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Armored or Not- what makes you a Knight?

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Sir William:
I was toying with the idea of getting rid of all of my current collection of armor and starting from scratch; then I segued into thinking about whether or not my armor makes me credible, or if by wearing it, I give credence to the armor?

Does armor make one a knight?  No, no...it doesn't- although it can make you feel knightly; it certainly did for me before I took the oath of knighthood myself...then getting inducted into the Order further solidified it for me, but what about all those who are termed cos-players?  I'm sure a good number of them feed into it and believe themselves to be...what's your take on it?

Let's discuss.

Sir Edward:
It certainly goes beyond the armor you wear, of course. Though as a practical suggestion-- I'd consider getting the new stuff first, and let go of the old stuff as you go, so you're never forced to be "naked". :)

Sir William:
Excellent point, Lord Commander...not much fun cruising the Faire in mundane attire.

Sir Sorbus:
I consider myself a knight, yet the only armour I have is my fencing kevlars. ^_^

The problem with a discussion like this is that the definition needs to be flexible. If you put down that knight needs these qualifications, people who deserve it may not classify, and those who do not deserve it may. When a set system like that is put into effect, over time the system becomes bureaucratic and heartless, which is not something we, as knights should stand for.

The way my Order selects knights, and the way we recommend to the movement we started, is that a candidate is a knight if considered knightly by all existing knights of any given order. If they can impress all in an order, then they fit the qualifications FOR that order, and if they should be approved for an order, they could be considered a knight. Whether or not they choose to join said order, or remain a lone knight is up to them, but from the point that they are approved for an order, they classify as a knight.

As for knightly living, it's merely a title. If you consider yourself to be living a knightly existence, then you can classify yourself as a knight. But a self-given title is worthless if you are the only one who acknowledges it. You have to live knightly, and have people think you are worthy of such a title before it is of any real value.

Sir James A:
Excellent topic. I'll spill my mind on it for a bit, and try to keep it relatively brief. :)

IMO, Armor doesn't make a Knight any more than a Knight makes the armor "knightly". Now, "first impression", someone in a full harness tends to be thought of as a knight or warrior at first glance by most people. Only by interacting with the person can you begin to find out if they act in a manner befitting a knight; whether they wear armor or not. A knave in armor is no knight, yet a knight without armor is still a knightly.

I find cos-players to be on a different spectrum than us, odd as that may sound. They're interpreting a specific person, typically fantasy, whereas, we are as ourselves, and basing our notions, actions and equipment on historical precedence. If we're talking anime and such, they're not going to actually be aliens, or shoot fireballs out of their hands, so it's completely a fantasy context. And it makes them happy, so, more power to 'em!

The biggest difference I feel between myself and people who do that, is when I take off the armor and go home, I still try to act knightly when I'm away from everything. I open doors for people, say please and thank you ... common courtesy, to most, but something lost to many.

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