ANST - Knight's Oaths, Part 3

C. L. Ward gunnora at vikinganswerlady.org
Tue Mar 6 04:52:46 PST 2001


More responses to Duchess Willow's question from the SCA-Laurels List:

Master Wulfric of Creigull <madbaker at bigfoot.com> replied:

Tirant Lo Blanc has something similar (written by Joanot Martrorell, 1490).

"The oath the King made all gentlemen swear before being knighted:

"'Oh gentleman received into the knightly order, do you swear before God and
on the four Gospels never to contravene the most lofty and excellent King of
England except in the service of your natural lord, and then only after
returning the chain with his arms that he now places upon your neck? Only
thus may you oppose him without
incurring worthy knights' reproaches, for otherwise you will commit treason
and deserve ill repute, and should you be taken prisoner, you will risk
death at his hands.  Therefore, do you now swear to champion ladies, widows,
orphans, damsels in distress, and also married ones, should they request
your aid, cheerfully braving death if one or more of these should call on
you?'

"The oath having been sworn, two noble lords, the greatest in attendance,
brought Tirant before the king, who placed his sword upon his head and
cried: 'May God and Saint George make you a worthy knight!' and kissed him
on the lips."

There is also a wonderful description of how to expel a knight from his
order, if he has betrayed his vows for gain.

Source: Tirant Lo Blanc, trans. David Rosenthal.  Schocken Books, 1984.

Wulfric of Creigull
- --
  "It's disgusting to notice the increase in the quantity of coffee used by
my
subjects.  Everybody is using coffee.  If possible this must be prevented.
  "My people must drink beer."
       -- Frederick the Great, Coffee and Beer Manifesto  (Sept. 13, 1777)
 Jeremy Fletcher    madbaker at bigfoot.com  0-

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