasingly indicated social status. Today knighthoods are still issued in Great Britain and some Commonwealth countries in recognition for services rendered to society, services which are no longer necessarily martial in nature. The musician Elton John, for example, is entitled to call himself Sir Elton. The female equivalent is a dame. Knighthoods are also issued in the Netherlands, using the Dutch equivalent word ridder, as in Ridder in de Orde van Oranje–Nassau, and presumably there are other monarchies that also follow the practice.

See also cavalry, crusade, knight (chess), British honours system.