Chivalry, 3 Feet Deep

chivalry is almost in its grave....but not quite. i think part of chivalry is natural so it may never die completely. i think a large reason for the absence of knights in shining armor is that they have no idea wat they r sposed to be doing. in olden days it was easy....rescue the girl from the dragon. but now the dragon is not fire breathing and the girl in less apparent danger. but tho the dragon is not as loud it is still just as powerful. most men dont know wat chivalry is because they have not been taught. some would say that its pulling out chairs and opening doors for the weaker sex (women, just thought i should clarify jk lol) -my atempt at humor. anyway....others would say that its being kind to all especially the needy. still others would go so far as to say that it is giving of yerself or sacrificing be it yer life, possesions or time. i would say that these are all good answers and correct to an extent. lets look at the word chivalry or chivalrous. in my english dictionary it says as follows: chivalry-the combination of qualities expected of the ideal medieval knight, especially courage, honor, loyalty, and consideration for others, especially women.

now if we look at the lives of ancient knights from legends such as king arthur and his knights of the round table we will see that not only did they have these "qualities", but it seemed to be a way of life for them. if a man dishonored himself in some way even if it was unintentional or on accident he would stop at nothing to regain that honor. he was never beholden to any other man, and if he could not repay someone he would offer himself as a slave until his dept was cleared. he never struck or spoke harshly to any woman, child, or animal. he fought against evil and protected those weaker than he. some of the knights spent years and years on one quest trying to fulfill a task. a knight was highly devoted and loyal to the crown and to his lady. he gained respect through humility and had unmatchable honor. a knight also had impeccable manners, they were raised as gentlemen not barbarians. obviosly there is no such thing as even close to perfection but these knights strived to be as close as they could. they were unbelievable men of God and though many of them never understood Him they would die for Him in a heart beat. so chivalry is soooo much more than opening doors....it is a way of thinking and a way of living.