The Life of a Knight – Heroes in Iron

The life of a knight was once exciting but also challenging. A knight was a valiant warrior in the Middle Ages. He wore armor made of metal to protect himself in battle. His most important weapon was the sword with which he fought. A knight often lived in a fortress or castle. He trained there daily to become strong and skillful in battle. Knights often served in the king’s courts. They had to learn the courtly manners and customs to conduct themselves properly. 

From Boyhood to Knighthood
If a boy wanted to become a knight, he began as a page at the age of seven or eight. As a page, a boy would learn the basic skills of reading, writing, and riding. They assisted the knights with their duties and learned from them. With time, the boys would be trained in combat and weapon handling. At the age of 14, a page would be appointed as a squire. As squire, he served an experienced knight as their personal assistant. He accompanied the knight in battle, attended to the armor, and continued to learn in the training hall. The squire must serve his knight loyally and follow his instructions. As soon as the squire is prepared to survive in battle and has proved that he was brave, skilled and loyal, he could be knighted. This was often conducted in a festive ceremony. 

What’s More
The complete armor for a knight in the late 13th century to the early 14th century weighed about 30 to 35 kilograms. To us, that sounds very heavy, but knights were accustomed to wearing armor since their youth. This is comparable to today’s top athletes who achieve what is almost impossible for normal people. Well-trained knights were therefore able to move very easily in their armor. First the introduction of iron plate armor and then the breastplates considerably limited the knight’s movement.