Being a medieval knight was a pretty cushy position. From the exciting swordplay and roundtable shenanigans to the promise of wealth, status, and, in many cases, romance, swinging that big ol' sword and shield around in defense of the royal court definitely had its benefits. Whether said knight achieved their status thanks to an act of valor — as was the case for numerous lower-class warriors — or they nabbed it courtesy of their family's wealth, tons of perks awaited the men (and sometimes women — sort of) in shining armor. These were the perks of being a medieval knight.
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00:00Ah, to be a medieval knight. Seems rather thrilling, with all the sword play, round
00:06table shenanigans, and castles. Knights received status, wealth, and other advantages from
00:12the job. The process of becoming a knight started as young as seven, with horse and
00:17weapon training. A youngster would work with a local knight, baron, or royal court member
00:22to learn the skills they needed on the battlefield. After years of study and serving various masters,
00:29knighthood was dubbed around the age of 18 to 21, if the individual made it that far.
00:35Most of the time, knight status could only be achieved by the wealthy, but occasionally
00:40a lower-class member performed a brave act and received a knighthood for their valor.
00:45While some females belonged to chivalric orders, they weren't technically knights. Although
00:50many proved potent during warfare, including Nicola de la Haye, born around 1150, who successfully
00:58defended her castle for 40 days. While the knighthood could offer danger —
01:02Jesus Christ! I warned you!
01:10— it also created opportunities. A knight favored by a king or lord for his military
01:15service might receive a fief, a section of the king's land gifted to the knight. Often,
01:21the deal came with peasants who worked the land for him. Basically, the knight paid no
01:26rent and had underlings who did all the farming and maintenance for free. As long as the knight
01:31held the noble's esteem, the land remained his. Plus, the knight's children could inherit
01:37his fiefdom, if the beneficiary also continued serving his king.
01:42Knights also aspired to marry well, hoping that their status provided access to an heiress.
01:47Such unions increased their wealth and landholdings. Most knights only achieved this, though, if
01:53favored by their lord. Then, arrangements for a wedding between the knight and one of
01:57the manor's daughters might occur, an event that cemented the knight's relationship with
02:02his benefactor.
02:03When not at war, peacetime knights only worked 40 days a year. Their duties lightened as
02:09well, and instead of charging on the battlefield, knights mostly protected those that employed
02:14them. In England, knights only served the king, but in other places, such as France,
02:19other noble factions could call them to duty. This made them powerful. Who is going to say
02:24no to a knight collecting taxes?
02:27Knights sometimes were called to war in the name of God. Like in the Eight Crusades, a
02:31series of Christian-Muslim religious wars fought to secure holy sites and extend landholdings.
02:38Ransacking the stricken areas provided bounty for the knights. Despite the knights' attempts
02:42to stay honorable and pious, they often failed to listen to religious leaders' dictates.
02:48Take that time during the Fourth Crusade when they pillaged Constantinople, instead
02:52of overthrowing the Muslim rulers of Jerusalem, as Pope Innocent III had commanded.
02:58As armies professionalized, the need for knights waned. New, powerful weapons like the crossbow
03:04and firearms easily killed knights on horseback, despite their rigorous years of training.
03:10The final years of the Middle Ages also saw the last time knights offered their powerful
03:15presence on the battlefield, as they became replaced with paid soldiers and mercenaries.
03:21Modern-day knighthood looks much different from the past. Usually, it is something bestowed
03:25upon a person by royalty for a service, although not necessarily a military one. The Queen
03:31of England, for example, has made musicians like Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Bono
03:37honorary knights for their cultural contribution to society.
03:41Students of the knighthood also appear in martial arts, with schools in North America
03:46and Europe teaching similar methodology and using medieval fighting techniques in their
03:51curricula. Such educational places will offer students knighthood after several courses
03:56of instruction and testing. You can often see these knights, garbed in armor, fighting
04:01at demonstrations or medieval and renaissance fairs.
04:05Some medieval knight orders remain, like the Knights Hospitallers and Teutonic Knights.
04:10Other than fighting battles, these knights have other missions. Knights Hospitaller became
04:15the Order of St. John and now conducts charitable missions around the globe. The Teutonic Knights
04:21have also gone humanitarian and are headquartered in Vienna. Guess the perks of knighthood these
04:26days are more about feeling good about the work you do than collecting riches.