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AnswerA noble boy who showed promise would start training at about 7 or 8 years old. When he turned 12-13 he would be a page for a knight and take care of the knights items and horse. If he stilled showed promise he would do this until 21 when he could become a full knight. Here is an interesting fact: It was against the law for knights to wear rings. AnswerEarly in the Middle Ages, a man could become a knight by acquiring, by whatever means, a horse, a weapon, and some armor, all suitable for heavy cavalry, and going into the military service of some lord or prince.

Later on, with the rise of feudalism, under Charlemagne, about the year 800 AD, the training became formalized. Usually, boy went into service for a knight as a page, then graduated to become a squire about the time of puberty, and finally went through rather intricate rituals involving fasting, praying, a vigil, and ceremonies, to become a knight at about 20 or 21. There was a lot of variation in this, and the time was sometimes severely shortened in times of war. This all became much more important when people learned to use stirrups (no, I am not kidding).

Later yet, the knighthood declined in importance, particularly in the Late Middle ages (1300 to 1453). The invention of gunpowder is said to be a cause, but a review of the battles of the Hundred Years' War shows that guns were not necessary; longbows were far cheaper to field and far more destructive than matchlocks ever could be. Nevertheless, for whatever reason, the time came when anything you did that pleased the king, even giving a particularly enthusiastic toast at a feast, could result in immediate knighthood.

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12y ago

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