| There has been a long-standing debate
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| | rising power of the church with their own
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| about Medieval Knights. Were they
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| | agendas in mind, but the tenets of the
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| chivalrous and gallant caretakers of
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| | religion in as far as treating people
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| their peasants? Or were they vicious and
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| | better began to make a foothold into the
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| cruel thugs who ruled their people with
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| | continent.
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| an iron hand?
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| | The Launching of the Crusades
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| The answer to that question is both! But
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| | In 1095 the first crusades were launched.
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| I don't mean at the same time. Medieval
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| | This marked the end of the Dark Ages and
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| Knights changed over the course of
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| | the beginning of a new period of Medieval
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| centuries and this change was more than
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| | Europe. It began the process of bringing
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| just in their combat techniques, tactics,
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| | all of Europe together under one
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| weapons and armor. They also changed in
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| | leadership. This brought to an end the
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| their attitudes of how they handled their
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| | centuries long warring between small
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| people and how they approached forming
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| | lordships in Europe and this allowed the
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| and maintaining their lands and kingdoms.
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| | re-establishment of trade and the return
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| The Early Knights
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| | of peace to the continent. It also firmly
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| The period we consider to be the Dark
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| | established the culture and beliefs of
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| Ages, which started in the 5th century
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| | the Catholic Church into the social
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| with the fall of Rome, was a very dark
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| | structure of the land. These beliefs
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| time for all of Europe. And it was also a
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| | included many things including the
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| very dark time for the reputation of the
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| | concepts of killing as a bad thing and
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| Knight. Most of Europe was fragmented
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| | that a person of privilege should treat
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| into pieces. Trade and prosperity came to
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| | the poor with dignity. Following the
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| a halt, plague hit the continent, and
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| | religion of Christianity became the most
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| many invading armies came from both the
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| | important aspect of a Knight's life and
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| north and the south. To make matters
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| | it is in these later centuries of the
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| worse, all of Europe was fighting within
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| | Middle Ages when Knights began to change
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| itself. Small kingdoms were pitted
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| | and become more chivalric and good by
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| against each other in constant war that
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| | today's standards.
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| lasted for centuries. This overall
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| | We can never really know for certain
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| environment of difficulty, war, and
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| | exactly how things were a thousand years
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| poverty was the breeding ground for
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| | ago. Every Knight was surely different,
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| Knights that were cruel and unjust. It
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| | and to know whether a Knight was
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| was a symptom of the times that the only
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| | villainous or chivalric we would have to
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| code of the Knight was the code of force.
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| | look at each one individually. But we do
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| Force was the way that most of the
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| | know that the early centuries of the
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| continent acted. It was the predominant
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| | Middle Ages were a difficult and barbaric
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| way someone could gain and control power,
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| | time and Knights were probably likewise
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| land, wealth and people. Knights from
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| | barbaric. And we do know that over the
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| these early centuries were probably very
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| | centuries the continent of Europe was
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| barbaric and bad by today's standards.
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| | transformed into a peaceful place with a
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| The Rise of Christianity
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| | religion to live by. And Knights followed
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| In the 10th through 12th centuries the
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| | this religion. Over these centuries
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| behavior of Knights began to change. The
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| | chivalry and a code of conduct slowly
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| Catholic Church was rising in power and
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| | evolved and took root in the culture of
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| it was exerting its power and its tenets
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| | Europe, and the code of conduct of the
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| over people. In the early centuries many
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| | Knight.
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| Knights, kings and lords joined with the
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