What Did Medieval Knights Actually Do?
Medieval knights, those armed and armored men (or in some rare cases, women) on horseback, thrived throughout Europe in the days before kings depended on standing armies to enforce their sovereignty. Renowned for their martial prowess and romanticized for their adherence to the moral code of chivalry, these warriors have been celebrated in fiction and the public imagination since the days when they were still an active fighting force.
And yet, like the modern-day movie star or professional athlete, these extolled individuals lived a life that was less glamorous than perception would have us believe. While there were indeed times when a knight would graciously woo a fair maiden or toast to a resounding battlefield victory with fellow soldiers, their hours were often occupied by more mundane activities. Here’s a taste of what everyday life was like for knights in the Middle Ages.
Military Service
As part of the medieval feudal system, knights often received a plot of land (known as a fief) from a king or another powerful noble in exchange for a period of military service, typically lasting 40 days out of a year. Such service might have required the knight to ride into a pitched battle, where they would attack enemies with a broadsword, lance, or mace. A knight might also have taken part in the siege of a castle or fortified town, or in a raid intended to destroy enemy villages and crops.
Despite the glory that could be attained from battlefield exploits, some knights ducked this service by paying a fee known as scutage. This arrangement worked out well for both sides; a busy knight could avoid having to leave behind their family and affairs, while their lord could use the money to hire mercenaries who were more enthusiastic about fighting.
Administrative and Legal Tasks
Along with armed protection, a knight was often required to provide civil and administrative duties to their lord. As explained in A Chronicle History of Knights, this may have entailed supplying political or military advice, witnessing the signing of documents, or serving as an ambassador.
A knight might also have served as a judge in a lord’s court or handled judicial responsibilities themselves by mediating disputes between the serfs under their watch and meting out punishment.
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Battle
Like modern professional athletes, knights had to keep in fighting shape to prepare for the call to battle. As such, they regularly partook in drills to sharpen skills involving weaponry and horsemanship. Training equipment included the pell, a sturdy wooden post that withstood sword strikes, and the quintain, a rotating horizontal arm that served as a target for a thrusted lance. Additionally, activities such as wrestling and grappling helped knights keep their muscles strong and prepare for up-close personal combat.
Tournaments
Another means for demonstrating battle-ready skills came via participation in a tournament. These popular exhibitions typically featured knights competing in two main events. In the joust, two knights rode toward each other on horseback, each seeking to knock their opponent to the ground with a lance. In the melee, participants split into two teams and attacked each other in a massive brawl, with blunted weapons and designated neutral zones being the only real differences between these mock skirmishes and the real ones.
A strong performance could result in a financial windfall for a knight, in the form of the armor, horse, and a ransom from the opponent "captured" in a melee. A low-ranking knight could also impress one of the powerful nobles in attendance and wind up with a more prominent station in life. Conversely, an unsuccessful knight could lose a lot of money or sustain a serious injury in these exhibitions.
Land Management
According to Life of a Medieval Knight, a large chunk of the fief-holding knight's time was devoted to land management. While actual field work was the jurisdiction of the peasant laborers, the knight ensured that crops were planted and harvested on time, that livestock were properly attended to before slaughter, and that income-generating facilities such as mills and bakeries were operating smoothly.
Such oversight was crucial, as a knight depended on a high level of production from their holdings to meet the expenses of their position. By the 15th century, a set of armor cost a quarter of a knight's annual income, while a reliable warhorse could eat up an entire year's worth.
Church
Religion played a prominent role in the life of the knight. Many of these warrior members of the nobility had younger siblings who pursued careers as men and women of faith, and Christianity took an increasingly prominent role in official knight dubbing ceremonies in Europe as the Middle Ages progressed.
In turn, a respectable knight displayed their piety by regularly attending church. Many supported the church by sponsoring feasts and celebrations to mark important Christian holidays such as Christmas or Easter, or by supplying land and funds for infrastructure improvements.
Some knights joined one of the religious military orders, which required followers to adhere to monastic vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Among the better-known orders were the Knights Templar, which formed in the 12th century with the mission of protecting Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem, and the Knights Hospitallers, which surfaced around the same time and was devoted to providing shelter and medical care for travelers.
Recreation
Of course, all work and no play makes a knight a dull boy, and many enjoyed the chance to have some fun when opportunity allowed. One popular form of recreation was hunting, which doubled as a social event with family members, other nobles, and servants joining the efforts to track down wild boar and deer. The hunt also enabled the knight to demonstrate lessons learned in falconry, a favorite pastime of medieval nobility. Carrying a falcon or hawk on a gloved wrist, the owner would send their prized bird in pursuit of smaller prey with the flick of their arm.
Even with the onset of darkness or cold weather, the knight had options. Those seeking to scratch a competitive itch could focus on games of chess or backgammon. Others could enjoy the pleasures of reading, perhaps a tale about a gallant knight of yore such as Lancelot or Gawain, or take in the music and poetry provided by a traveling minstrel.
