During late medieval times in Europe a knight was seen as being a military person, usually of high birth and noble breeding, who was promoted to a knighthood by the king, after serving as a page then as a squire.
The practice of awarding knighthoods still continues in the UK today but is commonly conferred on outstanding persons who have made a good and continuing contribution to society irrespective of their background
If you want to learn how to be a knight on the historical context then prepare yourself for the following!
- Serve you apprenticeship as a page. Get a job at your local castle and learn the duties from the Lord of the Manor in residence. Familiarize yourself with what is expected of a knight in terms of behaving with the utmost chivalry and begin to learn the rudiments of battle, by dressing in a suit of heavy armor and practicing the art of wielding the sword. Before attempting to saddle and ride a horse practice on a make shift pommel horse, or climb on the back of other pages to get the feel of your feet not being on the ground.
- Having completed your apprenticeship it is time to become a squire. May be the Lord of the Manor will help you get employment with a friendly knight. You will be expected to be fitted out with your own suit of armor and learn how to ride a proper horse while carrying all of your weapons needed for fighting.
Having served your time as both page and squire you will now be ready to receive your knighthood. Prepare yourself mentally for the occasion, and on the day say your confession to a pries; then, dressed only in a white tunic kneel in front of the king.
He will touch you lightly on each shoulder with a long sword (a process referred to as dubbing), and having completed that task will command you to ‘rise Sir Knight’. You will now be a fully fledged knight of the realm and ready to join the nearest round table and the rest of the knights!