Extension: Knights in medieval England

E X T E N S I O N KNIGHTS IN MEDIEVAL ENGLAND When a young man was knighted, a ceremony was held. Afterwards there were feasts and jousts1 and gifts from the new knight to his friends. He was brought to the altar and fellow knights brought him armour and weapons. He had to wear them as if he were ready for a battle. He wore a quilted vest2 and cap as a protection. Then he put on a chain-mail shirt3 with a hood. He covered it with a tunic with shoulder guards4, both with his coat-of-arms5 on. That was a way to identify him. Lastly, he wore a helm with holes that allowed him to breathe and see. His weapons were a lance and a sword, that the priest blessed6. The knight was also given a shield7 to protect himself from enemy blows8. Each piece of armour and each weapon had a meaning. The two edges of the sword, for example, meant that he would serve God and the people. Medieval legends have always presented knights as heroes or, at least, as glamorous9 people. Most of them were not. At first, knights were men-at-arm who fought on horseback in wartime. In peacetime they had to serve their lord for a certain time each year: they operated as castle guards or escorted A XIII Century Knight. important people or precious goods. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. joust: giostra, torneo. quilted vest: davantino imbottito. chain-mail shirt: cotta di maglia. shoulder guard: coprispalla. coat-of-arms: stemma. 6. 7. 8. 9. 61 bless: benedire. shield: scudo. blow: colpo. glamorous: di gran fascino.