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(#12) Knights Probably Slept In Shifts
Most knights didn't get a single, uninterrupted sleep session. In medieval times, most people slept in two shifts. They may sleep for about half the night, then wake up for an hour to pray, write, or have intercourse. Afterward, they could go back to sleep for the rest of the night.
Waking up in the middle of the night every evening might not sound relaxing, but studies show it likely wasn't detrimental to their health.
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(#4) Many Knights Cared A Great Deal About Fashion
Fashion in the Middle Ages wasn't like it is now. Laws placed restrictions on the kinds of clothes people could wear. Serfs, for example, could only spend so much money on clothes because noble people, like knights, wanted to ensure they dressed better than ordinary folk.
Knights had to be fashionable to distinguish themselves from the class below them, so they wore elaborate and fancy garbs. They also enjoyed emphasizing their crotch with large codpieces.
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(#8) They Showed Off In Tournaments
To practice and hone their skills without going into battle, as well as earn public kudos and prize money, knights participated in tournaments. Though knights did engage in jousting at these sporting spectacles, the first tournaments featured melees.
In a melee, groups of armed horsemen duked it out in mock battles. Jousting, in which two armed horsemen tried to topple each other off horses, overtook the melee in the 15th century. Tournaments turned into glorified equestrian displays called carousels.
These tournaments were open exclusively to noblemen, and it was a great honor to participate in them.
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(#6) Knights Were A Local Lord's Private Military
A knight's job entailed being part of their lord's private military. In some countries, like England, this position involved being the exclusive vassal of the king, making knights the national military. Other countries, like France, allowed local nobles to recruit knights, leading to more decentralized power in the region. Either way, knights did the bidding and fighting of whomever they had given their oath.
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(#1) Most Days Began With Mass
In medieval Europe, almost everyone was Catholic. Whether they truly believed in the religion was irrelevant. All people — and especially those in higher authority such as knights — had to adhere to daily religious duties. Knights started each day with a mid-morning mass at the local church. Presumably, this helped center them so they could start their day on the right foot.
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(#2) They Were Chivalrous, Sort Of
Most people have heard about how knights adhered to a code of chivalry. Many tend to imagine chivalry in a courtly sense, with knights being polite to women. The system was actually more often a way to keep belligerent knights in line.
One set of chivalry rules, for example, addressed seemingly straightforward situations, which included refraining from these activities: beating up priests; stealing livestock; robbing, killing, or kidnapping random people; burning down houses for no reason; and assaulting women.
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About This Tool
Knight originally refers to the cavalry who received formal military training in the Middle Ages in Europe, and later became a social class. The identity of the knight is often not inherited. In the Middle Ages, the knight served in the army of the lord and obtained a fief. Both kings and nobles need soldiers who have an overwhelming advantage in war. For this reason, they will cultivate some brave and strong knights.
The use of advanced weapons, the application of new tactics, and other factors have led to the gradual decline of traditional knights, but in many countries and regions, the title of knights still remains. The random tool brings us back to the Middle Ages to see the real-life of a knight.
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