Secular Knighthood

Knight/Dame

Also called cavaliers and chevaliers. A knight is an elite warrior focused on horsemanship, jousting, heavy armor, and chivalry. As gentlemen, knights have the right of hospitality, and the right of beheading (rather than the ignoble hanging alternative). Knights owe their lords 40 days of military service, counsel, and taxes from within their fiefs, knights have magisterial functions, including the rights of high and low justice; the right to collect judgements, fines, penalties, and taxes; and a variety of seigneurial perquisites and rights over the knight’s tenant peasants. It usually takes a lifetime of training to make a knight, and the most common path is to become a page from age five; a squire from age fourteen; and knight from age 21. Sometimes commoners are raised to knighthood after rendering epic service to another knight, but this more the exception to the rule. Knights are “created” when they are given the “accolade,” and if stripped of knighthood they are “dismantled.” The sword, knightly belt, and spurs are the tokens of the knightly class. Knights are armigarous in that they either create or inherit a crest.

Types of Knights

Bachelor Knight

A landless knight who fights under his lord’s banner.

Bannerette Knight

A knight who has own fief and rides under his own banner.

Carpet Knight

Non-combatant knight appointed for valued royal service, but looked askance at by other knights.

Esquire

A gentleman born to knightly estate and possessing a fief, but not knighted.

Gentleman

Landless people born to the knightly estate, but not knighted.

Hereditary Knight

A bannerette knight whose title has become hereditary. This is uncommon.

Imperial Knight

A knight who received imperial accolade, considered superior over other types of knights.

Knight Errant

Derisive term for a poor, country knight who lives by selling his services.

Knight of the Chamber

Knight given the accolade in peacetime

Knight Sodalist

A knight who belongs to a specific chivalric order, such as Defenders, Three Stars, etc.

Lady

Wife of a knight.

Militant Monk

A variety of knightly religious orders.

Millitissa

Alternate title for a woman raised to knighthood, aka Dame or Chevalresses. Dame is appointed by being presented with damehood, as opposed to a man who is knighted by dubbing with knighthood.

Robber Knight

A knight who has turned to banditry. Many knights consider this their right, and the “robber” status is more a slander than a specific type of knight.

Vavasseur

An unlanded, common man-at-arms who is armed and fights like a knight, but is not knighted.

Secular Knighthood Terminology

Confraternal Chivalric Orders—And order founded by a nobleman

Fraternal Chivalric Order—Military order founded for a specific purpose only

Honorific Chivalric Order—An honorific, non-military order bestowed on knights on a festive occassion

Monarchical Chivalric Order—Founded by a monarch who is the fount of honour, or source of honor

Votive Chivalric Order—Founded for a limited period of time only