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2002-02-06 - 11:07 p.m. Heidi and Aragonese Chivalry Today, I put my hair in two braids. Didn't want to finish drying and styling, so I made two cute little braids. I look all precious and about twelve years old. So I walk into Martin's office and he glances up, leans back and stares thoughtfully. You know, I was in Switzerland last week on vacation. They have a place called Heidi-land. I glare at him. Hey, I didn't go - took the sleeping in option - but everyone else racked up the Heidi stuff. Did this conversation have a point? Or a technical issue? I just thought, given the, um, hair, um, anyway, I just thought you'd like to know. Since Syr Colin and Syr Christian have both asked, I'll go back and answer the gorget question and prove once and for all I *do* read too much. Ramon Llull was a late 13th century knight and philosopher. Born in the 1230s in Majorica, he was educated at the court of James II of Aragon. He was an active tourneyer and courtier. Then, around 1263, a series of visions caused him to renounce his worldly life and turn to spiritual endeavors. He traveled widely, wrote about almost everything in many languages. (350 or so surviving works.) His treatises on Divinity spawned the school of thought referred to as Llullism. But that's an entirely different story. Anyway, I was reading his work called the Book of Knighthood and Chivalry which was probably written just after the beginning of his spiritual endeavors - so it may be grounded in his life as a knight - but it may be skewed by his spiritual revelations rather than a 'how the order of chivalry worked in 13th century Aragon.' Just have to consider that when you read it. And, it's been translated twice - from the original Catalan to Middle English and then into modern English. And it's full of the circular logic - you know, those double negative logic proofs like Thomas Aquinas uses (they always crack me up) that make for long sentences with hard to untangle meanings. Now that we're done with the disclaimer, and with thanks to the most recent translator/author, Brian Price, I'll try to summarize the sixth chapter (*much* excerpting - which tells of the significance of the arms that belong to a knight The sword "is made to cut on both sides, to signify that a knight ought with the sword to maintain chivalry and justice." "To the knight is given a spear to signify truth, for truth is a thing right and even. The iron [tip] ... signifies strength, which truth ought to have about falseness. And the pennon signifies that truth show faith to all..." The helmet represents Fear or Shame "for a knight without fear of shame may not be obedient to the order of chivalry. ... fear of shame defends the knight ... that he inclines not to bow to villainous deeds." "The hauberk signifies a ... fortress against vices and faults." "The chauces are given to knight to keep ... his ... feet from peril, to signify that a knight with iron ought to hold himself upon the ways [of chivalry]." "The Spurs signify diligence and swiftness, because with these two things every knight may maintain his order in the high honor that belongs to it." "The gorget is given to signify obedience. ... to the end that neither treason nor pride ... corrupts the oath that the knight has made to his [liege] lord and chivalry." "The mace ... signifies [the] strength and courage [with which] the knights enforce virtue and good customs ... [and] maintain the order of chivalry in the honor which it is due." "The misiacorder or knife shows a knight that he ought not trust all in his arms nor his strength but ... affirm and trust in God. ... by the help and aid of God he vanquishes his enemies and those who are contrary to the order of chivalry." "The shield signifies the office of a knight, for as a knight put a shield between himself and his enemy, right so the knight is in the middle between the prince and the people." "The significance of the gauntlets is to lift up high his hand ... in thanks to God for the victory. ... also that he ought not lift up his hand in making false oath, nor handle any evil, nor touch anything foul or dishonest." "The saddle ... signifies surety of courage, the charges and the great burden of chivalry. ... and that the knight ought to in no way move for light things." "To the knight is given a horse to signify noblesse of courage. ... To a horse is given a bridle. And the reigns of the bridle are given ... [the] knight. And this signifies that the knight out to refrain his tongue, that he speak neither foul nor false. ... and refrain his hands, that he gives not so much that he is sufferous and needy [and unable to perform his duties.]" "The reigns signify to the knight that he ought to be led overall where the order of chivalry will lead or send him." "The bardings signify the worldly good necessary to maintain the office of chivalry. ... [for] a knight without temporal goods may not maintain the honor of chivalry ... for poverty cause a man to think basely, falsehoods and treasons." There's still more - and this is the heraldry bit, two of my favorite things - history of chivalry and heraldic display... "The surcoat is given the knight in significance of the great hardships that a knight must suffer to honor chivalry, for the coat ... receives the strokes before the ... armor, right so is the knight chosen to sustain greater travail than a lesser man." "The heraldic device symbolizes the knights renown earned, fair or foul." "The banner is given to the knight to symbolize his honor and duty to defends his lord and his land." [I guess this is the callings of the banners you read about in William the Marshal's time, which is about the same era.] Knights require lots of stuff to maintain their estate and military duties. And this is what the stuff meant to at least one knight turned mystic in the late 13th century. Kind of neat, huh? You ought to read it for yourself. Obviously, excerpts don't cover everything. Okay, so maybe I am a hopeless geek freak, but at least I'm not rambling at you about my recent renewed fascination with electromagnetics and dynamics of motion. Busy, happy engineer this week. � � � 
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