In 800 AD, Charlemagne of the Frankish Kingdom unified Western Europe and was crowned the "Great Roman Emperor" by the Pope. Of course, the 12 warrior who followed Charlemagne in the Civil War became the "guardian of God". They are called "paladins", that is, paladin, which is regarded as the origin of knights. The complete knight system was not formed until 1 1 century. Strictly speaking, knight means a class. At first, knights were soldiers belonging to the nobility, and they were obliged to fight for the kingdom (serving the kingdom or lords for about 40 days every year). As a reward, they collect agricultural rents from some agricultural land under their jurisdiction. In this way, a contractual employment relationship was formed between the nobles and knights in the kingdom. In the early days, all soldiers could become knights, but later, knights with landlord status gradually formed a fixed class, and they have become vassals of nobles and rulers. The Crusades launched by Roman Catholicism and rulers pushed the knight class to an extremely prosperous historical period. The bravery of the knight began to combine with the sacred belief of Christianity, and the knight also had a new identity: the guardian of Christ. Knights in the glory of God have finally become deeply admired and respected figures. They are loyal to the rulers and Christ, and inspired by Christian teachings, they are willing to help widows and children. In this way, "knights are separated from their barbarian and pagan backgrounds and integrated into the social structure of Christian culture." Therefore, knights, like priests and farmers, are regarded as one of the three indispensable organs of society. " From the chivalrous literature prevailing in the Middle Ages, we can also be pleasantly surprised to find the romantic side of knights: they are decent in words and deeds, elegant in manners, pursuing romantic love, and have a unique view of love-love is a pure spiritual feeling, and sensuality is an evil blasphemy component. This undoubtedly increased their sacredness.
In this way, knights have many commendable virtues: as soldiers, they are loyal; As believers, they are humble; As men, they are pure; As aristocrats, they have compassion. Chivalry is the embodiment of justice and strength, and a symbol of glory and romance. Chivalry has become the ethical standard in the West, which has deeply influenced people's ideas and behaviors. Where does the honor come from? What does honor mean to a knight?
Fight for honor! Even at all costs! This is the creed that knights abide by. The knight's bright badge clearly reminds its wearer in the sun: this is your pride. The title of "knight" is an honor in itself, and it is not easy to get such a title. A reserve knight needs to go through many rigorous tests if he wants to become a full knight. It needs not only superb riding skills, but also excellent command ability, rich combat experience and a remarkable landmark achievement.
Honor comes from the recognition of gods and people. God awarded the honorary title of knight to qualified people, but whether your words and deeds can not disgrace the glory of knight in the future depends on whether you stick to your beliefs and fight for God and the people as always. The title of knight is not the end of those who have firm beliefs, but their starting point. Do you have the courage to sacrifice when you need to pay the price to fulfill the interests of most people? Perhaps it is the sacrifice of material interests, perhaps it is the sacrifice of life. You must have such courage and courage to become a knight. Sometimes, some sacrifices can make a knight look heartless. Kaidong fought for the most red-hearted knights for decades, but obviously neglected his family. His wife has a long-term dissatisfaction with him, and the accumulation of this emotion eventually broke out into her affair. Yes, it's a sacrifice. Sometimes the heavy responsibility shouldered by knights makes them different from ordinary people. They sacrifice the warmth of their families, and at the same time force their favorite relatives to accompany them to make sacrifices. In my opinion, this kind of double payment is a bit too expensive. Judging from Kaidong's character, those knights and knights who are loyal to the church are poor. The god they believe in is undoubtedly enjoying their sacrifice. If it is for the benefit of most people, then on the whole, the sacrifice is certainly worth it. However, complicated political interests sometimes cause personal and historical resentment. In the famous film The Man in the Iron Mask, there is such a plot: Prince Philip is detained in the Bastille by his younger brother King Louis. After knights loyal to Prince Philip ventured to rescue him, he was ambushed by King Louis' musket team. At this time, something jaw-dropping happened: four knights and Philip with an iron mask rushed at the musketeers in despair. Louis ordered the ignition, and when a shot was fired, smoke filled the Bastille. Everyone thought they were all dead, but a few seconds later, behind the thick smoke, several figures lurched faintly. After the smoke cleared, everyone saw that the four knights were still standing despite being injured. Louis ordered the fire again, but this time the musketeers didn't pull the trigger. Instead, they threw away their guns and solemnly paid tribute to Prince Philip's four remaining bloodied knights. The supreme king also lost his dignity at this moment. Knight, just understand the knight.
