One fundamental requirement for carrying this banner was a love and fear of God. This was a central aspect to knighthood that both motivated and justified a knight’s actions. His main role was to protect and serve Crown, Country and Church. However, he was a soldier, prepared to go to war should the time call. How could the Church justify the act of killing in its name?

Naturally, the Church acted in its best interests. It was not so much involved with this relatively secular institution until Church property was threatened. As soon as the Islamic world threatened Christian ground, and war threatened peace, the Church had a more active influence. J. Flori emphasises the importance of both the aristocracy and the Church in the promotion of knighthood in medieval society, encouraging the population to take up its values. However, despite its intrinsic significance in the ideology of chivalry, including the oaths and ceremony associated with it, the Church had minimal involvement with it. But knight was only as chivalrous as he was god-fearing. The Church and aristocracy shaped the mould for a knight, and it served their interests conveniently.

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Knighthood and Religion

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