chivalry

Chivalry is a historical code of conduct associated with medieval knighthood that combined martial ideals with moral and social expectations. The term comes from the Old French chevalerie, related to cheval (horse) and implying a knightly role within a feudal hierarchy. Chivalry was not a single universal law but a range of evolving norms that varied across regions and over time.

In medieval Europe, chivalry encompassed duties to one’s lord, protection of the weak, and loyalty to the Christian church. Knights were expected to display courage in battle, generosity to comrades, and humility before God. A prominent element was the conduct of courtly behavior, including the practice of courtly love, which idealized a knight’s devotion to a noblewoman and refined manners at tournaments and in daily life. Tournaments and knightly orders provided means to practice and publicly display chivalric ideals.

Chivalry was reinforced and transmitted through literature, religious rhetoric, and ceremonial codes. It also influenced social structures, including the responsibilities of nobles toward their dependents and communities, and it shaped concepts of honor, reputation, and forgiveness. While it offered a framework for dignified conduct, it often operated within patriarchal norms and reinforced gender hierarchies.

In modern usage, chivalry is frequently understood as a romanticized or moralized ideal of honor, civility, and protective behavior. It has been compared with other ethical traditions, such as the samurai code of bushido, and continues to influence discussions of ethics, sportsmanship, and polite behavior in contemporary culture.