Let's pay tribute to those brave men. Express the necessary etiquette and respect for the spirit of self-sacrifice. There is no doubt that cowards do not deserve the honorary title of knight. A man without courage can't pass the test of a knight at all. One of the necessary qualities of a knight is to bravely and fearlessly declare war on evil, stand up and protect the weak at critical moments, and never retreat.
Courage, of course, is also reflected in the battlefield. It is the natural mission of every knight to launch a fierce attack on the enemy with a spear and win the final victory. Compassion for the weak, the knight should have a broad and inclusive heart. Knights shoulder the mission of eliminating evil and rape and safeguarding justice. Although knights are loyal to lords or royalty, justice should be their code of conduct.
The knights were filled with respect for their opponents who dared to sacrifice, which led them to dare to disobey the king's orders. China also has a saying that heroes cherish heroes. Between two people who are forced to be rivals, friendship may be greater than hatred. Usually when it comes to the eight virtues, the word "spirituality" is called "spirit", which is not easy to understand. Because the other seven virtues of the eight virtues are all a kind of spirit. In English, the word "spirituality" can also be translated as "spirituality" Personally, spirituality may be more in line with the original intention.
We know that knights are inextricably linked with religion, and in the selection of knights, the belief in God and the understanding of God's will are also indispensable links. At some point in the Middle Ages, there was a priest riding a horse. They are people who directly accept God's decrees and explain them to the knights. These priests are also indispensable members of the Order. From this perspective, the virtue of "spirit" may include the ability to understand God's purpose. Knights must admire God and be keen to contribute to God. In the Middle Ages ruled by God, loving Christ and teaching were essential qualities. Honesty is a commendable virtue everywhere. As a knight, honesty is also a necessary quality. Because the knight is the lowest person in the European aristocratic class, a knight must have a good reputation if he wants to have good interpersonal relationships, which inevitably requires him to be honest and not fraudulent. Most of the knight's regulations also indicate in a conspicuous position that a knight must be loyal to his soul.
Lancelot, a famous knight of the Round Table, is also a representative of keeping his promise. When he was treated as a distinguished guest by King Arthur, other knights of the Round Table expressed their dissatisfaction. So Lancelot set a time limit of one year and one day with them to prove his courage and kindness. Then he set out to get rid of the evil Sir Garon and the fierce dragon, defeated 50 thieves, killed two giants, and finally returned to the castle in one year and one day. His honesty made him king Arthur's greatest knight of the round table.
Knight, if you want to win the trust of others, you must be honest. Don't cheat your God, your lover and friends, and don't cheat strangers. You should face your soul frankly, stand the judgment of God, be impartial, strictly abide by the law and act according to the rules. This may make the knight look a little too serious, but it is the case.
Historically, due to the class nature of knights, they could not fully enforce justice. After all, medieval Europe was a theocratic era. The king's will is God's will and cannot be violated. Knights are only attached to the king.
Of course, there have been some "rebels" throughout the ages. It is said that in the Middle Ages, a Teutonic knight was dissatisfied with the unfair judgment of national laws-an innocent man was sentenced to death. He ignored the condemnation of the world and took the condemned man away on the execution day. It is easy for us to imagine the ultimate price paid by this brave knight for obeying justice. Today, in a museum in Germany, the statue of this knight is still preserved for future generations to watch. Well, we have seen that history always responds to injustice and corrects it. Today, the knight got the praise he deserved. For a just man, history will give him a fair evaluation sooner or later.
End this paragraph with King Arthur's oath when he formed the Knights of the Round Table! "My noble warriors, let's swear together here. We only fight for justice and fairness, never for wealth or selfish reasons. We should help all those who need help, and we should also support each other. Be gentle with the weak, but be hell to pay with the wicked. "