History Main / Knighting

[[caption-width-right:350:"But if I turn my sword this way, it's an execution. Keep that in mind."]]

Every story in an European setting is going to need a KnightInShiningArmour to rescue the DamselInDistress and generally do heroic things. Unfortunately, knights don't come easy; this is the trope for how they're created.

Originally the word knight was a job description with no connotation of high birth or status: it merely meant a warrior who was well-trained and wealthy enough to fight on horseback, and owed his service or employment to someone powerful. The English word knight is derived from Anglo-Saxon for "servant", while most other European languages use a word meaning "horseman". As trade and cities began to flourish again in the High Middle Ages--and merchants thus began to acquire more wealth and influence--the landed nobility and gentry began to appropriate knighthood by turning it into a more exclusive order and developing a ceremony to set knights apart from the class of men who worked.

At first all that was needed was the dubbing, but it quickly grew more elaborate. Expect a formal ceremony in a StandardRoyalCourt with masses of witnesses. In RealLife, these were highly religious events that involved the new knight having a night vigil (sleepless time with praying) in the chapel, ritualized bathing for cleansing, wearing certain colours (white for one) and a final blessing from TheChurch near the end. You'll see little of this because [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail we don't have time for that]].

The actual event could go on for days, so again this is often shortened for time. But keep in mind that the shortened version was also true, since in the middle ages, nobles and rulers occasionally had to [[FieldPromotion promote commoners and squires in mid-battle]] to replace fallen knights. Countries where the tradition is still kept up in modern times have also generally streamlined the ceremony somewhat.

The final act in the dubbing usually involves the new knight swearing his loyalty to TheGoodKingdom. Oftentimes, when someone is knighted, the superior [[SmackOnTheBack giving the knighting punches him or strikes some other kind of blow]], the last such blow that the new knight is expected to take without some form of retribution. A variant of this may happen during the dubbing, when the person is hit with the flat of the sword ''almost'' hard enough to be winded or knocked over. Again, you're not likely to see this in a given show. The ceremony is often followed by TheTourney to celebrate the occasion and give the newly created knight a chance to demonstrate his prowess.

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Originally the word knight was a job description with no connotation of high birth or status: it merely meant a warrior who had the wealth and skill to fight from horseback, and owed his service or employment to someone powerful. The English word knight is derived from Anglo-Saxon for "servant", while most other European languages use a word meaning "horseman". As trade and cities began to flourish again in the High Middle Ages--and merchants thus began to acquire more wealth and influence--the landed nobility and gentry began to appropriate knighthood by turning it into a more exclusive order and developing a ceremony to set knights apart from the class of men who worked.

** In ''FanFic/TheFlashSentryChronicles'' [[spoiler:After defeating Longhorn, saving Fluttershy, and learning to let go of his anger instead of letting it control him and seek revenge, Iron Core is knighted by the four alicorns as the newest Royal Knight, and is dubbed by his mentor Skybreaker as the Metal Guardian.]]

* Creator/StephenColbert was knighted by the Queen of Jordan ... with [[LordOfTheRings Andúril]]. (Note that knighthood as such is unknown in the traditions of the Arab monarchies; note also that Queen Noor is a half-Swedish, half-Syrian American, and [[RuleOfCool the whole thing is so cool nobody should give a damn]].)

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** The night before the Battle for Winterfell, [[spoilers: Jaime]] noting that "any knight can make another knight" decides to [[spoiler:knight Brienne, finally fulfilling her dream]]
-->'''Jaime:''' In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave. In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just. In the name of the Mother, I charge you to defend the innocent. Arise, Brienne of Tarth. A knight of the seven kingdoms.

* ''Series/GameOfThones'':

Originally the word knight was a job description with no connotation of high birth or status: it merely meant a warrior who had the wealth and skill to fight from horseback, and owed his service or employment to someone powerful. The English word knight is derived from Anglo-Saxon for "servant", while most other European languages use a word meaning "horseman". As trade and cities began to flourish again in the High Middle Ages--and merchants thus began to acquire more wealth and influence--the landed nobility and gentry began to appropriate knighthood by turning it into a more exclusive order and developing a ceremony to mark out the knights from the class of men who worked.

Originally the word knight was a job description with no connotation of high birth or status: it merely meant a warrior who had the wealth and skill to fight from horseback, and owed his service or employment to someone powerful. The English word knight is derived from Anglo-Saxon for "servant", while most other European languages use a word meaning "horseman". As trade and cities began to flourish again in the High Middle Ages--and merchants thus began to acquire more wealth and influence--the landed nobility and gentry began to appropriate knighthood by turning it into a more exclusive order and developed a ceremony to mark out the knights from the class of men who worked.

Originally the word knight was a job description with no connotation of high birth or status: it merely meant a warrior who had the wealth and skill to fight from horseback, and owed his service or employment to someone powerful. The English word knight is derived from Anglo-Saxon for "servant", while most other European languages use a word meaning "horseman". As trade and cities began to flourish again, and merchants thus began to acquire more wealth and influence, knighthood was turned into a more exclusive order and a ceremony was developed to mark out the knights from the class of men who worked.

