Chivalry and the Church
It was really about the women. Or at least that’s what the church wanted the knights to believe. In a decentralized society the church was instrumental in keeping the peace in the feudal structure of Medieval Europe. One of the ways they did this was to make sure that the protection of the defenseless of society, (often the women), was one of the primary tenets of knighthood. By requiring knights to devote themselves not only to battle but also to the protection of women and polite society, the church was able to keep them from descending into community violence and ruthlessness.
Enter chivalry
Chivalry was a knight’s code of conduct introduced in France in the late 10th century. First and foremost it was a vow that required the knights to defend the Christian church. A knight’s training culminated with a service blessing his sword and requiring him to take an oath of chivalry. Along with this vow to defend the church was a promise to be motivated by compassion, honour, loyalty and truthfulness. But to whom?
Enter the Virgin Mary
In the High Middle Ages, approximately 1000 AD-1350 AD, the worship of the Virgin Mary became more and more prominent. Especially in France, it was common for cathedrals to be built and named “Our Lady.” Mary was considered to be the epitome of the pure and perfect woman. Artwork of Mary from this time period often shows her enthroned with Jesus on her lap. Knights were charged with defending her honor above all else. It is easy to see how this led to the Crusades and religious wars that dominated this time period.
Enter Courtly Love
Chivalry required knights to seek out the reflection of Mary in the women of the court and thus honor and defend them as well. The clerics of the church encouraged this by writing stories that were the romance novels of the day. Literature of the 12th century began to define romantic love as a worthy goal to live or die for. In the past literature had been more about the heroics of the battlefield, so this was revolutionary. The Vulgate Cycle, which consists of the first stories written of King Arthur and the knights of the round table, is attributed to Cisterian monks from the early 13th century. In stories such as these knights were given an idealised image of their role in society: the perfect courtier who is charming, gracious and intent on winning the love of a woman who is often slightly above his social status.
The Knights in Shining Armor
Surprisingly, we have the church to thank for a pop culture of romantic love stories that exists to this day. Who hasn’t been held captive by a story of a handsome hero protagonist doing his best to capture the love and attention of a beautiful and perfect lady? Certainly those medieval knights in shining armor, bound by their vow of chivalry, would be quite surprised and pleased to know that hundreds of years later Western culture still looks to them as the model of a perfect romantic partner.
