chivalry骑士精神

The Chivalry

I can’t forget the famous movies Titanic, which was adapted by the true story. It was 100 years ago, the unsinkable Titanic crashed into iceberg. There are 1327 passengers on the ship, 73% of the women got on the lifeboats, while only 7% of the men survived. The 702 men were buried in the cold water at that night. What make me move not only the love between Rose and Jack, but also the men faced the death still kept gentle till their death. In fact, the formation of gentleman’s culture can be gone back to medieval chivalry. Today I want to introduce the chivalry and its influence in western countries

Culture is not only a social phenomenon, but also a historical phenomenon, is the accumulation of social history. And after the culture formed, it influenced the people and thing at that cultural atmosphere. When talking about the Britain, I can’t help thinking of the gentleman of England. This period of British chivalry plays an extremely important role in democratic character of modern England and makes the British national character of modern British people contain aristocratic temperament.

The word chivalry comes from the French word, which means behavior is honourable, kind, generous, and honourable way, especially towards women. Or a system of religious beliefs and honourable behavior that in the middle age .It also knows as Knighthood. Although the chivalry is not the product of Britain, it was developed and perfected step by step in Britain. As British knighthood grew stronger and stronger, it becomes unique chivalry and the knight culture.

We should understand that the chivalry is rule of behavior that medieval knights should follow this. The Chinese scholar Ni Shiguang once pointed out that the content of chivalry related to the economy, politics, laws, culture and many other parts of the western world in his article. And another scholar also pointed out that the chivalry has an important influence on medieval society and culture. We can understand more western countries after knowing more about the chivalry. So I think it is of importance for us to know what the chivalry is.

In the 15 or 16 century, when a high born boy reached the age of seven, he was sent to live in the castle of a lord, and there he began his education as a page. He

learned good manners, reading, writing, dancing, and strumming the lute. He learned how to use a sword and ride a horse, and so on. Around the age of 13, the boy was apprenticed to a knight and become a squire. He was taught skill with sword, lance, and shield. He also learned the duties and responsibilities of a knight. When the squire judged ready to become a knight, usually between 18 and 21, a time for the knighting ceremony was set and he became a true knight. Although it was very difficult, people were proud of being a knight at that time.

Chivalry originates from the ancient of Germanic people which like honor and war. After the converting of Christian and the influence of courtly love and literature, chivalry gradually internalized as an important part of the British national spirit and the characteristic. The image of the ideal knight is noble , gentle, honest, loyal, be polite to women, pure, selfless, brave, and with deep religious feeling, with a strong sense of honor, and willing to sacrifice himself to protect others. All in all, the virtue of knight is brave, loyalty and dedicated.

The chivalry has eight codes, which is justice, loyalty, defense, courage, faith, humility, generosity and nobility. Justice, which means search always the path of

'right' and not changed by bias or personal interest; Loyalty need to have unbendable commitment to the people and ideals they select to live by; Defense means he must guard his liege lord , their nation, their family, and those who they believe that it is worthwhile to show loyalty; Courage entails selecting the more difficult path and even taking the side of truth in all matter with courage .He has faith in his beliefs, for faith take root in his mind; Humility means evaluate first the contributions of others; do not make a parade of your own accomplishments; He must be generous in helping someone in need within their power; Nobility means seek great stature of character, by holding to the virtues and duties of a knight.

The chivalry plays a very important role in many fields of the society in middle ages, and it has a far-reaching influence on the later western culture.

Firstly, the food’s culture of the knight affects the western culture deeply. The scholar Ni S higuang once wrote in his article that: “Because o f the military training, the knights like to eat meet and drink wine, and this kind of diet influenced the other