The Crusades were considered by many to be a Chivalric endeavor. Many Knights of the
Crusades followed this guideline of Chivalry. The most notable would be the Knights
Templar.
It’s a New Year and many of us will attempt to set New Year’s resolutions. When you’re
thinking of the goals you wish to achieve this year, why not think about setting some
goals for your local Commandery? If you’re not sure what goals you can set, I can offer
some:
This year I would like to encourage you to get involved in your Blue Lodges. For it is from
the Blue Lodges that we get our prospective members. Knights Templar cannot survive
without a strong Blue Lodge to support it. We are one of the elite of Freemasonry. We
should be the first to volunteer to help the Worshipful Master with any project he wants
to do. We should be the first to volunteer to learn a part in the ritual.
Through our volunteerism we make the Blue Lodge strong and show prospective
petitioners that we are the men they should strive to follow and emulate. We must set a
high standard for ourselves and then strive to help each other achieve it. By creating an
environment of excellence in our Yorkrite bodies, we set ourselves up to achieve great
things and grow our organization.
In October we talked about “Chivalry in the Modern Era” this is the second part of that
article:
As the Crusades started the original Chivalric Code was modified with the help of the
Church to provide a way for crusading Knights to justify what they were doing. It was
modified to the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Believe the Church’s teachings and observe all the Church’s directions.
Defend the Church.
Respect and defend all weaknesses.
Love your country.
Show no mercy to the Infidel. Do not hesitate to make war with them.
Perform all your feudal duties as long as they do not conflict with the laws of
God.
Never lie or go back on one’s word.
Be generous to everyone.
Always and everywhere be right and good against evil and injustice.
In the years after the Crusades ended, Chivalry took on a more romantic tone. Wealthy
merchants strove to create a system of standards by which men were supposed to
behave in a social setting. This lead to an adaptation of the Chivalric Code into a standard
for “gentlemanly” behavior. Many of the warfare based points were omitted or modified
to adapt to life at “court.” These points could be a broad description of many different
duties a “gentleman” would be required to adhere to, as with before it often depended
on the court in which the Knight was attending and could be confusing for a visiting
Knight from another county. The new romanticized code could be simplified into three
broad descriptions:
1. The duty you owe to your country and fellow Christians: this contains virtues
such as mercy, courage, valor, fairness, protection of the weak and the poor,
and in the servant-hood of the knight to his lord. This also brings with it the
idea of being willing to give one’s life for another’s; whether he would be giving
his life for a poor man or his lord.
2. The duty you owe to God: this would contain being faithful to God, protecting
the innocent, being faithful to the church, being the champion of good against
evil, being generous and obeying God above the feudal lord.
3. The duty you owe to women: this is probably the most familiar aspect of
chivalry. This would contain what is often called “courtly love,” which was the
idea that the knight is to serve a lady, and after her all other ladies. Most
especially in this category is a general gentleness and graciousness to all
women.
“Chivalry,” Wikipedia, 2014
As before the Chivalric Code varied depending on the situation, but it became less
centered on warfare and more on the behavior of a man in everyday life. This
Romanticized version of Chivalry is what we modern day men think of when talking
about Chivalry.
As time passed, Knights were no longer needed to defend his Lord or King. Large
standing armies took their place as a means of defense. However, military leaders still
needed a code of conduct for their soldiers. The Chivalric code was once again modified
to teach soldiers how to behave on the battlefield as well as in everyday life. Many of the
principles of Chivalry are taught today in military bases all over the world.
Stay tuned and we will look at what we, as Sir Knights, can do to adapt the Chivalric Code
into our everyday lives.
In February, there will be a one-day Yorkrite festival in Mobridge, SD. The tentative date
th
is set for Feb. 7 . If you are available to help, contact Jon Gonsor, Stan Schellenbach or
myself.
Chivalry, Léon Gautier, tr. Henry Frith 1891.
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January 2015
south dakota supplement
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