Knights Quotes

“Most have been forgotten. Most deserve to be forgotten. The heroes will always be remembered. The best. The best and the worst. And a few who were a bit of both.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Feast for Crows

“War seems like a fine adventure, the greatest most of them will ever know. Then they get a taste of battle.

For some, that one taste is enough to break them. Others go on for years, until they lose count of all the battles they have fought in, but even a man who has survived a hundred fights can break in his hundred-and-first. Brothers watch their brothers die, fathers lose their sons, friends see their friends trying to hold their entrails in after they’ve been gutted by an axe.

They see the lord who led them there cut down, and some other lord shouts that they are his now, They take the wound, and when that’s still half-healed they take another. There is never enough to eat, their shoes fall to pieces from marching, their clothes are torn and rotting, and half of them are shitting in their breeches from drinking bad water.

If they want new boots or a warmer cloak or maybe a rusted iron half helm, they need to take them from a corpse, and before long they are stealing from the living too, from the small folk whose land they’re fighting in, men very like the men they used to be. They slaughter their sheep and steal their chickens, and from there it’s just a short step to carrying off their daughters too. And one day they look around and realize all their friends and kin are gone, that they are fighting beside strangers beneath a banner that they hardly recognize. They don’t know where they are or how to get back home and the lord they’re fighting for does not know their names, yet here he comes, shouting for them to form up, to make a line with their spears and scythes and sharpened hoes, to stand their ground. And the knights come down on them, faceless men clad in all steel, and the iron thunder of their charge seems to fill the world.

And the man breaks.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Feast for Crows

“Some of the fighters wear the best uniforms, do the best drills, but hardly anyone has seen them fighting. Some you won't even think that they are fighters, but they are the best knights on the battlefield.”
― Zain Hashmi, A Blessed Olive Tree: A Spiritual Journey in Twenty Short Stories

“My task is set before me, girl
My mission clear and true
There’ll be black knights and dragons, girl
But I will always come for you…”
― Emme Rollins

“A great battle is a terrible thing," the old knight said, "but in the midst of blood and carnage, there is sometimes also beauty, beauty that could break your heart.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

“I thought you were her knight, but you have become only her woodsman--taking little girls into the forest to cut out their hearts.”
― Holly Black, Ironside

“This is beyond understanding." said the king. "You are the wisest man alive. You know what is preparing. Why do you not make a plan to save yourself?"
And Merlin said quietly, "Because I am wise. In the combat between wisdom and feeling, wisdom never wins.”
― John Steinbeck, The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights

“The main hallway of the Sternwood place was two stories high. Over the entrance doors, which would have let in a troop of Indian elephants, there was a broad stained-glass panel showing a knight in dark armor rescuing a lady who was tied to a tree and didn’t have any clothes on but some very long and convenient hair. The knight had pushed the vizor of his helmet back to be sociable, and he was fiddling with the knots on the ropes that tied the lady to the tree and not getting anywhere. I stood there and thought that if I lived in the house, I would sooner or later have to climb up there and help him. He didn’t seem to be really trying.”
― Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep

“I said you lie, knave!” shouted Beaumains, drawing his sword. “And for telling such craven falsehoods, you must die!”
The knight looked plaintively at Roger. “What’s wrong with this fellow?”
“He was dropped on his head when he was a baby,” answered Roger.”
― Gerald Morris, The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf

“Knighthood lies above eternity; it doesn’t live off fame, but rather deeds.”
― Dejan Stojanovic, The Sun Watches the Sun

“Fighting is better than this waiting,” Brienne said. “You don’t feel so helpless when you fight. You have a sword and a horse, sometimes an axe. When you’re armored it’s hard for anyone to hurt you.”
“Knights die in battle,” Catelyn reminded her.
Brienne looked at her with those blue and beautiful eyes. “As ladies die in childbed. No one sings songs about them.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings

“I have seen too many men go down, and I never permit myself to forget that one day, through accident or under the charge of a younger, stronger knight, I too will go down.”
― John Steinbeck, The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights

“Rune: "They're getting away!"

Thatz: "Our Dragon Knights honor is at stake! Let's get 'em!"

