Chivalry Chivalry , or the chivalric code , is the traditional code of conduct associated with the medieval institution of knight hood . Chivalry arose from an idealized German custom . It was originally conceived of as an aristocratic warrior code — the term derives from the French term " chevalerie " , meaning " horse soldiery " — involving , gallantry , and individual training and service to others . Over time its meaning has been refined to emphasise more ideals such as the knightly virtues of honour , courtly love , courtesy , and less martial aspects of the tradition . The Knight ' s Code of Chivalry was a moral system that stated all knights should protect others who can not protect themselves , such as widows , children , and elders . All knights needed to have the strength and skills to fight wars in the Middle Ages ; they not only had to be strong but they were also extremely disciplined and were expected to use their power to protect the weak and defenseless . Knights vowed to be loyal , generous , and " of noble bearing " . Knights were required to tell the truth at all times and always respect the honour of women . Knights not only vowed to protect the weak but also vowed to guard the honor of all fellow knights . They always had to obey those who were placed in authority and were never allowed to refuse a challenge from an equal . Knights lived by honor and for glory . Knights were to fear God and maintain His Church . Knights always kept their faith and never turned their back on a foe . Knights despised pecuniary reward . They persevered to the end in any enterprise begun . Historian Johan Huizinga remarks in his book " The Waning of the Middle Ages " , " the source of the chivalrous idea , is pride aspiring to beauty , and formalized pride gives rise to a conception of honour , which is the pole of noble life . " Terminology and definitions . The term " chivalry " in origin has the meaning " horsemanship " , formed in Old French in the 11th century from " chevalier " " horseman ; knight " , from Medieval Latin " caballārius " In English , the term appears from 1292 ( note that " cavalry " is from the Italian form of the same word ) The meaning of the term evolved over time , from the original concrete military meaning " status or fee associated with military follower owning a war horse " or " a group of mounted knights " to the ideal of the Christian warrior ethos propagated in the Romance genre which was becoming popular during the 12th century , and the ideal of courtly love propagated in the contemporary Minnesang and related genres . The " code of chivalry " is thus a product of the Late Middle Ages , evolving after the end of the crusades partly from an idealization of the historical knights fighting in the Holy Land , partly from ideals of courtly love . Léon Gautier in his " La Chevalerie " of 1883 bemoaned the " invasion of Breton " romans " " which replaced the pure military ethos of the crusades with Arthurian fiction and courtly adventures . Gautier tries to give a " popular summary " of what he proposes was the " ancient code of chivalry " of the 11th and 12th centuries , viz . the military ethos of the crusades which would evolve into the late medieval notion of chivalry . Gautier ' s " commandments " are : 1 . Believe the Church ' s teachings and observe all the Church ' s directions . 2 . Defend the Church . 3 . Respect and defend all weaknesses . 4 . Love your country . 6 . Show no mercy to the Infidel . Do not hesitate to make war with them . 7 . Perform all your feudal duties as long as they do not conflict with the laws of God . 8 . Never lie or go back on one ' s word . 9 . Be generous to everyone . 10 . Always and everywhere be right and good against evil and injustice . History . Origins in military ethos . Regardless of the diverse written definitions of chivalry , the medieval knightly class was adept at the art of war , trained in fighting in armor , with horses , lances , swords and shields . Knights were taught to excel in the arms , to show courage , to be gallant and loyal and to swear off cowardice and baseness . Related to chivalry was the practice of heraldry and its elaborate rules of displaying coats of arms . When not fighting , chivalric knights typically resided in a castle or fortified house , while some knights lived in the courts of kings , dukes and other great lords . The skills of the knight carried over to peacetime activities such as the hunt and tournament . Christianity had a modifying influence on the classical concept of heroism and virtue , nowadays identified with the virtues of chivalry . The Peace and Truce of God in the 10th century was one such example , with limits placed on knights to protect and honor the weaker members of society and also help the church maintain peace . At the same time the church became more tolerant of war in the defense of faith , espousing theories of the just war ; and liturgies were introduced which blessed a knight ' s sword , and a bath of chivalric purification . The first noted support for chivalric vocation , or the establishment of knightly class to ensure the sanctity and legitimacy of Christianity was written in 930 by Odo , abbot of Cluny in the Vita of St . Gerald of Aurillac , which argued that the sanctity of Christ and Christian doctrine can be demonstrated through the legitimate unsheathing of the “ sword against the enemy . ” In the 11th century the concept of a " knight of Christ " ( " miles Christi " ) gained currency in France , Spain and Italy . These concepts of " religious chivalry " were further elaborated in the era of the Crusades , with the Crusades themselves often being seen as a chivalrous enterprise . Their ideas of chivalry were also further influenced by Saladin , who was viewed as a chivalrous knight by medieval Christian writers . The military order s of the crusades which developed in this period came to be seen as