To Knights Whose Armors have Tarnished

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A Code of Chivalry
Modern, based on the "Old Code"

Brian R. Price
April, 1997 Introduction

Prowess: To seek excellence in all endeavors expected of a knight, martial and otherwise, seeking strength to be used in the service of justice, rather than in personal aggrandizement.

Justice: Seek always the path of 'right', unencumbered by bias or personal interest. Recognize that the sword of justice can be a terrible thing, so it must be tempered by humanity and mercy. If the 'right' you see rings agrees with others, and you seek it out without bending to the temptation for expediency, then you will earn renown beyond measure.

Loyalty: Be known for unwavering commitment to the people and ideals you choose to live by. There are many places where compromise is expected; loyalty is not amongst them.

Defense: The ideal knight was sworn by oath to defend his liege lord and those who depended upon him. Seek always to defend your nation, your family, and those to whom you believe worthy of loyalty.

Courage: Being a knight often means choosing the more difficult path, the personally expensive one. Be prepared to make personal sacrifices in service of the precepts and people you value. At the same time, a knight should seek wisdom to see that stupidity and courage are cousins. Courage also means taking the side of truth in all matters, rather than seeking the expedient lie. Seek the truth whenever possible, but remember to temper justice with mercy, or the pure truth can bring grief.

Faith: A knight must have faith in his beliefs, for faith roots him and gives hope against the despair that human failings create.

Humility: Value first the contributions of others; do not boast of your own accomplishments, let others do this for you. Tell the deeds of others before your own, according them the renown rightfully earned through virtuous deeds. In this way the office of knighthood is well done and glorified, helping not only the gentle spoken of but also all who call themselves knights.

Largesse: Be generous in so far as your resources allow; largesse used in this way counters gluttony. It also makes the path of mercy easier to discern when a difficult decision of justice is required.

Nobility: Seek great stature of character by holding to the virtues and duties of a knight, realizing that though the ideals cannot be reached, the quality of striving towards them ennobles the spirit, growing the character from dust towards the heavens. Nobility also has the tendency to influence others, offering a compelling example of what can be done in the service of rightness.

Franchise: Seek to emulate everything I have spoken of as sincerely as possible, not for the reason of personal gain but because it is right. Do not restrict your exploration to a small world, but seek to infuse every aspect of your life with these qualities. Should you succeed in even a tiny measure then you will be well remembered for your quality and virtue.

How does it speak to you? Do you agree with it?

I do. For the longest time I have been afraid to declare that chivalry is not dead because of a misconception that chivalry was a means to show off, and a means to take advantage of women though seemingly virtous deeds.

Yet without a list of what the code actually was about, I could not defend my beliefs to be true. I do not portray myself to have achieved the virtous glory of knighthood but it is something to be strived for.

I do believe that there is room for the true gentleman, one who is benevolent yet not a pushover. Modern thought believes this to be impractical in today's dog eat dog world. Or others belive that when someone tries to be chivalrous a hidden agenda is suspect.

Neither of this is necessarily true, yet Machiavelli has tainted many to think that it is the norm. Fellow knights of the heart, (for we cannot all be dubbed by the Queen of England). What say you? Is there a place for our kind in today's time?

Are knights as crooked as Thomas Mallory set them up to be (exemplified by the adulterous Lancelot) or can it still be pure and redeemed? Is there room for the Noble Warrior to protect without seeking vainglory.