Prev NEXT

How Knights Work

Knights Today

Queen Elizabeth knighted Elton John in 1998.
Mike Flokis/Getty Images

As we mentioned earlier, the military aspects of knighthood faded with the increased use of firearms and gunpowder. Armor couldn't protect knights from gunshots, and firearms didn't require the skills and training that armed combat with swords and lances did. Today, knighthood stands in two categories: It's an honor bestowed by royalty for a (not always military) service, and a rank within one of the European martial arts.

Honorary knights

Several orders of knights from medieval times still exist today as service orders (like the Knights Hospitallers and Teutonic Knights). But most of us know knighthood as an honor bestowed in the United Kingdom by the queen or members of the royal family in recognition for some great social contribution. For example, musicians Paul McCartney, Elton John and Bono have been knighted. A committee selects candidates for knighthood and presents them to the queen for knighting. Unlike knights of old, these honorary knights require no military service.

Advertisement

European martial arts

There are many schools in North America and Europe for the study of the martial arts of the medieval knights. Several "fight manuals" from medieval times still exist, and schools use them to develop training curricula. In many schools, an instructor can confer knighthood upon a student after a period of study and testing (much like students of the Asian martial arts earn black belts). Often, students from these schools and programs get together, dress in armor and compete in the knightly arts among themselves or for demonstrations at various Renaissance and medieval fairs.

To learn more about knights, look through the links below.

­

Related Articles
More Great Links
Sources
  • A History and Mythos of the Knights Templar. http://www.templarhistory.com/
  • Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts. http://www.aemma.org
  • Association of Renaissance Martial Arts. http://www.thearma.org/default.htm
  • Baker, A. "The Knight", John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003
  • Barnes, I. "The Historical Atlas of Knights & Castles", Chartwell Books, Inc., 2007
  • Channel 4, A Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval Britain. http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/guide12/index.html
  • Chicago Swordplay Guild. http://www.chicagoswordplayguild.com/c/
  • Crouch, D. "Tournament", Hambledon and Continuum, 2005
  • European Medieval Arts of Arms. http://www.emaaknights.com
  • Feudalism and Knights. http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/feudalism-and-knights.htm
  • Gies, F. "The Knight in History", Harper & Row Publishers, 1984
  • Gravett, C. "Eyewitness: Knight", DK Publishing, Inc., 2004
  • Higgins Armory Sword Guild. http://www.higginssword.org/index.html#menu
  • Hopkins, A. "A Chronicle History of Knights", Barnes & Noble Books, 2004
  • Jones, T., and A. Ereira. "Terry Jones' Medieval Lives", BBC Books, 2004
  • Knight Life. http://historymedren.about.com/library/blknighttoc.htm
  • Knighthood and Orders of Chivalry. http://www.heraldica.org/topics/orders/
  • Knights and Armor. http://www.knightsandarmor.com/
  • LaCroix, P., and W.C. Meller. "The Medieval Warrior", BCL Press, 2002
  • Learner.org - Middle Ages. http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/
  • Mid-Atlantic Society for Historic Swordsmanship. http://www.mashs.org/
  • Minnesota State University eMuseum, The Knight's Realm. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/knight.html
  • PBS. "Warrior Challenge - Knights." http://www.pbs.org/wnet/warriorchallenge/knights/index.html
  • Schola St. George. http://www.chronique.com/Library/Fighting/schola.htm
  • Society for Creative Anachronism. http://www.sca.org/
  • Stubbs, William, Feudalism: a General Overview. http://history-world.org/feudalism.htm
  • Tattershall School of Defence. http://www.tattershall.org/
  • The Middle Ages.net. http://www.themiddleages.net/
  • The Monarchy Today, Knighthoods. http://www.thedukeofyork.org/output/Page4877.asp
  • Von Liechtenstein, U. (translated by J.W. Thomas). "The Service of Ladies", Boydell Press, 2004
  • Women Knights in the Middle Ages. http://www.heraldica.org/topics/orders/wom-kn.htm