During the middle ages, every free man was allowed to become a knight; however the process of becoming a knight was very expensive; so it was more likely that a knight would come from a noble or rich family.
The course to being knighted began before adolescence, in the potential knight's own home, there he was taught courtesy and manners. Around the age of ten, he would be sent away to train and serve at a grander house as a page. At this home he would serve as a waiter and as a type of servant to please and entertain the elders. He would learn hunting and falconry, and also an assortment of battle skills such as riding, training and caring for a horse. He also learned about weapons and amour.
At about fourteen years of age, the page was assigned to an actual knight to serve as his personal escort and aide, called a squire. This gave the squire the opportunity to observe his master while he was in battle, so he could learn from his techniques. He also acted as a servant to the knight. As part of being in service to the knight the squire had to take care of his masters` horse and the equipment the knight needed in battle. He was around simply to serve and fulfill his duties as a squire. He would only truly learn what it was like to be a knight when he was dubbed but until that time he would have to observe. This was to uphold the knight's code that promoted generosity, courtesy, compassion, and above all, loyalty.
When the squire had acquired enough skill, he was dubbed a knight. There was no specific age for the happening; usually however this occurred between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one. In the earliest times the process began with the squire praying all through the night. He was then bathed, and in the morning he was dressed. The attire was a white shirt, a gold tunic, a purple cloak, and then he was knighted by the king. As the middle Ages continued, the process changed. The squire later had to vow that he would obey the rules of chivalry, and never run from a battle. A squire could also be knighted on the battlefield, in this case a lord simply struck a man on the shoulder and said, "Be thou a knight" this was the process known for a young boy to become a knight.
The course to being knighted began before adolescence, in the potential knight's own home, there he was taught courtesy and manners. Around the age of ten, he would be sent away to train and serve at a grander house as a page. At this home he would serve as a waiter and as a type of servant to please and entertain the elders. He would learn hunting and falconry, and also an assortment of battle skills such as riding, training and caring for a horse. He also learned about weapons and amour.
At about fourteen years of age, the page was assigned to an actual knight to serve as his personal escort and aide, called a squire. This gave the squire the opportunity to observe his master while he was in battle, so he could learn from his techniques. He also acted as a servant to the knight. As part of being in service to the knight the squire had to take care of his masters` horse and the equipment the knight needed in battle. He was around simply to serve and fulfill his duties as a squire. He would only truly learn what it was like to be a knight when he was dubbed but until that time he would have to observe. This was to uphold the knight's code that promoted generosity, courtesy, compassion, and above all, loyalty.
When the squire had acquired enough skill, he was dubbed a knight. There was no specific age for the happening; usually however this occurred between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one. In the earliest times the process began with the squire praying all through the night. He was then bathed, and in the morning he was dressed. The attire was a white shirt, a gold tunic, a purple cloak, and then he was knighted by the king. As the middle Ages continued, the process changed. The squire later had to vow that he would obey the rules of chivalry, and never run from a battle. A squire could also be knighted on the battlefield, in this case a lord simply struck a man on the shoulder and said, "Be thou a knight" this was the process known for a young boy to become a knight.
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