What makes a knight?
Web
Well, what makes a knight?
DrVoque
>Well, what makes a knight?
"nobility is defined by ones actions" (Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves)
Knights are made up of those willing to sacrifice everything in the name of
what they believe in (whether it be good or no). Whether they achieve any
goals or not means nothing, in this case it truly is the thought that counts.
Whether to finish the eternal quest or not is unimportant it is the ability to
strive for it. The endurance to live for a pledge to God, king, and country no
matter what the odds. To put it bluntly technically you could say is that all
knights are, are a bunch of guys with lots of ambition. :-)
This is all I can think of at present the brain storm has passed by.
Sincerely,
Squire Peter Mac Rannall
Web
>Knights are made up of those willing to sacrifice everything in the name of
>what they believe in (whether it be good or no). Whether they achieve any
>goals or not means nothing, in this case it truly is the thought that
>counts.
>Whether to finish the eternal quest or not is unimportant it is the ability
>to
>strive for it. The endurance to live for a pledge to God, king, and
>country no
>matter what the odds. To put it bluntly technically you could say is that
>all
>knights are, are a bunch of guys with lots of ambition. :-)
Aha, Dr Voque,
Knights have an eternal thought ? . . . an e t e r n a l thought, eh?
Interesting. Hence we may deduce that the stories of 'knights' of which we
occasionally hear in amongst the other myriad of stories we hear, are those
which can describe to us this 'eternal thought' of the knight. He he he !
Web
>"nobility is defined by ones actions" (Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves)
Nobility is serving the public good, since the word stems from the latin
'nobis' meaning 'us'.
>Sincerely,
>Squire Peter Mac Rannall
Sincerely,
Web.
Chil...@iquest.net
Hi
What makes a knight?
To me a Knight is someone who holds dearly ones heart the work of a knight.
In all things - the codes of chivalry, everyday life and through the personal,
spiritual and dedication to humanity and in all its facets.
Chilandra
ACK FAQ: http://members.iquest.net/~chilandra/ackfaq.html
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
Serenleono
"Web" <webster...@NOSPAMbtinternet.com> scripsit:
>Nobility is serving the public good, since the word stems from
>the latin 'nobis' meaning 'us'.
It's a noble sentiment, and I respect your intent, but I think the
etymology you suggest, while it looks logical, is almost certainly
incorrect. Nobility comes not from *nobis* (the ablative form of
*nos*, meaning we or us) but instead from the Latin word *nobilitas*
(renown, distinction, high rank, or loftiness of character), a
feminine noun from the adjective *nobilis*, which itself derives from
*(g)noscere* (to get to know, to learn the character of [someone], to
accept as valid) -- whence we get the English word 'know'.
Those ancient Romans descended from famous ancestors were called
*nobiles* and constituted the aristocracy of Rome.
Interestingly enough, a transitive verb form of *nobilitas*,
*nobilito* (*nobilitare*) actually could mean 'to make famous OR
NOTORIOUS'!
--
Seren
La Serenleono (the Serene Lion)
Serenleono
drv...@aol.com (DrVoque) scripsit:
>"nobility is defined by ones actions" (Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves)
Yes, indeed -- especially as the Latin word *nobilitas* meant quite
literally 'what makes one stand out'. In the same way that the Jews
are said to be 'God's elect', chosen to be a beacon to the world by
'standing out' as a nation following the commandments of God, a knight
is (to me) a beacon of chivalry. He stands out because of his deeds
and his treatment of others. His conduct must be above reproach, so
he may be an exemplar of fairness and bearer of the banner of truth.
And while a knight must be strong, his strength must never be used to
abuse the weak -- but instead to defend the weak against ill use and
willingly and tirelessly expended in the support of all just and noble
causes. His purpose should be (as Arthur said in the musical CAMELOT)
'Might for Right'.
In short, he must be a lighthouse in a dark world.
And these we need.
