Chivalry, Is It Really Dead?
Getty medievalist Larisa Grollemond discusses the chivalric code of the Middle Ages
God Speed, 1900, Edmund Blair Leighton. Oil on canvas, 62.9 x 45.6 in.
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Is chivalry dead?
First, let's take a look at chivalry's origins. The code of conduct that we call chivalry today involved much more than just opening doors for ladies.
Initial E: An Equestrian Duel Between a Creditor and a Debtor, about 1290-1310, Spanish. Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink, 14 3/8 × 9 7/16 in. Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XIV 6 (83.MQ.165), fol. 169v
Chivalry first developed in Western Europe as a code of honor that emphasized bravery, loyalty, and generosity for Christian knights at war in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Tristan Departs with Iseult (detail), about 1320–1340, French. Tempera colors, gold paint, and silver and gold leaf on parchment, 15 1/2 × 11 3/4 in. Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XV 5 (83.MR.175), fol. 71v
The code was very much based in medieval literature, and illuminated manuscripts in particular helped establish chivalry as a system of values that permeated almost every aspect of aristocratic culture.
The Knight and the Lady by Durer, 1852–1864, Bisson Frères. Albumen silver print, 7 1/2 × 4 3/4 in. Getty Museum, 84.XM.507.2
It included the treatment of women, but it wasn't limited to relations with the fairer sex the way we might think of chivalry today.
Gillion Defeating King Fabur during the Siege of Cairo, 1464, Lieven van Lathem and David Aubert. Tempera colors, gold, and ink, 14 9/16 × 10 1/16 in. Getty Museum, Ms. 111 (2013.46), fol. 177
The chivalric code also had a darker side. For one, it helped to keep knights—essentially heavily-armed warriors prone to violence—in check.
Sword Fight between Tristan and Brunor, about 1320–1340, French. Tempera colors, gold paint, and silver and gold leaf, 15 1/2 × 11 3/4 in. Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XV 5 (83.MR.175), fol. 77v
And as for the treatment of women, at best chivalry cast them as desperately helpless and in need of constant protection. It also held them to a Biblical standard of virtuous and pious behavior.
Courtesy with a Knight; Idleness Opening the Door for the Lover, about 1405. Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink. 14 7/16 × 10 1/4 in. Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XV 7 (83.MR.177), fol. 9v
So, next time you see an act of chivalry in the movies, remember that it’s based more on the Fantasy of the Middle Ages than actual history.
Plus, it’s been about 1,000 years, maybe it’s time for a new standard?
Want more stories from the Middle Ages from Getty medievalist Larisa Grollemond? Head to our Instagram page.
The Fantasy of the Middle Ages
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