From Boyhood to Knighthood

1 In tales of medieval days, we are told that brave knights wore shining armor and rode beautiful horses. They carried bright, sharp weapons. In these stories, fair maidens in distress are rescued by these knights, who seem to appear mysteriously out of the mist. The truth is that the knights of the Middle Ages did not just appear from thin air.

2 In times of war, a young man who fought bravely on a battlefield could become a knight on the site where he had demonstrated his courage. A king or knight could tap him on the shoulder with a sword, giving him this title of honor.

3 In peacetime, becoming a knight was a more lengthy process. A boy began this training when he was about seven years old. He went to live in the home of a noble family, where he served as a page. He ran errands for the family, served their meals, and learned to ride horses and handle small weapons. He also learned a code of polite behavior that was as important as learning to fight.
4 When a page was about fourteen years old, he became a squire. A squire served a knight who was called his lord. He took care of his lord’s horse and helped him practice hunting and fighting skills. If battle broke out, a squire rode beside his lord to the end.

5 Most squires were knighted by the time they were twenty-one years old. If not knighted on a battlefield, the squire might be knighted in an elaborate ceremony called dubbing. He bathed, cut his hair short, and prayed all night in a chapel. In the morning, he knelt before his lord who tapped him on both shoulders with a sword. The lord then gave him the spurs and sword of a knight.

6 Either in battle or in a dubbing ceremony, the squire rose from his knees as a knight. He promised to use his bravery and fighting skills to defend the weak and protect his homeland.