the earliest flowering of chivalry , although it remains unclear to what extent the notable knights of this period , Saladin , Godfrey of Bouillon , William Marshal or Bertrand du Guesclin , actually did set new standards of knightly behaviour , or to what extent they merely behaved according to existing models of conduct which came in retrospect to be interpreted along the lines of the " chivalry " ideal of the Late Middle Ages . Medieval literature . From the 12th century onward chivalry came to be understood as a moral , religious and social code of knightly conduct . The particulars of the code varied , but codes would emphasize the virtues of courage , honor , and service . Chivalry also came to refer to an idealization of the life and manners of the knight at home in his castle and with his court . Medieval courtly literature glorifies the valor , tactics and ideals of ancient Romans . For example the ancient hand - book of warfare written by Vegetius called " De Re Militari " was translated into French in the 13th century as " L ' art de chevalerie " by Jean de Meun . Later writers also drew from Vegetius such as Honore Bonet who wrote the 14th century " L ' arbes des batailles " , which discussed the morals and laws of war . In the 15th century Christine de Pizan combined themes from Vegetius , Bonet and Frontinus in " Livre des faits d ' armes et de chevalerie " . In the later Middle Ages , wealthy merchants strove to adopt chivalric attitudes - the sons of the bourgeoisie were educated at aristocratic courts where they were trained in the manners of the knightly class . This was a democratization of chivalry , leading to a new genre called the courtesy book , which were guides to the behavior of " gentlemen " . Thus , the post - medieval gentlemanly code of the value of a man ' s honor , respect for women , and a concern for those less fortunate , is directly derived from earlier ideals of chivalry and historical forces which created it . The medieval development of chivalry , with the concept of the honor of a lady and the ensuing knightly devotion to it , not only derived from the thinking about the Virgin Mary , but also contributed to it . The medieval veneration of the Virgin Mary was contrasted by the fact that ordinary women , especially those outside aristocratic circles , were looked down upon . Although women were at times viewed as the source of evil , it was Mary who as mediator to God was a source of refuge for man . The development of medieval Mariology and the changing attitudes towards women paralleled each other and can best be understood in a common context . When examining medieval literature , chivalry can be classified into three basic but overlapping areas : These three areas obviously overlap quite frequently in chivalry , and are often indistinguishable . Different weight given to different areas produced different strands of chivalry : Late Middle Ages . Chivalry underwent a revival and elaboration of chivalric ceremonial and rules of etiquette in the fourteenth century that was examined by Johan Huizinga , in " The Waning of the Middle Ages " ( 1919 , 1924 ) , in which he dedicates a full chapter to " The idea of chivalry " . In contrasting the literary standards of chivalry with the actual warfare of the age , the historian finds the imitation of an ideal past illusory ; in an aristocratic culture such as Burgundy and France at the close of the Middle Ages , " to be representative of true culture means to produce by conduct , by customs , by manners , by costume , by deportment , the illusion of a heroic being , full of dignity and honour , of wisdom , and , at all events , of courtesy . . . . The dream of past perfection ennobles life and its forms , fills them with beauty and fashions them anew as forms of art " . Modern remnants . The ideal of behaving " chivalrous " survived into the early modern and modern period . The behavioural code of military officers down to the Napoleonic era and to some extent even to World War I was strongly modelled on the historical ideals , resulting in a pronounced duel ling culture , which in some parts of Europe also held sway over the civilian life of the upper classes . With the decline of the Ottoman Empire , however , the military threat from the " infidel " disappeared ; the Wars of Religion in Europe spanned much of the early modern period and consisted of infighting between factions of various Christian denominations , this process of confessionalization ultimately giving rise to a new military ethos based in nationalism rather than " defending the faith against the infidel " . From the Early Modern period , the term " gallantry " rather than " chivalry " became used for the proper behaviour of upper class males towards upper class females . This " gender " aspect of chivalrous behavior came under attack on the parts of the upper - class suffragettes campaigning for gender equality in the early 20th century . In the 19th century , there were attempts to " revive " chivalry for the purposes of the gentleman of that time . Kenelm Henry Digby write his " The Broad - Stone of Honour " for this purpose , offering the definition : ' Chivalry is only a name for that general spirit or state of mind which disposes men to heroic actions , and keeps them conversant with all that is beautiful and sublime in the intellectual and moral world . ' In the gender discourse of the late 20th century , chivalry became a technical term for men ' s ( and societies ) tendency to lend more attention to protection of women than men . For example , criminologist Richard Felson writes " An attack on a woman is a more serious transgression than an attack on a man because it violates a special norm protecting women from harm . This norm - - " chivalry " - - discourages would - be attackers and encourages third parties to protect women . " Gautier , Léon , " La Chevalerie " ( 1883 , 3rd ed . 1895 )