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Posted on 11/08/2006 6:45:45 PM PST by MS.BEHAVIN
The process of training for knighthood began before adolescence, inside the prospective knight’s own home, where he was taught courtesy and appropriate manners. Around the age of 7 years, he would be sent away to train and serve at a grander household as a page. Here, he would serve as a kind of waiter and personal servant, entertaining and serving food to his elders. A page was usually the son of a vassal, who sent him to his or another lord’s castle to become a page. For seven years a page was cared for by the women of the house, who instructed him in comportment, courtesy, cleanliness, and religion. He would learn basic hunting and falconry, and also various battle skills such as taking care of, preparing, and riding horses, as well as use of weapons and armor. A page became a squire when he turned 14 years of age, being assigned or picked by a knight to become his personal aide. This allowed the squire to observe his master while he was in battle, in order to learn from his techniques. He also acted as a personal servant to the knight, taking care of his master’s equipment and horse. This was to uphold the knight’s code that promoted generosity, courtesy, compassion, and most importantly, loyalty. The knight acted as a tutor and taught the squire all he needed to know to become a knight. As the squire grew older, he was expected to follow his master into battle, and attend to his master if the knight fell in battle. Some squires became knights for performing an outstanding deed on the battlefield, but most were knighted by their lord when their training was judged to be complete. "The Vigil" by John Pettie A squire could hope to become a knight when he was about 18 to 21 years old. Once the squire had established sufficient mastery of the required skills, he was dubbed a knight. In the early period, the procedure began with the squire praying into the night, known as vigil. He was then bathed, and in the morning he was dressed in a white shirt, gold tunic, purple cloak, and was knighted by his king or lord. As the Middle Ages progressed, the process changed. The squire was made to vow that he would obey the regulations of chivalry, and never flee from battle. A squire could also be knighted on the battlefield, in which a lord simply performed the accolade, i.e. struck him on the shoulder saying “Be thou a knight”. The night before his knighting ceremony, the squire would take a cleansing bath, fast, make confession, and pray to God all night in the chapel, readying himself for his life as a knight. Then he would go through the knighting ceremony the following day. Knights followed the code of chivalry, which promoted honor, honesty, respect to God, and other knightly virtues. Knights served their lords and were paid in land, because money was scarce. In various traditions, knighthood was reserved for people with a minimum of noble quarters (as in many orders of chivalry), or knighthood became essentially a low degree of nobility, sometimes even conferred as a hereditary title below the peerage. Meanwhile kings strove, as an expression of absolutism, to monopolize the right to confer knighthood, even as an individual honor. Not only was this often successful, once established, this prerogative of the Head of State was even transferred to the successors of dynasties in republican regimes, such as the British Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. Knighthood as a purely formal title bestowed by the British monarch unrelated to military service was established in the 16th century. (However, military knights remained among the Knights of Malta until 1798.) The British title of baronet was established by James I of England in 1611 as an inheritable knighthood, ranking below Baron (the lowest Peerage title). Welcome to the Free Republic Canteen ~ honoring and entertaining our military and our allies and their families 24/7 every day of the year! A gentle reminder from Ms.B ~ please keep it family friendly and fun in the Canteen. We're here for our heroes and we want them to have a good time and not worry about all the political stuff going on. Pull up a chair, kick your feet up and relax!
Hi there sweetie!
I'm doin' some better. The pain in my leg is much less than it was. I'm not takin' any pain pills either.
I pray all is well with you dear.
God bless you Luv!
We're OK! Hearing lots of distant thumps, though. It's Nancy Pelosi's fault. ;-)
How are you??
{{Hug}}
We're awaiting word from Microsoft on critical updates for next week. I'll be posting info when it arrives.
free dixie,sw
Sir Tongue-Tied the Valiant of Camp Victory.
Such nobility conferred upon you earns you a visit to the IZ.
ducking and running....
THE REVOLUTION against the hate-filled,SELF-serving, arrogant, LEFTIST, sanctimonious, DIMocRATS starts NOW!
free dixie,sw
As long as it has the St. George Cross on it, as a symbol of the Crusades, I'm in.
I'm okay, thanks!
Gettin ready for work..
