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The Real World of Knights
In Medieval times boys began their work early if they wanted to become a knight. At the age of 7 they would be sent to live with their new lord’s family. They would be a page; no they were not part of a book! This was how they learned manners, helped with horses and began their “knight training”. At the age of 14 it was time for boys to become squires. This was much more fun than the work of a page. Squires learned how to use swords and shields. They would also begin to wear some of the armour instead of just polish it. Because the armour was so very heavy the boys would wear one piece at a time until they became stronger and more used to the weight. Suits of armour were very heavy and awkward to handle. These were not lightweight aluminium or plastic, but heavy metal. Knights could not get in and out of their armour without assistance, not even to go to the bathroom!! In the summer the heat would be unbearable and in the winter these suits would be bitterly cold, but at least they could keep a knight from being shot through the heart with an arrow as they rode through a forest (and that is always a plus!) Two years later on their 16th birthday these soon-to-be knights would perform a squire’s duties for their master in tournaments. Squires would help place the knight put his armour on and they would also take care of the weapons. Caring for horses, cleaning the armour and learning how to fight were all tasks that squires had to learn. There were many tournaments where the young squires would fight each other but they used blunt edge swords. Sometimes there would be archery contests where the young squires would be allowed to show off their skills with the bow and some would even show their ability to work with a hunting falcon. Jousting with lances on horseback was done by squires but they would have bags of sand or straw as their opponents. Squires had many weapons to master before they became a real knight. These weapons included different types of swords, the longbow, the mace, flails, battle axes and lances. Many English knights earned famous reputations because of their fighting abilities with swords and longbows. These weapons were not only heavy, they were very big. The lance could be 8-15 feet in length and a longbow could be as tall as 5 feet. Between the age of 18 and 21 the squire’s master would at last make him a “knight”. This was a very special event held in a public setting such as a chapel. The young men wore clothing that contained the colours red and white for the ceremony. The red stood for blood and courage and the white stood for goodness and purity. The master used the best sword he owned to tap the young man’s shoulders as he declared him “Sir Knight”. Then everyone would enjoy a big feast and celebration. Heraldry was something that could identify each knight to people throughout the country. The coat of arms was the item that was used most often. Each knight had a special coat of arms that was his own design. This coat of arms was usually on a shield, but sometimes it was seen on banners that the knights and squires would carry. Many of the knights wanted to use pictures of fierce animals like dragons, or lions. Artists would paint these animals on their shields and banners. A coat of arms was very important because otherwise every knight looked just about the same as the others when they were in their armour. Because people did not have photos and IDs during these years the coat of arms was regarded as a true means of identification.
This is an original news article © The Kids WindowIf you love to dress up as a knight, take a look at our range of kids knight costumes inside. | |||||||
