Hugo Negron's Blog - Posts Tagged "pages"
Becoming a Knight
Well, it’s becoming a cool September in Illinois as we veer into October, which considering the heat of the summer this year, is a relief!
A big bonus for me was receiving medieval leg armor in the mail to upgrade my cosplay costume for next year. Real armor which included the cuisses (thigh pieces), knee cops, and greaves (lower leg pieces) from a wonderful company known as ArmStreet.com - check em out if you are looking for "armor wear"! I may have to wear these when making my rounds promoting the book! The arm pieces will be following soon...
So that got me thinking about what exactly does it take to become a knight. In Forging of a Knight, the Arch-Mage Aurelus had discussed with Qualtan the concepts of what being a knight exactly meant:
“This is a very prestigious honor, not to be taken lightly...Knighthood is to be taken seriously, Qualtan. It is for the deepest devotion, the noblest of character, and the humblest of heart. You will represent not only your honor, but that of Turinthia’s, of the Alliance itself. Leaders in war, observers of the most dangerous of missions, a knight is a living trust of the powers of Good. Those selfsame powers strive to guide us in our journeys, just as the powers of Evil attempt to mislead. We wizards are blessed in our ability to sculpt and mold from the energies that surround us all, but we did not create that power. We craft with it, build from it, and harness it. Like an artist taking a vision from his mind and giving it breath upon an empty canvas, we create our own reality. The power behind all life is of course beyond our faculties; it stems only from the High Lord, He Who Has No Name, and the font of all that we are. A true wizard must respect that. As a knight, so must you.”
“You make knighthood sound more burden than honor,” Qualtan reflected, waiting impatiently for his uncle’s speech to end.
“It can be. Oh, there are many orders of knights. The Order of the Black Tower from Medlissia, the Order of the Star and Sword, from Bagda, the Elven Order of the High Forest, there are many others. Some have little value or little honor, being knights in name only. Others, like the Orders I have mentioned, are true to their ideals and are looked upon as the highest of service. But remember, a true knight, a true man of honor, listens to his own counsel with that of those given to him. Never follow blindly.”
Aurelus was being slightly chauvinistic in that there are both male and female knights in Forging of a Knight. Usually only those sponsored from parents of the nobility could become knights, as Qualtan's father had been. Or, those of less austere rank could qualify if proof of great deeds was given. Usually if prepped at an early age, youths that were given the honor of being a squire would train and service true knights for years for their chance to prove worthy enough to do a noble deed and become a knight. Upon laying such proofs before one's King or Queen and his/her council, the applicant, if awarded the rank of Knight, would then fast, offering prayers of fealty to the High Lord, after which the gift of armor and lance was bestowed, unless the knight-to-be had a sponsor to originally present his/her petition. In that case, it fell upon the sponsor to confer the gifts that were due. A high priest or cleric then blessed the knight-to-be, with King/Queen present, and armor was re-presented to him/her, before a throng of observers. Now a true knight, he/she would be escorted through a row of knights, their swords aloft over their heads. Celebrations would follow, and the confirmation of the title Knight was complete.
I created the above based upon the true process of becoming a knight in Europe during the Middle Ages. Pages, or knights-in-training, were sent to live with noblemen to train. Once they were in their mid-teens, they became squires. They were taught to observe and follow the code of chivalry - being a true knight, brave, respectful, showing honor to women, and serving the defenseless.
When a squire performed an act that was deemed worthy of being a knight, the squire was usually given that honor immediately by his sponsor (say, as if, in the middle of a battle). Usually, though, it was done in a religious ceremony, including fasting and prayer, which completed with a church service where gifts of armor were received.
In Forging of a Knight, I limit the authority of bestowing knighthood to usually the King/Queen, the Commander of military forces ("head knight") or any they gave the authority to do so. However, as Aurelus pointed out above, some Orders were not as worthy of their title as others, and gave out knighthood on the cheap and quick...!
A big bonus for me was receiving medieval leg armor in the mail to upgrade my cosplay costume for next year. Real armor which included the cuisses (thigh pieces), knee cops, and greaves (lower leg pieces) from a wonderful company known as ArmStreet.com - check em out if you are looking for "armor wear"! I may have to wear these when making my rounds promoting the book! The arm pieces will be following soon...
So that got me thinking about what exactly does it take to become a knight. In Forging of a Knight, the Arch-Mage Aurelus had discussed with Qualtan the concepts of what being a knight exactly meant:
“This is a very prestigious honor, not to be taken lightly...Knighthood is to be taken seriously, Qualtan. It is for the deepest devotion, the noblest of character, and the humblest of heart. You will represent not only your honor, but that of Turinthia’s, of the Alliance itself. Leaders in war, observers of the most dangerous of missions, a knight is a living trust of the powers of Good. Those selfsame powers strive to guide us in our journeys, just as the powers of Evil attempt to mislead. We wizards are blessed in our ability to sculpt and mold from the energies that surround us all, but we did not create that power. We craft with it, build from it, and harness it. Like an artist taking a vision from his mind and giving it breath upon an empty canvas, we create our own reality. The power behind all life is of course beyond our faculties; it stems only from the High Lord, He Who Has No Name, and the font of all that we are. A true wizard must respect that. As a knight, so must you.”
“You make knighthood sound more burden than honor,” Qualtan reflected, waiting impatiently for his uncle’s speech to end.
“It can be. Oh, there are many orders of knights. The Order of the Black Tower from Medlissia, the Order of the Star and Sword, from Bagda, the Elven Order of the High Forest, there are many others. Some have little value or little honor, being knights in name only. Others, like the Orders I have mentioned, are true to their ideals and are looked upon as the highest of service. But remember, a true knight, a true man of honor, listens to his own counsel with that of those given to him. Never follow blindly.”
Aurelus was being slightly chauvinistic in that there are both male and female knights in Forging of a Knight. Usually only those sponsored from parents of the nobility could become knights, as Qualtan's father had been. Or, those of less austere rank could qualify if proof of great deeds was given. Usually if prepped at an early age, youths that were given the honor of being a squire would train and service true knights for years for their chance to prove worthy enough to do a noble deed and become a knight. Upon laying such proofs before one's King or Queen and his/her council, the applicant, if awarded the rank of Knight, would then fast, offering prayers of fealty to the High Lord, after which the gift of armor and lance was bestowed, unless the knight-to-be had a sponsor to originally present his/her petition. In that case, it fell upon the sponsor to confer the gifts that were due. A high priest or cleric then blessed the knight-to-be, with King/Queen present, and armor was re-presented to him/her, before a throng of observers. Now a true knight, he/she would be escorted through a row of knights, their swords aloft over their heads. Celebrations would follow, and the confirmation of the title Knight was complete.
I created the above based upon the true process of becoming a knight in Europe during the Middle Ages. Pages, or knights-in-training, were sent to live with noblemen to train. Once they were in their mid-teens, they became squires. They were taught to observe and follow the code of chivalry - being a true knight, brave, respectful, showing honor to women, and serving the defenseless.
When a squire performed an act that was deemed worthy of being a knight, the squire was usually given that honor immediately by his sponsor (say, as if, in the middle of a battle). Usually, though, it was done in a religious ceremony, including fasting and prayer, which completed with a church service where gifts of armor were received.
In Forging of a Knight, I limit the authority of bestowing knighthood to usually the King/Queen, the Commander of military forces ("head knight") or any they gave the authority to do so. However, as Aurelus pointed out above, some Orders were not as worthy of their title as others, and gave out knighthood on the cheap and quick...!
