In an era in which there was no justice but force, one’s strength in battle proved to be more important in deciding the resolution of a conflict than any judicial system. Especially for those knights who felt they needed to defend the common man, defending those who could not defend themselves was one appeal of the life of a knight (Meller 5). If a man was bold enough to fight to win himself military glory, he would much rather do so on his own terms rather than under the will of an overlord (Meller 3-4). This was the birth of the boom of knighthood during medieval times; a man who sought glory and valor wanted to show that he had achieved such victories on his own. Knights were freed from the feudal society by the Church to be able to fight in the name of the Lord (Meller 4). Knighthood was very religious. Many knights believed that they were fighting to enforce the will of God. It was said that they would be rewarded greatly in the afterlife for their services on earth (Meller 5). A new kind of knighthood emerged after the freedom from the Church was realized. Subscribers to this new school of thought held that the freedom of an individual was extremely valuable. This way of thinking was believed to be a more noble cause for which to fight, rather than the will of a few aristocrats. (Meller 4-5) This was much of the basis of their code of chivalry. They no longer thought of the lower and middle classes as one mass, but as a collection of individuals who may need help.
Meller, Walter Clifford. A Knight’s Life in the Days of Chivalry. London: T. Werner Laurie Limited, 1924.
Meller, Walter Clifford. A Knight’s Life in the Days of Chivalry. London: T. Werner Laurie Limited, 1924.