Although it required a lot of time and training to get there, knights in medieval society enjoyed a position of great rank and often money. They were also feared in combat and well-known for their chivalry off it. From an early age, a young man could become a knight by serving the local lord and demonstrating extraordinary bravery in battle. Later on, when European monarchs were in dire need of money and skilled soldiers for their armies, the title could even be purchased. Either way, a knight had to go through a complex initiation ritual before they could honor the chivalric customs of their status and bravely engage the enemy's army's most well armed and well-prepared knights in combat.
Generally speaking, to become a medieval knight included the following phases, however there was no set system, age ranges fluctuated, and some young people never qualified for the next level:
Page: Serve a local knight, baron, or royal court to get experience with horses, hunting, and the use of makeshift weapons between the ages of 7 and 10.
A squire, who is between the ages of 14 and 18 to 21 years old, helps a full-knight, learns how to wield weapons and armor of combat, and enhances their general education, particularly in the area of chivalry.
Dubbing is the ritual of being made a knight by another knight when one is between the ages of 18 and 21.
Serve in the military for one's country and the Church, watch over a baron and his castle, and compete in medieval tournaments.
First Training: Managing Pages
The majority of knights were most likely the offspring of other knights, although as those classes expanded in the later Middle Ages, records exist of the sons of burgess or freeman being proposed for the required training along with affluent merchants and public officials. For bravery in combat, a regular soldier might potentially be appointed a knight. A knight's social origin became less significant during wars when a sovereign required all the armed men they could acquire as battle became larger in scope and barons increasingly opted to send knights to serve in their stead. However, the notion of noble ancestry and maintaining chivalry as a symbol of a class with limited access had generally spread across Europe by the 13th century CE. Though there were certain exceptions, especially in France and Germany and on an individual basis, the son of a knight was often the only one who could become one.
A knight had to be skilled at leading his horse with only his knees and feet in order to be able to ride one while holding a shield and a lance. He has to be strong enough to battle for extended periods of time with a long, heavy sword and agile enough to maneuver quickly through thick metal armor. It may also be helpful to be proficient with other weapons such a dagger, battleaxe, mace, bow, and crossbow. Because of this, a young boy who was chosen by his parents or sponsor to become a knight had to begin training early, usually as a page from the age of 10 (or even 7 in certain circumstances), learning how to ride a fake weapon and handle basic equipment. A young noble would probably be taken to the royal court for this kind of instruction, but a young person from a lower class would likely be enrolled in the local castle or a relative's to get training from the men-at-arms and knights who were stationed there. There they would serve at tables, provide steady hands, carry out household chores, and start the formal education that would continue until adolescence with other pages.
Training 2: The Squire's Role
The next stage in the arduous path to knighthood was becoming a trainee knight, or squire (or esquire), usually starting at the age of 14. The word "squire" comes from the French "ecuyer," which means "one who bears a shield." The squire's responsibilities included learning how to use weapons and ride a horse, but they also included taking care of a full knight, who could have two or more squires under him, cleaning his weapons, shining his armor, tending to the horses, assisting him in getting ready for battle, holding his shield until needed, and other general tasks.
Not as significant as the martial achievements were the non-martial ones, such as learning to read and write in Latin and French, dancing, and music. They developed polite manners and learned to recite poetry, particularly when they were around aristocratic women who they went hunting and played games like chess with. The local priest would have instructed them in literature, and it's possible that the lady of the castle, where they were apprentices, had some input as well. Other skills on the squire's curriculum included falconry and wild animal hunting, which produced valuable meat dishes for the knight's table, which the squire was required to serve at. The squires were also responsible for disciplining and training the pages, a task they probably enjoyed.
Practice with the lance and sword was part of a squire's training; sometimes, weapons were purposefully made heavier than those used in combat to build strength and give the impression that fighting was a bit easier than it really was. Knights also utilized the staff, bow, and crossbow, albeit they weren't often used in combat. There were specialized training tools like the quintain, which is a revolving arm with a weight and a shield at each end. The weight swung around, and a rider had to strike the shield and stay on to prevent being smacked in the back. Another design required the lance tip to be used to remove a hanging ring. Using a sword to hack at a wooden post or pell while riding a horse at full speed was another typical training method.
