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In Medieval Times, A Knight was a mounted man-at-arms of medieval Europe. He
served a king or other feudal superior, usually in return for the tenure of a
tract of land, but sometimes he served his lord for money. The knight was
generally a man of noble birth who had served in the lower ranks as page and
squire before being ceremoniously inducted into knighthood by his superior. At
his induction the knight usually swore to be brave, loyal, and courteous and to
protect the defenseless. After the 15th century, knighthood was conferred on
civilians as a reward for public services. A knight in armor would present a
very strange appearance on a modern battlefield. His prancing steed and metal
coat of mail, the heavy iron helmet that covered his head, the shield that he
carried on his left arm, his lance and shining sword—all of these belong to
bygone days and have little place among the swift airplanes, the rapid-shooting
automatic weapons, and the scorching flame-throwers of modern warfare.
Knighthood flourished before the time of guns and gunpowder when battles still
were won by hand-to-hand conflicts of heavy-armored knights. Even in peacetime
knights looked for conflicts in which to engage. Fighting was almost an everyday
occurrence, and the common people generally could not protect themselves against
an invading foe. In times of danger they fled to the castles or strongholds
owned by the nobles.
To obtain protection the poorer folk became the serfs or
villains of their powerful neighbors, and those in turn were the vassals of
those still more powerful. The institution of knighthood was part of this feudal
system. In modern-day Britain, knighthood is an honor conferred by the monarch
on both men and women in recognition of outstanding personal merit. The knight
is usually created through appointment to an order of knighthood. The title sir
or dame is prefixed to his or her first name, and initials standing for the
order of knighthood follow the name. For example, John Smith, on receiving the
title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Garter, is afterward known as Sir
John Smith, K.G. Knighthood is also occasionally conferred without membership in
a particular order. A knight so created is known as a Knight Bachelor, and the
name is followed by the abbreviation Kt., standing for knight. -modern day
British soldiers Modern Day Knights known as soldiers is a military force of the
British with the chief responsibility for land combat. The British Army includes
the active-duty army, the British Army Reserve, and civilian employees, all
under the direction of the Department of the Army. The Army
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