The Code of Chivalry

. I noticed a lot of interesting parallels between knighthood and modern military service. A complex code of chivalry (that is, honor and conduct) governed the life of a knight. This should not be confused with the code of shivering ,which many New Englanders have come to know in the winter months. At any rate, a knight would pledge allegiance to a king in exchange for lands within the kingdom, or, in later years, for cash. The knight would be expected to be ready at all times to defend the king and/or the kingdom, or to go to war at the king's orders. A lot like modern military service- the Oath is a little different (we vowed to defend the Constitution and follow the orders of the President), but the principle is largely the same. I wonder if this is why we call officers "sir"? Perhaps another holdover from those times, like the salute. (The right hand that you salute with would also be the hand that would hold a sword- the gesture is both one of respect and of trust- if your hand is visible, it's not on the hilt of your sword or concealing a weapon).
However, a knight could also court a lady- these would generally be women of the court. The knight would champion them in battle or jousting, as well. Beyond that, a knight could also offer his sword in service to another, as long as that did not conflict with his first duty to the king. Remember, a knight giving his word was considered a binding contract, and to break such a contract meant dishonor for the knight. So a knight would make a symbolic gesture to the person he pledged his help to- this would be not out of a practical sense, as could be said of service to the king, but rather out of love and honor. If the knight had a lady, the service he would render would be either stated or implied. There are about a million and a half rules in the codes of chivalry, and even more in the codes of courtly love. (Do not confuse this with the code of Courtney Love- to attempt to understand that is to invite madness). What this all comes down to for me is- act with honor, and do not give your word lightly. True, there are formal knightships (Elton John and Paul McCartney are both knighted), although I would warrant that the code of honor among men and women ideally would apply to us all. People talk a lot about honor, and it's an easy concept to use- but the real challenge comes when we try to live with honor.