Rath: "'Dragon Knights honor'? Really?”
― Mineko Ohkami, Dragon Knights, Vol. 1

“In medieval times, contrary to popular belief, most knights were bandits, mercenaries, lawless brigands, skinners, highwaymen, and thieves. The supposed chivalry of Charlemagne and Roland had as much to do with the majority of medieval knights as the historical Jesus with the temporal riches and hypocrisy of the Catholic Church, or any church for that matter. Generally accompanied by their immoral entourage or servants, priests, and whores, they went from tourney to tourney like a touring rock and roll band, sports team, or gang of South Sea pirates. Court to court, skirmish to skirmish, rape to rape. Fighting as the noble's substitution for work.”
― Tod Wodicka, All Shall Be Well; And All Shall Be Well; And All Manner of Things Shall Be Well

“We need knew knights, but without swords.”
― Dejan Stojanovic, The Sun Watches the Sun

“Thatz: "Why'd you have to get him all worked up? He'll drag us into it.

Rune: "You're just lazy, Thatz.”
― Mineko Ohkami, Dragon Knights, Vol. 1

“To the knights of faith nobody believes.”
― Dejan Stojanovic, Circling: 1978-1987

“All Knights must bleed. Blood is the seal of our devotion.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Feast for Crows

“Large men in black plate mail with red cloaks and plumes don't sneak worth a damn.”
― Tanya Huff, Nights of the Round Table and Other Stories of Heroic Fantasy

“Thank you, Father," Sir Lancelot replied gratefully. "But ... er ... Father?"
"Yes, Lancelot?"
"You didn't say anything about my armor. Is it not shiny enough?”
― Gerald Morris

“This was the moment he most loved about tourneying, that first glorious sortie with banners streaming, trumpets blaring, and the earth atremble with pounding hooves as hundreds of knights came together in a spectacular clash of sound and fury.”
― Sharon Kay Penman, Devil's Brood

“Yes, Father. They have the bravest hearts, the noblest souls, and the shiniest armor in all the world.”
“Shiniest armor?” repeated King Ban.”
― Gerald Morris

“I’m looking for a man in armor. Six five, blue eyes. I almost laughed. After everything that happened, I must’ve finally lost it.”
― Ilona Andrews, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

“We place such a crushing burden on knights,” I said. “We tell them they’re supposed to be heroes, defenders of the realm, people of superior character. Then we send them into a slaughter and force them to butcher. They experience fear. They exist in constant vigilance, always ready to fight for their lives. It exhausts their body and soul. They watch their friends bleed out and die, and they have no time to grieve. Nobody warns them about this. Nobody sings songs about a young man trying to push his guts back into his stomach, or being so scared that the world turns dark, or being knocked off your horse and drowning in a muddy field in heavy armor while riders stomp on your back.” The two men in front of me were very still. “We do this to them and then we expect them to return to a peaceful life as if nothing happened. Some of them get a taste for the killing and can’t let it go. Some of them learn to distance themselves from their war selves. Others, like Pelegrin, need help and time.”
― Ilona Andrews, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

“He cannot express himself with balance. He swings wildly from one extreme to another as he tries to relate successfully to his world.”
― Joan Bunning, The Big Book of Tarot: How to Interpret the Cards and Work with Tarot Spreads for Personal Growth

“A knight is prone to excess, but he is also eager and sincere, and these qualities redeem qualities redeem him.”
― Joan Bunning, The Big Book of Tarot: How to Interpret the Cards and Work with Tarot Spreads for Personal Growth

“He acts out the quality of his suit with pleasure and abandon.”
― Joan Bunning, The Big Book of Tarot: How to Interpret the Cards and Work with Tarot Spreads for Personal Growth

“There is the dragon, my lord, and then there is the fear of the dragon. It is hard to say which is worse. And even if you doubt the dragon, you must admit the fear is real.”
― Philip Reeve, No Such Thing as Dragons

“But you are like any other knight," she said bitterly. "You want to rescue the beautiful maiden in the tower."
"Well, if she's there, I suppose it's only polite to rescue her. Though I'm embarassed to say that some of my fellow knghts woud probably only be interested if the maiden had a treasure to go along with her."
"There's no treasure."
"I didn't think there was. I mostly came for answers. Or maybe just the story.”
― T. Kingfisher, Thornhedge

“Dragons are mere myths. Since there are no real dragons, no real dragons can possibly be in danger from any humans who want to kill them. As a result, we real dragons are, of course, perfectly safe from harm,' the dragon explained.”
― Benedict Ballyhoot, Gilbert Guttlebocker, Defender of Dragons