The final act in the dubbing usually involves the new knight swearing his loyalty to TheGoodKingdom. Oftentimes, when someone is knighted, the superior [[SmackOnTheBack giving the knighting punches him or strikes some other kind of blow]], the last such blow that the new knight is expected to take without some form of retribution. A variant of this may happen during the dubbing, when the person is hit with the flat of the sword ''almost'' hard enough to be winded or knocked over. Again, you're not likely to see this in a given show. The ceremony is often followed by TheTourney to celebrate.

Originally, a knight was merely a warrior. As the constant warfare of TheLowMiddleAges declined, and merchants began to acquire wealth and influence, a ceremony was developed to mark out the knights from the class of men who worked.

All that was needed was the dubbing, but it elaborated quickly. Expect a formal ceremony in a StandardRoyalCourt with masses of witnesses. In RealLife, these were highly religious events that involved the new knight having a night vigil (sleepless time with praying) in the chapel, ritualized bathing for cleansing, wearing certain colours (white for one) and a final blessing from TheChurch near the end. You'll see little of this because [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail we don't have time for that]].

The final act in the dubbing usually involves the new knight swearing his loyalty to TheGoodKingdom. Oftentimes, when someone is knighted, the superior [[SmackOnTheBack giving the knighting punches him or strikes some other kind of blow]], the last such blow that the new knight is expected to take without some form of retribution. A variant of this may happen during the dubbing, when the person is hit with the flat of the sword ''almost'' hard enough to be winded or knocked over. Again, you're not likely to see this in a given show. The ceremony is often followed by TheTourney.

* In ''Series/{{Merlin}}'', Uther is seen knighting some men. [[spoiler: Then Creator/EmiliaFox shows up]]. The knighting of Lancelot is interesting, to say the least. Lancelot arrives to Camelot to try out for knighthood. He sees Arthur personally sparring with prospective knights, but each is holding back for fear of hurting the prince, much to Arthur's annoyance. Unlike them, Lancelot doesn't hold back and eventually knocks Arthur to the ground. Angry, Arthur gets up, walks towards him, tells Lancelot to get on his knees, grabs a sword in a menacing way... and knights him. Later, Lancelot renounces his knighthood by admitting that he's not of noble blood (a prerequisite).

* In ''Fanfic/HarmonyTheory'' Rainbow Dash gets knighted after helping defeat [[spoiler: Nightmare Umbra.]] However this is done not as a reward, but as a political tactic to draw attention away from [[spoiler: Star Fall's]] engagement to the prince. In this universe, knighthood is another form of nobility, and giving the knight an estate to manage is included in the ceremony.
* In ''Fanfic/ChrysalisVisitsTheHague'', this happens twice - first when Chrysalis makes her lawyer Estermann formally pledge loyalty to her in her jail cell, and later when [[spoiler:Princess Luna takes the ICMP investigator Edith Saric (almost literally) under her wing as she is being booted out of the UN mission]]. The parallels are very apparent, particularly when the to-be-knight is told to kneel and hesitates.

* While the martial aspects of the tradition have been de-emphasised significantly in this day and age, knighthood is still SeriousBusiness in countries where it's still practiced. In Britain, being knighted is comparable to a US citizen being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

* While the martial aspects of the tradition have been de-emphasised significantly in this day and age, knighthood is still SeriousBusiness in countries where it's still practiced. In Britsin, being knighted is comparable to a US citizen being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The actual event could go on for days, so again this is often shortened for time. But keep in mind that the shortened version was also true, since in the middle ages, nobles and rulers occasionally had to [[FieldPromotion promote commoners and squires in mid-battle]] to replace fallen knights.

* In the FanRemake of ''VideoGame/KingsQuestII'', you (as Graham) can choose to do this [[spoiler: to the protagonist of VideoGame/KingsQuestVIIIMaskOfEternity]].

The final act in the dubbing usually involves the new knight swearing his loyalty to TheKingdom. Oftentimes, when someone is knighted, the superior [[SmackOnTheBack giving the knighting punches him or strikes some other kind of blow]], the last such blow that the new knight is expected to take without some form of retribution. A variant of this may happen during the dubbing, when the person is hit with the flat of the sword ''almost'' hard enough to be winded or knocked over. Again, you're not likely to see this in a given show. The ceremony is often followed by TheTourney.

* In the third season of ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'', [[spoiler:Saito, having proven ''many'' times how valuable an asset to [[TheKingdom Tristain]] he is, is presented with a title of knighthood by Henrietta, formally making him a noble.]]

* In ''Literature/DonQuixote'', this is parodied; the title character insists that [[ThePresentsWereNeverFromSanta an innkeeper (who he thinks is a castellan)]] knight him after he has watched his armor in the castle chapel -- that is, in the stable of the inn. (See also under ''Theatre''.) This shows that Literature/DonQuixote may be mad, but [[GenreSavvy he knows exactly how the ceremony must go]].