In real combat, a squire went with his knight. The additional horses and gear were often carried by the squires when they went ahead. After giving the knight his lance and shield for the combat, the squire rode behind him on a different horse in case the knight's ride broke down. The squire was in charge of pulling the knight from the battlefield if he was critically injured.
A squire might be raised to the rank of knight by their lord or another knight after completing their training, generally when they are between the ages of 18 and 21. What became of squires who did not succeed in their schooling is unclear, while some noble offspring may have chosen to follow a career in the law or church. One well-known person who never advanced from squire to knighthood was Geoffrey Chaucer, the author of The Canterbury Tales, who lived from around 1343 to 1400 CE. Some squires even stayed squires until they were adults and worked as knights throughout their lives. Another reason someone would never become a knight is because it was expensive to acquire horses, armor, and other gear. To enter the brotherhood of knights, squires who met the requirements to become knights and have the resources to advance were welcomed with a complex initiation ritual. In many cases, knightings occurred just before a fight, so the ceremony had to wait, but it was well worth it.
An Event of Knighting
The day before, the squire would take a bath, shave, or trim his beard in preparation for a knighting (or dubbing, as it is often known), which may include any number of future knights. He may sit through the night in a church, his sword laying on the altar, reflecting on his good fortune in reaching his objective and the dangers he still had to face in terms of losing his life.
The squire was outfitted by two knights for the ritual, wearing a crimson cloak to symbolize the blood he is now prepared to bleed for his baron, sovereign, and church, a white tunic and white belt to symbolize purity, and black or brown stockings to symbolize the ground to which he will one day return. The actual process, which changed over time and location, may take place outside, in a church, or, for the fortunate, within the royal palace. Typically, the dubbings were staged in conjunction with larger celebrations like coronations and royal marriages. The squire was handed back his sword, which had been sanctified by a priest on the condition that he always defend the weak and impoverished, and was also equipped with golden spurs (hence the idiom "to win one's spurs"). The two cutting blades of the sword stood for justice and loyalty, or more broadly, chivalry.
The squire then knelt before the knight or monarch bestowing the honor in front of witnesses. Since the new knight's achievements would reflect on the one who knighted him, the one designating him was really gambling with his own reputation. The 'dubber' might give the squire a peck on the cheek and fasten a spur or place a sword and belt on him. Actually, the squire was knighted by a simple tap on the neck or shoulders with the hand or sword, or even a heavy blow (colée or 'accolade') that was intended to serve as a warning to him never to retaliate and to remind him of his moral duty to not bring shame upon the man who delivered the blow. Something like 'Be thou a knight' might be spoken, but nothing too extravagant. A pledge of loyalty to a local baron may be made by the new knight; tenant knights, or those who own property that was a part of their baron's overall estate, were particularly known for fulfilling this duty. As a knight, he received his horse, which was funded by his father or the person who knighted him, as well as his shield and flag, which may include the coat of arms of his family. A rich family's squire may be entitled to a lavish feast and perhaps a tournament to celebrate becoming a knight, where he would be permitted to join the other knights at the table instead of only serving them.
Knights in Combat
Following all of this planning and formalities, the knight was prepared to accomplish his goal: triumph on the battlefield. There were various reasons why knights engaged in warfare: either they were employed by a local baron as part of his permanent household knight force at a high price, or their baron sent them to carry out a task for their sovereign, or they had no personal connection and lived as mercenaries. In addition, knights might fight for a religious cause—as they did during the Crusades—or be members of a knightly organization, such as the Knights Templar.
In general, knights were compensated for their services, although this was not always the case when they were helping the monarch fight against other nations or dissident barons. National warfare had benefits, such as the potential for the king to grant later lands and titles and the honor of never having to fight for one's monarch just for financial gain.
Even though field battles were less frequent in mediaeval warfare than sieges of walled towns and castles, knights were nevertheless required to perform their duties. For example, from a besieged fortress, knights may assemble raiding groups, and these had to be put down. Knights rode in tight order as the first line of an army in combat, initially wielding their lance until it broke. Then, wielding swords, they dismounted whenever their horse was hurt, which was a common occurrence. A knight may be required to garrison a siege tower or be prepared to infiltrate a fortress after it has been broken during a siege. When not engaged in actual combat, knights were required to maintain their fighting prowess by participating in simulated cavalry engagements, horseback jousting, and one-on-one foot combat.
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