Valiant Facts About Medieval Knights
“Most have been forgotten. Most deserve to be forgotten. The heroes will always be remembered. The best. The best and the worst. And a few who were a bit of both.” ―George R.R. Martin, A Feast for Crows
There have been hundreds of portrayals of medieval knights in popular culture, but how many get it right? Was my last visit to Medieval Times historically accurate? Were medieval knights as handsome as Heath Ledger in A Knight’s Tale? Should we all maybe learn about real medieval knights and stop going with idealized Hollywood portrayals? Probably. On that note, here are 44 valorous facts about medieval knights.
Medieval Knights Facts
44. Peasants Need Not Apply
Let’s start with the basics. You probably have a vision of an army of men all gathered together wearing armor and wielding swords and shields, all while maneuvering on a horse. Well, you’re right. But not just any man could apply to be a knight.
Only the wealthy were able to afford such an honor, as all of the above came at a hefty price tag.
43. You Gotta Look Good
Just like with anything, the evolution of a knight’s armor took a lot of time to get right.
Originally, it was just a lot of strategically placed padding and chain mail, but eventually evolved into something sturdier that would actually protect them in battle.
A knight who wore full armor would have an extra 50 pounds or so of weight on him, and would also be considered more important. And don’t forget, it all had to be custom-made for each knight.
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42. How Many Were There?
Depending on who you ask, there were eight or nine major crusades that took place over a 200-year period. It was devised by the Church to regain the Holy Land from the Muslims, with more, smaller ones interspersed.
The Church and the knights who fought in the battles ultimately failed, but Pope upon Pope still kept the fight going.
