In fact, it is thanks to Anglo-Saxon literature - primarily epic poetry such as Beowulf, The Battle of Maldon and The Wanderer - that we have an understanding of how their warrior code and war culture looked, given the dearth of evidence from more “historical” sources from the period. The concept of honor was so pervasive in Anglo-Saxon society that it is impossible to pick up any piece of literature from the period without finding some mention of it. So what did the warrior code of the Anglo-Saxons look like, and how were their heroic predecessors different from the courtly knights who would come to take their place and eventually represent the notion of medieval warriorhood? Does the old world epic hero, the likes of Beowulf or Brythnoth, have any place in the modern world? Anglo-Saxon Honor in the Heroic Age Codes of honor that dictate how warriors are to conduct themselves have existed for centuries, and some have been carried into modernity and popularized: the chivalric code of medieval knights, or Bushido of the Japanese samurai are perhaps the most well-known.īefore the chivalry of the Norman knights came to England however, a much older system of honor and loyalty had been in place for centuries, brought over by Germanic settlers from the Anglo-Saxon tribes. This is particularly true when it comes to warriors and their actions both on and off the battlefield, and concepts of Anglo-Saxon honor are no different. Shed blood for your brethren, and if needs must, to lay down your life.Every culture and society on Earth, both past and present, has their own ideas of what makes a person honorable or worthy. To fend off injustice from the poor, to make peace in your own province, to Protect the Church, to fight against treachery, to reverence the priesthood, In the 12th Century,Ī writer called John of Salisbury declared that it was a knight's duty 'to Perfect knight was a very important one in the Middle Ages. A lot of knights did not behaveĪs well as this in real life, particularly in war. Stories and poems like the one you are reading by Chrétien de Troyes showĪrthur and his knights acting chivalrously. It was not courteous to kill an enemy if he begged for mercy and agreed to be a prisoner.Ī knight rescuing a damsel in distress from a monster. If the horse had run away, the knight should get off his own horse and fight his opponent on foot. If a knight knocked his enemy off his horse, he should wait until the other knight mounted again before attacking. For example, it was not courteous to try to injure an enemy's horse. Or having good manners but showing kindness and respect and thinking about theĬourtesy also involved acting correctly when fighting. Meant to behave at all times with courtesy - which meant not just being polite Generous to others and loyal to his lord, his family and his friends. Was called prowess), to respect women, to defend the weak and the poor, to be Horseback, like our English word 'cavalry'.Ī knight was supposed to show bravery, strength and skill in battle (this The word comesįrom the old French word 'chevalerie', which was used for men who fought on What was chivalry and what were its 'laws'?Ĭhivalry was a set of ideas about how a knight ought to behave.
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