What was Life Like for a Knight in the Middle Ages?

The knight was a man who lived between  the 12th and 17th centuries. They usually pledged to serve their king in military service. A Knight  would serve 40 days of each year in military combat for his king.  Of course a knight wouldn't do this for nothing. In return the knight would get a position in the King's court,his own estate,and loot from his battles. They spent most of their time honing their weapons skills.A typical day for a knight would include discussions on warfare strategy.

 A knight's day would begin with morning mass and prayers. They would also pray in the middle of the day and at the end of the day.Knights were expected to know the rules of chivalry.Most of the time a knight would accompany their king or lord in hunting. One major point was that a knight was to defend their king or lord.They were also expected to protect those of lesser rank than himself. A knight was also expected to be knowledgeable in  religion,writing,music and leadership.

The way a person became a knight was either proving himself on the battlefield or was being the son of a knight.For a boy of royalty there was a process for training to become a knight. At the age of 8 they would be sent to a lord's court to become a page.By being a page they would learn the rules of court,chivalry,writing,music and of course weapons. Once the boy became 13 he would become a squire. His training would be more focused on combat,weapons and horsemanship. The most important part of training was learning the tactics for horse mounted combat. Nowadays knighthood is just a title of honor with no power.

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