1. Understanding Chivalry

2. Chivalry • A complex set of ideals, demanded that a knight fight bravely in defense of three masters. • 1. Earthly feudal lord • 2. Heavenly lord • 3. Chosen Lady

3. Tournaments • Mock battles • Combined recreation with combat training. • Two armies of knights charged each other.

4. Troubadours • Traveling poet-musicians at the castles and courts of Europe. • They composed short verses and short stories about the joys and sorrows of romantic love.

5. Knights • Warriors on horseback. • Valuable in combat during the reign of Charlemagne's grandfather. • Role: nobles created private armies, rewarded them with land(fiefs). Helping knights could afford to pay for costly weapons, armor, and warhorses. • Technology: • Saddles and stirrups

6. Knights Training • Sons of nobles began training for knighthood at an early age and learned the code of Chivalry. • Acted as a squire at 14= servant of a knight.

7. Women’s Role in Feudal Society • Noblewomen • Could inherit an estate • Send knights to war • Could act as military commander • Peasant women • Endless labor around the home/field • Bore children/ cared for families • Church influence status of medieval women.