[Tir-Medoin] Food for thought...

[Tressa]

Greetings all,

I thought I'd share this with everyone. This post on
another kingdom's mailing list struck a chord. Food
for thought and all that...

Tressa

Dear One,

I decided to do a little investigating, and found this
lovely description of
what the Chivalric Virtues would be in our modern
life. The following is by
a Gentleman named Scott Farrell; he seems to have a
feeling for it, at least
in our Modern day/SCA life.

------------- start of quote -------------------

The Seven Knightly Virtues:

Essential elements of today’s code of chivalry
 
There was no such thing as a “uniform” code of
chivalry in the Middle Ages.
Many people — from successful knights to contemplative
philosophers —
compiled lists of virtuous qualities, called the
“knightly virtues,” which
they felt defined chivalry. No two were exactly the
same.

There were, however, several common themes found in
these lists of knightly
virtues. By combining these, we have created what we
consider to be the
seven knightly virtues of the modern code of chivalry:

• Courage
More than bravado or bluster, today’s knight in
shining armor must have the
courage of the heart necessary to undertake tasks
which are difficult,
tedious or unglamorous, and to graciously accept the
sacrifices involved.
  
• Justice
A knight in shining armor holds him- or herself to the
highest standard of
behavior, and knows that “fudging” on the little rules
weakens the fabric of
society for everyone.
  
• Mercy
Words and attitudes can be painful weapons in the
modern world, which is why
a knight in shining armor exercises mercy in his or
her dealings with
others, creating a sense of peace and community,
rather than engendering
hostility and antagonism.
  
• Generosity
Sharing what’s valuable in life means not just giving
away material goods,
but also time, attention, wisdom and energy — the
things that create a
strong, rich and diverse community.
  
• Faith
In the code of chivalry, “faith” means trust and
integrity, and a knight in
shining armor is always faithful to his or her
promises, no matter how big
or small they may be.
  
• Nobility
Although this word is sometimes confused with
“entitlement” or
“snobbishness,” in the code of chivalry it conveys the
importance of
upholding one’s convictions at all times, especially
when no one else is
watching.
  
• Hope
More than just a safety net in times of tragedy, hope
is present every day
in a modern knight’s positive outlook and cheerful
demeanor — the shining
armor that shields him or her, and inspires people all
around.

Each of these concepts is important in itself, and
every one of these
virtues is an admirable quality, but when all of them
blend together in one
person, we discover the value, and power, of chivalry
today. Modern-day
knights should strive to keep these virtues alive in
their own hearts, but,
perhaps more importantly, they should work to bring
these wonderful
qualities out in the people they see every day — at
home, in the office, at
school or on the street corner. A person who lives by
the code of chivalry
in today’s world allows everyone to see their best
qualities reflected in
his or her shining armor.

---------------------End of Quote------------------

By these words you are correct; we should all try to
live by the code of
Chivalry.

Thank you for asking; in this case I am very happy to
be proved in error.

Respectfully,

Roger



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