how to become a knight

How Did Squires Become Knights in the Medieval Era?

You could only become a knight by passing a rigorous three-stage training program

T hroughout history, knights have been viewed as courageous, honourable individuals and the epitome of what it meant to be a virtuous man. In medieval times, this idea was enshrined by the code of chivalry which was passed onto people training to be a knight.

But becoming a knight was very expensive. Candidates were usually the sons of nobles, barons and other knights. In the later part of the medieval period, however, ordinary people could also become knights. It was still expensive, so only wealthy merchant families and freedmen could afford to send their sons for training.

If you were lucky enough to be chosen for knighthood, then what did the process involve, and how difficult would your training be?

Young Boys Were Sent Away to Learn the Ropes

A knights training began early in life, and was it almost like receiving a formal education. Young boys from around the age of six or seven would be sent away from home to serve another family as pages. A young noble might be sent to the royal court to learn from the very best, whereas someone from a more modest aristocratic family might be sent to the local castle to train with the knights and men-at-arms stationed there.

The reason these boys were sent away was so that they would not be treated with leniency. Despite coming from wealthy backgrounds, all of them were tasked with menial work like cleaning out the stables, serving meals to the household and learning the basics of caring for horses. It was probably one of the few points in their lives where they lived as a peasant would.

However, they wouldn't be doing this alone, as other pages would be enrolled with them, learning together akin to a boarding school. Pages would be expected to practice sword fighting with mock weapons, learn to ride horses and be taught how to conduct themselves with others around them.

Of course, being young, they were not paid for this service. Since their training and education came at the lord's expense, this was considered more than enough. They were, however, provided food, shelter and clothing at the lord's house.

After a few years of this gruelling work, they could move onto stage two, becoming a squire.

They Received Military Training as Teenagers

From the age of thirteen, a young boy was allowed to become a squire. The name comes from the French ecuyer, meaning shield-bearer and the squire was essentially a knight in training. They were assigned to a knight who may have had several squires under him, and were expected to clean his weapons, polish armour and do other administrative duties.

It was almost like being an apprentice; however, that didn't mean the role remained dull and monotonous. Squires were expected to read and write, and depending on their proficiencies, learn poetry, how to hunt and what it meant to be a good Christian.

It was during this phase of learning that they were taught how to fight in battle. A squire's training involved using swords, lances and bows both on and off horseback. One particular test involved riding a horse at full gallop and knocking down a wooden post. Accuracy was especially important, and squires honed their skills to drive lances through weak points in armour.

When it came to actual warfare, squires were expected to follow their master into battle. They usually rode alongside other squires and managed the extra horses and baggage train. Although they wouldn't be combat-ready by this point, it was their job to ensure the safety of their knight. War would've been a scary situation for many of these teenagers, but it also meant they could obtain valuable experience of what a battle was really like.

If the knight was satisfied with the squire's performance by the time they reached twenty-one, they could finally graduate and become a fully-fledged knight.

Squires Became Knights in a Ceremony Called Dubbing

The preparation of knighting a group of squires was almost like a group of students about to get their papers following graduation. It was an elaborate ceremony that took place at chapels, castles and in some cases, at the royal palace.

On the day of the dubbing ceremony, the squires would be dressed in a white tunic and white belt to symbolise purity and a red cloak to symbolise the blood he was ready to spill for his sovereign.

They would kneel before the king or bishop and pay homage before being given their sword. Becoming a knight meant the privilege of carrying your own banner and having a horse. These were usually paid by the new knight's father, or if they were poor, by their sponsor.

But being a knight didn't end there. Their education may have continued, particularly if they were to manage land in the name of their lord. Young knights would be taught medieval economics and how to run a successful estate. When they weren't fighting, this would be their primary duty and, depending on the fief they were given, important to ensuring continued future wealth.

What Was it Like to Finally be a Knight?

To be a knight meant you were in an elevated position in society. You had rights and privileges that others didn't possess partly because you were viewed as a righteous person. For example, knights acted as justiciars and would pass out punishments to people for stealing a pig or committing a small crime. For anything more significant, they would defer it to the king's court.

Although knights could live lavishly, they were still expected to maintain peak physical fitness. One way of showing off your prowess was by competing in jousting tournaments, duels and other competitions. As well as glory, there was also the opportunity to gain wealth and perhaps even the eye of a beautiful lady. These tournaments were a good way for younger knights to showcase their abilities and prove themselves to the king and his own people.

There was, however, another reason for competing, and that was to offset the very high taxes that knights were expected to pay, both for service and if they didn't meet their quota for delivering enough men to a campaign.

The additional taxes imposed on knights actually discouraged some from pursuing knighthood at all! Wealthy individuals opted to become scholars, members of the clergy or government officials, all to avoid becoming a knight and needing to pay more tax. This became such a sticking point that Henry VII passed a law that gave him powers to force anyone making more than £40 a year to become a knight.

However, the perks of becoming a knight didn't dissuade everybody. To be given the chance of serving king and country was good enough for many, and noble families continued sending their young boys as pages so that they could bring glory and prestige to their house.