noun, plural -ries for 6.
1.
the sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms.
2.
the rules and customs of medieval knighthood.
3.
the medieval system or institution of knighthood.
4.
a group of knights.
5.
gallant warriors or gentlemen: fair ladies and noble chivalry
I constantly read history. This year we are studying 'Europe'. Much of our study has landed me in the medieval period. You know, the time when 'barbarians' roamed the earth? Men who thought nothing of war and death and privation?
I find it most interesting that those who we would call barbarians were endowed with such an admirable amount of chivalry that it puts our society to shame. Our 'advanced', 'civilized', 'cultured' society is more barbarian than any that I have read of so far.
For example, there were two feuding clans in Scotland (around the year 1300). The two clans were feuding over a tract of land that they both claimed were theirs. The chiefs decided to 'meet' at the disputed spot and decide once and for all who was the owner of the property. There stood up a man~with hands on hips who defiantly spoke to the 'other' chief and said "I swear that the soil I stand upon is that belonging to us"(he said this while standing upon the other chiefs land)...the opposing chief knew that there is no way this man would out and out lie, yet he knew that the land was his. Therefore the only solution was; he picked the man up by his heels, peeled of his shoes and shook out the soil that he found there! During the night, the man (who was now on his head:) had snuck some dirt into his shoes from their own land and put it in his shoes so that, wherever he stood, when he said "The soil I stand upon is ours" he would be speaking the truth.
Isn't that noble in a way? We can learn a lot from the heathens of old. What shame their chivalry is to us in this age.
There is another story of a Scottish lord who was faithful to the (tyrant) King Edward of England. King Edward was constantly trying to put Scotland under his rule so he would war with, or kill off the kings of Scotland to accomplish his purposes. One of the 'lords' was named Buchan. He was such a detestable, mean and wicked, unfaithful man that many feared him. There is not an act of treachery that he would not perform. At one point he is said to have killed his own son. WHAT!!! The knights, wretches and tyrants around him disputed for months over the veracity of such a story. They could not believe that even he, who turned his wife over to King Edward to be killed, who reveled in war and death, could possibly do such a thing! The rules of decency and chivalry would not permit such an action. We are not talking about Christian folks here either...What would those barbarians have thought of planned parenthood in their day!
Well shame on our 'civilized' society who knows not even the definition of chivalry!
Let us purpose to teach our young men, children and daughters the virtue of chivalry. It is not dead! It is just unknown, untaught and unthought of in this present age! Lord have mercy on our uncivilized behaviour.
2 comments:
Chivalry is dead. Oh, we see glimpses of its once-upon-a-time glory, but it is dead nonetheless. Men of honor and courage and all that would define them as chivalrous are few and far between.
The good news....THEY ARE MAKING A COME BACK!!! God be praised.
Right you are! Maybe we can find and post about acts of chivlary today? That would be encouraging! Few and far between but there nonetheless! Thank you!
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