10 amazing facts about knights

"There are still knights in our time!" - This phrase we say when we want to compliment gallant, selfless and fearless man. However, we almost do not think about what was actually knighted and after that they had to pass. Here are some interesting facts from the life of the medieval horsemen.

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2 Crossbow

At one time, the Knights were the incredible power and strength on the battlefield, and they are not able to beat anybody. And the secret warriors of the wing-to-use tools such as the crossbow. Short powerful bow, equipped with a wooden lodge with a groove for arrows or lead bullets, was one of those kinds of missile weapons, the most widespread in the army of the state of the Teutonic Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary as in Prussia and Livonia (Livonia). The crossbow was quite easy to use and distinguished by a special flight up arrow (at a distance of 300 meters).



3 Spiral staircases
The story begins a spiral staircase in the days of medieval castles and knights, where such a staircase structure serves not only to save space and moving from floor to floor, much to implement important strategic and military function - to protect the castle from invaders. Once the enemy army fell into a fortress, its soldiers was extremely difficult to move around the narrow and curved staircase, and everyone who walked up it was easy to destroy one.



4 Money Matters
It turns out to be a knight cost the soldiers is very expensive. Armor, weapons, horses, servants - all it cost a huge amount of money. All they needed was forced to provide a ruler. For this was invented by a special system under which the governor gave the Knights of small plots of land, which could lease to others. Thus, as the lessor, the knight on the money could buy everything you need, and because the land is granted to the governor, the warrior had any time to be ready to fight in the army.



5 Knightly virtues
All persons who call themselves knights, was ordered to comply with the Knight's Honor Code, which read that Knight never and under no circumstances should contact with the enemy. Also, it should be gallant towards the noble lady and protect it from all sorts of dangers. In addition, the knight observing the fasts, attend daily Mass, made offerings to the church. However, the secular ideals of knightly behavior suddenly disappeared on the battlefield - the battle was impossible to remain courteous and not die.



6
Origin knighthood
It is believed that chivalry was born in the era of the Roman Empire and its roots in the Catholic Knights Ordo Equestris, based Holy See.



7
Armor
None of the knights would have thought to go to the battlefield without armor, which were made for each individual soldier. High quality armor was not only the key to success in the battle, but also a status symbol - the better the armor were the more influential person was considered a knight.



8 Knights Duel
In fact, in those days it was not so many wars, so the Knights are constantly involved in the battles. Therefore, as an exercise in tactics of fighting began to arrange knightly tournaments. It is noteworthy that the focus has always been the melee warriors.



9 Education knight
Education knight was quite a difficult process. Future soldiers began to prepare since the age of 7 to 14 years. During this time, the boy became a squire at the Knights Court overlord. At 21, a ceremony was held knighted - it accounted for testing the physical, military and moral maturity of the tournaments, matches and banquets.



10 Crusades
As you know, the Crusades were undertaken to liberate the Holy Land from the Muslims. Many believe that there were only a few, but in fact their number is equal to about ten, and they lasted for almost 200 years. Unfortunately for Knights, they have failed, because ultimately the Holy Land into the hands of the Saracens.



11 Modern Knights
With a knighthood in 1560, in fact, ceased to exist, but continued jousting tournaments held in the traditions of education as a chivalrous spirit of the young warriors. At present, some famous people were awarded the title of knights, such as Elton John, Dzhuzha Dench and Sir Paul McCartney, though they do not have to put on the armor and fight with swords.
Source: listverse.com/



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