>Knights are made up of those willing to sacrifice everything in the name of
>what they believe in (whether it be good or no). Whether they achieve any
>goals or not means nothing, in this case it truly is the thought that counts.
>Whether to finish the eternal quest or not is unimportant it is the ability to
>strive for it. The endurance to live for a pledge to God, king, and country no
>matter what the odds.
This probably doesn't belong in this forum, but it came to mind
instantly while reading your article . . . In Japanese there is a
verb that embodies a lovely concept of giving and dedication --
*tashinamu*, meaning 'to privately devote oneself to a cause'. It
doesn't matter whether that cause catches on and gathers other
supporters, or even whether anyone else knows about it at all. In
fact, it isn't even important whether the goal is ever actually met;
it's the dedication that most matters. One can 'tashinamu' by
adopting a favourite park and cleaning it up on weekends or by making
biscuits and presenting them to co-workers each morning for breakfast.
I'm not suggesting that a true knight should pick up litter or bake
biscuits <chuckle>, but the concept of selfless devotion to duty and
indefatigable dedication to a personal quest is the same.
Dietmar
Greetings good gentles,
I'm new to this forum and have been lurking for a week or two. This
particular thread has caught my eye and I wanted to ask a question or two. In
what context are we speaking of knighthood? In a
medieval/renaissance/Victorian sense? In an Eastern/Western sense? In a
modern sense? In an ideal sense? The answer has to vary according to the
reference frame and I see a lot of idealistic Victorian values coming through
in the answers I've read so far.
Just curious,
Dietmar
"Victory or Defeat lies in God's hands;
over Honor, we ourselves ar Lord and Master."
Serenleono
Dietmar <graubart@REMOVE_TO_REPLYpacbell.net> scripsit:
>In what context are we speaking of knighthood? In a
>medieval/renaissance/Victorian sense? In an Eastern/Western sense? In a
>modern sense? In an ideal sense?
I'm a first-day newcomer to the group myself, but from a good peek at
the FAQ and after lurking for the recommended span, I gathered that
*all* the above perspectives were fair game, though perhaps you're
right that better labeling might be in order.
Speaking only for myself and about my above post, I was framing my
thoughts from a primarily idealistic point of view, though I'm
certainly interested in discussing the concepts of knighthood and
chivalry held by various cultures and how they developed at various
stages in history.
Dietmar
Greetings good gentles,
Chilandra wrote:
> In the Victorian times I image that knights were like landed gentry
> in many parts of the world. Though, not like peerages nor with vast
> estates. Very little difference between today and then as far as the
> military role of Knights take today.
To add a wrinkle...the Victorian era brought the biggest gulf in the image of
the ideal knight and the actual knight. That is to say that the Victorians
looked back at the romantic ages gone by with rose-tinted spectacles and
created art and poetry about idealistic knights. Thus widening the difference
between what we think of as an ideal knight and the living models (i.e.- the
actual living titled Lords).
Therefore there are even two different aspects to talk about with regards to
the Victorian era.
Fare thee well,
Dietmar
"Victory or Defeat lies in God's hands;
over Honor, we ourselves are Lord and Master."
Chil...@iquest.net
Hi
Welcome to the newsgroup!!!!!! To Dietmar
> I'm new to this forum and have been lurking for a week or two. This
> particular thread has caught my eye and I wanted to ask a question or two.
> In what context are we speaking of knighthood? In a
> medieval/renaissance/Victorian sense? In an Eastern/Western sense? In a
> modern sense? In an ideal sense? The answer has to vary according to the
> reference frame and I see a lot of idealistic Victorian values coming
> through in the answers I've read so far.
Having read your question(s?) very carefully. Let me say we should
address each one as a special question. However, starting with the Victorian
values first.
In the Victorian times I image that knights were like landed gentry in many
parts of the world. Though, not like peerages nor with vast estates.
Very little difference between today and then as far as the military role
of Knights take today.
More tomorrow!
Chilandra