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A Knight and Love

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Sir Nate:
Very much of chivalry includes being very kind to women. In many story's and romanticized paintings knights are usually involved with a damsel of some sort.
If a knight does not have a lady or does not even know love. Will he truly be able to be a knight? In his community or just upholding the knightly code? It just seems to be something that is hand In hand.
It's a sketchy question.

Sir Patrick:
Yes he is still a knight. Courtesy is a knightly virtue, being in love is not.  Much of what is described in art and poetry is courtly love, which is not a pure, knightly virtue by any means as it typically involves an adulterous relationship where one or both parties are married to another. For example, Guinevere and Lancelot had a courtly love. Here's a link to more info:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtly_love

Sir Edward:

Let's also not forget all of the celibate orders of knights, such as the Templars. ;)

Sir Douglas:
Phew! I'm in the clear then. Maybe I should become a Templar. ;)

Courtly love is certainly an...odd concept, if I understand it correctly. In theory, wasn't it basically the idea that a knight would love and pine after a lady he knew he could never have, usually because she/he/both were already married? It was considered a purer form of love or something like that.

In practice, however, I'm sure it wasn't quite that "innocent". All of those illegitimate children have to come from somewhere....

Sir Brian:

--- Quote from: DouglasTheYounger on 2014-02-20, 16:59:04 ---In practice, however, I'm sure it wasn't quite that "innocent". All of those illegitimate children have to come from somewhere....
--- End quote ---


--- Quote from: DouglasTheYounger on 2014-02-20, 16:59:04 ---In practice, however, I'm sure it wasn't quite that "innocent". All of those illegitimate children have to come from somewhere....
--- End quote ---

Well certainly, then again the flower of chivalry in those days idolized the Arthurian legends where a mere lad is given ‘supreme executive power because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at him’  ;)

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