Bleah
Ms.B
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WOW
Just
WOW
LOL ...afternoon, Lady J
What a beautiful sound! bwahahahahaaaaa
Hi Luvy
we actually met up at Quiznos. Had one of their big salads.
Very, very nice.:)
One update for Microsoft XML Core Services
Five updates for Microsoft windows.
And
The November version of the Malicious Software Removal Tool.
Some of these updates will require a restart.
Watch for these updates for your computer on Tuesday.
SOLDIERS HOME AT LAST
CAMP DOUGLAS - In another place, at another time, you might have thought they were going to see fireworks in the Fourth of July — trekking through a parking lot toward an open field with their coolers, lawn chairs and American flags.
But when dusk fell on Volk Field Wednesday night, hundreds of hushed families waited only for the twinkle of an approaching NorthWest passenger plane carrying soldiers from the National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 128th Infantry returning from the Middle East.
In the 14 months the parents, spouses and children had waited for their soldiers' return, the 30 minutes that the plane was late were some of the longest.
"You're watching each soldier come by and you're waiting for yours," said Michael Dotson, who embraced his two sons, Michael Paul, 20, and Matthew, 23, for the first time in a year.
The Dotsons had gathered with other Baraboo families in front of the Volk Field hangar at 3:30 in the afternoon and waited. Mary Dotson packed brownies, Kentucky Fried Chicken and hot cocoa for her boys, "something warm" for their return to autumn in Wisconsin after a year in the deserts of Kuwait, she said.
"Our last words (to them) were don't kill each other," Mary said jokingly of the brothers, the middle of four children, who weren't always on the best of terms growing up. They slept near each other while overseas and a bond has developed between them, comforting the parents who offered two of their sons into service.
"We're a lot closer now. He's definitely one of my best friends," Michael Paul said after landing Wednesday night.
"The little stuff doesn't bother you anymore," Matthew said.
"They fought a lot as brothers before they left," said their father. "They have grown together as men while they were overseas."
In January the brothers will enroll at UW-Platteville, where Michael Paul will be a freshman and Matthew a junior. They plan to room together.
Two of Michael Paul Dotson's friends from the Baraboo High School Class of 2005 also returned home from Kuwait Wednesday, Kaleb Becraft, 19, and Casey Rindfleisch, 20. All three had enrolled in an Army National Guard program where they began basic training between their junior and senior years of high school.
Lynn Rindfleisch said her son had patriotism and brotherhood running through his veins — but she didn't expect him to be called to service so soon.
"Graduation night he was standing in his cap and gown when we got the phone call," she said. "He left us as a senior in high school. He's coming home, I'm sure, as a whole different person."
The soldiers didn't offer much detail about their tour in the Middle East, the parents said, except that they were providing security and patrolling the border between Kuwait and Iraq. In some ways, the less information, the better, Rindfleisch said.
After the joyous frenzy of the soldiers' arrival, Casey Rindfleisch chatted with his parents, then stood quietly with his arm around his girlfriend, Mallerie Gunderson.
"I don't think it's hit me yet," he said.
Rindfleisch will join his buddy Kaleb Becraft at UW-Madison this fall — a point of pride for his mother.
"It's pretty emotional but I think that we've handled it pretty well," Jauna Becraft said of her son's deployment. In preparation for Kaleb's homecoming, Becraft said, "I made brownies, grandma made cookies… We've had yellow ribbons on our front porch and trees since the day he left."
Richard Becraft said he knows his son is only 2-1/2 years into a six-year commitment with the National Guard. They are sure he'll be called back to duty "with the ways of the world," he said.
But Wednesday night was about coming home, embracing loved ones, setting sights again on green grass and trees, getting ready for deer hunting season and celebrating Christmas, Thanksgiving and Veterans Day back in Wisconsin.
"It's been a long year," Mike Dotson said.
Baraboo soldier Casey Rindfleisch, 20, returned Wednesday night from Kuwait after 14 months of deployment but said the arrival home hadn't really hit him yet. Here he quietly embraces girlfriend Mallerie Gunderson in the hanger at Volk Field.
Ooooh, I love those single-serving, very moist chocolate bundt cakes they have there. I usually have to have two of those.
Dang, Mozie
Where's the hanky alert?
(sniffle...sniffle)
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