Chivalry in the Modern Era
Chivalry, what is it, and how does it apply to the modern day knight? This is the question I began
with. After all, after being knighted a Knight Templar I really didn’t know what that meant. I had
references on the ritual but I wanted a more detailed explanation. My only reference was the
romanticized Hollywood renditions we see in movies. Most of us have that same picture of a
Chivalric Knight. But I wanted to know what was the reality of Chivalry and how can I apply that to
my life in compliance to my knightly vows? To answer the question we must understand the
beginning. This means looking at history and the reality of the Chivalric Knight.
I was able to attend and participate in three York Rite festivals during the last year which were held
in Sioux Falls, Pierre and also Sioux City, Iowa. In all of these festivals, both the candidates and the
members putting on the degrees and orders came from a wide geographic area sometimes involving
several states. If it is well planned, a festival can pull together excellent ritualists whose work both
excites and impresses the candidates and rejuvenates the members. I believe that with the wide
distances between our Commanderies in South Dakota, that festivals are a necessity. They provide
a mechanism for our Sir Knights that are dispersed throughout South Dakota to work cooperatively
and to support many of our smaller Commanderies.
The Knight Templar uniform and sword are items of dress that set us apart from the rest of
Freemasonry. Appearing at a Commandery meeting in casual dress is now the norm, but it should
not be. Wearing the K.T. uniform instills a Sir Knight with pride and is a reminder of the obligations
that he took upon himself. Try wearing your uniform to your Commandery; you might like how it
feels. No meeting is ever dull if you get to play with a sword! Make a sword drill part of each
Commandery meeting; it should be considered part of the education of each Sir Knight. I encourage
each of you to look at a video from the on the internet that you might use as part of your sword
drill: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMCJH2cBCVk
South Dakota’s contributions to the Knights Templar Eye Foundation during the last year were quite
meager and we ranked towards the bottom of all jurisdictions (50 out of 53) for total contributions.
I believe that each Commandery should plan some fun activities that also serve to raise funds for
the K.T.E.F.. Try hosting a Saint John Day dinner or a Commandery Table. Such activities keep the
members and their families involved with the local Commandery and provide an opportunity to
reach out to the public.
Yours in Faith,
Sir Knight Richard McBride
R.E.G.C.
In the following months, as space allows, I’m going to present some research that I have been
working on about Chivalry. It is my belief that a modern day Knights Templar should learn to follow
this code as it defines who we are as knights. I hope you enjoy. –editor
18
October 2014
There are many versions of Chivalric Code and it varied depending where the Knight resided.
However, its basic code was:
1. Excel in arms. Be it with horses or on foot and with a variety of weapons. Knights were
considered to be the experts at warfare and had to have knowledge of all aspects of
warfare.
2. To show courage. Because Knights were considered to be the best soldiers on the
battlefield, they had a large influence over the common foot soldier. Cowardice would
not win a battle.
3. Be Gallant and Loyal. Most Knights swore an allegiance to a King, Duke or other great
lord. They must be loyal to that person, because he provided the Knight with shelter and
other requirements. In many cases the Knight was a “hired gun” of the noble class.
4.
Swear off cowardice and baseness. This goes with the Knight being the center of
attention on the battlefield. Foot soldiers looked to the Knight for leadership and
inspiration. A coward incites no motivation on the soldier’s part and ultimately leads to
defeat.
This basic code was modified throughout the early Middle Ages, as needed, to fit the particular
Knight and his service to his lord. Most Knights were more than happy to agree to certain terms as
this was a means to provide for themselves and their families. Many Knights were of noble birth but
were not first born and so they had no legal claim to the family fortune and land. Noble children had
few options when it came to earning their livelihood. They could serve their older brother on the
family holdings, they could enter into the church and become a priest or monk or they could take up
the sword and try to win favor for themselves through their gallant deeds. A knight’s deed, if found
worthy, could earn him enough favor with his lord to earn holdings of his own. The appeal of
possibly owning one’s own land had a major appeal to young men of the time and taking up the
sword to fight was very common.
Stay tuned next time and we will delve further into the change from warrior code to romantic ideals
south dakota supplement
19
SD
Sir Knights:
The Grand Commander traditionally concludes his year with a report on his activities. I now present
to you now my own meandering thoughts concerning some of my experiences and the state of the
Grand Commandery K.T. of South Dakota.
The concept of Chivalry today is much different than during the medieval period where it originated
from. The original intent of Chivalry was a code of conduct among Heavy Cavalry in northern France
under the rule of Charlemagne. It was a warrior code and is derived from the French word for
cavalry, chevalerie. Over time this system or code was adopted in other parts of Europe and refined.
The meaning of the term evolved over time, from the original concrete military meaning of, "status
or fee associated with military follower owning a war horse" or "a group of mounted knights" to the
ideal of the Christian warrior ethos propagated in the Romance genre which was becoming popular
during the 12th century, and the ideal of courtly love propagated by the wealthy merchant class
that began to emerge after the crusades. The "code of chivalry" is thus a product of the Late Middle
Ages, evolving after the end of the crusades partly from an idealization of the historical knights
fighting in the Holy Land, partly from ideals of courtly love.