Knighthood

Chivalry Today

While the presumptive military role that a Knight played historically may be gone, remnants of the social and individual requirements remain. As much as any honour it may bestow, Knighthood confers an obligation.

The man who rises after being touched by the blade of the sword cannot be the same man who kneeled. A Knight rises to embrace standards of honour enforced by the weight of history; not to be ignored in good conscience.

Conditions of admission and the role in society may have changed, but leading by example and adhering to a code of excellence remain unchanged.

Knighthood is as much the personal quest that it ever was:

• Valour
  To rise against injustice; to fight for noble ideals or for those who cannot . . .
• Loyalty
  Not to betray that to which - or those to whom - one has sworn . . .
• Charity
  Scorning profit; to freely give of one’s wealth, time or person . . .
• Courtesy
  Without distinction to class, race or religion; and especially to women

Honor, like duty, is an unfashionable word. Both merit a comeback in our modern world. Both are timeless reminders of what it is to have the heart of a Knight.