Knights In Medieval Times

Introduction

Knights contributed many key attributes to making a kingdom successful. The land and it’s people were protected and guarded very well by Knights. By protecting the land and it’s citizens, knights were able to make a living from the king. This then allowed them to open manors. Knights were a very important part of the feudal system, culture, military and economy in medieval times.

Your Topic Background

Knights were some of the most important people in all of Medieval times. They; like soldiers fought to protect their land and it’s people. The first knights lived through 500-1000 A.D and were rough, tough, fighting men (Macdonald 6). Knights were also feared as brutal warriors and won respect for their strength and daring (Macdonald

This allowed those with power to stay on top and wouldn’t allow almost anyone to move up the system. It was envisioned as a huge ladder up to the heavens. At the very top was god who created all things (Benson). They believed that they were put on a social structure do to their descendants. For example, the peasants/lower class believed they were descendants of Adam and Eve; who ate from the great tree of knowledge causing god to sin them, and their descendants (Benson). This was the biggest part of feudalism and was not changed till the renaissance. No one could really move up the ladder unless they understood and accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Benson). New rulers; such as Charlemagne used methods like this to try and gain more power (Lenehan). Concluding, the Great Chain of Being kept power on top as very rarely, was someone able to move up social

Knights are known most for their beautiful armour and dangerous weapons. The knights equipment was a big part of their job and protection. Knights wore linked iron rings for most parts of the body covering and added steel plates in the 14th century. The armour weighed from 44-55 lbs allowing knights to run, lie down or mount a horse (Gravett 12). Knights had weapons such as double edge blades, winged spears, battle ax, ax head, cutting edge (spears), prick spurs, and smash hits (Gravett 6-9). Soldiers led the army while being on horseback, and their duty was to maintain discipline with their men such as, making sure unwilling recruits didn 't run away and soldiers did not get drunk, attack civilians or loot property. Soldiers were only meant to fight other armed men. If hungry, soldiers would raid villages and farms stealing animals and vegetables to eat (Macdonald 36). They would also steal anything valuable they could find, attack women and children, burn down houses and barns and would kill any man trying to defend his property (Macdonald 37). These advanced weapons and armour while being on a horse gave the knights an advantage