The institution of knighthood had its roots in the ninth and tenth centuries and vestiges of it remain in place even today. From a practical arrangement in which the principle of vassalage was extended to include military service, the institution grew to the point where a grant of arms was the equivalent of ennoblement. In the course of five centuries during which knights dominated the practice of warfare three important modifications of the system made it a complex historical phenomenon that affected everything from the nature of warfare to fashions in literature. One such modification was the gradual evolution of knights as a privileged, hereditary class. A second was the development of the chivalric code that ritualized their practice and defined the knights' unique social role as a military elite transformed into an aristocracy. The third is the uses to which the Church, especially in terms of the Crusading ideology, put the institution of knighthood. In general terms these aspects of the development of knighthood explain the enormous significance of the institution in Medieval societies.
Because knighthood was an international phenomenon, involving most Western European societies, and because it extended over so many centuries, there is no typical set of circumstances, behaviors, or developments that universally defines knighthood. Yet the ideals and practice of knighthood everywhere in Europe had enough in common that the phenomenon can be discussed as a whole--always remembering that important regional and chronological variants exist for most points. A brief discussion of the origins of knighthood will be followed by a general description of the training, practice, equipment, and ceremonies of the knights. The main discussion centers on the integration of knighthood into medieval society, the relationship of the Church to knighthood, and the development and impact of the chivalric code. In conclusion the long-ran...