The Important Role Of Knighthood In The Crusades

Knighthood was and remains a central concept associated with the Crusades. As Cistercian abbot Bernard of Clairvaux described in an exhortation of knighthood, knights were a unique class of warrior defined by chivalry: “It seems that a new knighthood has appeared on this earth. indeed, danger or victory for a Christian depends on the disposition of his heart and not on the fortunes of war.” In 11th-century Christendom, knighthood became an important role, ranking among members of the church and near the top of the social hierarchy. In the 12th century, a “new knighthood” emerged. The first of this kind were the soldiers of the Temple of Solomon, known as the Templars. Though knighthood was a Christian concept, Muslims had their version of honorable

There are two instances in the poem, however, where knighthood is associated with chivalrous traits. First, when the princess has a dream, she is visited by a knight in white clothing who, “Spoke to her in his valor/ Through the might of Jesus, heaven’s king,/ And said to her: “My precious lady,/ There is nothing for you to be afraid of.”’ In this scene, the knight is valiant, an attribute often associated with chivalry. Furthermore, the knight appears to have a strong connection to Christianity when he speaks “Through the might of Jesus.” This feature of knighthood echoes the concept that knights during the Crusades fought bravely on behalf of God and in defense of His earthly kingdom. This was especially true of the Templars, whose mission was to protect Christian pilgrims and land. In a second scene, the sultan pledges to the princess that if their son is healed by baptism, he will convert to Christianity: “And give myself to your Lord Jesus,/ (On my oath) as I am an honorable knight.” When his son is healed, the sultan follows through on his word and

It is in his skepticism of Franks that his small praise of knighthood stands out as a significant sign of respect. In another story, he describes the chivalrous actions of the Knights of Templar: “When I went to the al-Aqsa Mosque — where the Templars, who are my friends, were — they would clear out that little mosque so that I could pray in it.” Though ibn Munqidh asserted that knights had “no sense of proprietary or honor,” the actions of the Templars in this instance somewhat contradicted this — they showcase propriety in their respect for his religious practices Whether ibn Munqidh was set on denying that knights possessed certain traits or not, he showcased a general respect for the actions and convictions of the Christian knights with whom he interacted, especially considering his lack of respect for the Franks. The author of The King of Tars and Usamah ibn Munqidh were exposed to the concept of knighthood in different ways. For the author of The King of Tars, who was writing from a Western Christian perspective, knighthood was a familiar