During the Middle Ages, from about the fifth to the fifteenth century, the most famous warriors in Europe were medieval knights. These highly trained soldiers rode on horseback and served noble lords and kings. However, being a knight was about much more than just fighting. It was a lifestyle defined by duty, intensive training, and a strict code of behavior.
The journey to becoming a knight began in early childhood. At around the age of seven, a young boy from a noble family would leave home to become a page. As a page, he lived in the castle of another lord, where he learned polite manners, practiced riding horses, and trained in basic combat using wooden weapons. By age fourteen, the boy would progress to become a squire. A squire was a personal assistant to an active knight. He cared for the knight’s horses, polished the heavy armor, and even followed the knight into battle to assist him. If a squire proved his bravery and loyalty, he was dubbed a knight at around age twenty-one during a special, solemn ceremony.
Knights were famous for their incredible protective gear. Early knights wore chainmail, which was flexible armor made of thousands of tiny, interlocking metal rings. Later, they wore full suits of heavy steel plate armor that could weigh up to sixty pounds! To practice their combat skills during times of peace, knights participated in tournaments. The most popular event was jousting, where two armored knights on horseback charged at each other with long wooden poles called lances, trying to knock each other off their horses.
Under a code of honor called chivalry, knights promised to protect the weak, speak the truth, and defend their rulers. Although the era of knights ended hundreds of years ago when battlefield technology changed, their stories of courage and honor still capture our imaginations today.
