Chivalry middle ages professional#

The characteristic distinction of the latter, which really constituted chivalry, lay in their defensive weapons, which varied with different periods. His only offensive weapons were the lance for the encounter and the sword for the close fight, weapons common to both light-armed and heavy cavalry. At all events, they were regarded as unfair in combat by the medieval knight. (I) The medieval army was poorly equipped for long-distance fighting, and bows and cross-bows were still employed, although the Church endeavored to prohibit their use, at least between Christian armies as contrary to humanity.

Chivalry middle ages professional#

Four peculiarities distinguished the professional warrior: (I) his weapons (2) horse (3) attendants (4) flag. This preeminence of cavalry was correlative with the decline of infantry on the battlefield. The knight or chevalier was the professional soldier of the time in medieval Latin, the ordinary word miles (soldier) was equivalent to “knight”. Military.-In the military sense, chivalry was the heavy cavalry of the Middle Ages which constituted the chief and most effective warlike force.

Chivalry (derived through the French cheval from the Latin caballus) as an institution is to be considered from three points of view: the military, the social, and the religious.