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Jan. 23rd, 2012 03:09 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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tutufansHello there! I just wanted to introduce myself to the community, and now seemed as good a time as any. I've actually been lurking here for a little while, but I thought it would be bad etiquette to show up without any offerings. However, since I'm not exactly skilled at either writing or drawing, I went a different route: hardcore geekery. Or, "How Fakir Was Actually Knighted (No, Really)."
And when I call this geekery, I'm not kidding; I looked up *sources*. Anyway, hope you enjoy this (and that the lj-cut works...) and I look forward to being a part of the community!
First and foremost, every knight needed a horse. The original French term chevalier meant “horseman,” from cheval (horse). So, at the very least, Fakir already had access to the most defining characteristic of knighthood. However, in order to properly show ho Fakir followed the rituals of the dubbing ceremony, the ceremony itself must be explained.
The Ordene de Chevalerie (Order of Knighthood), an anonymous mid-thirteenth century source, gives one of the most comprehensive descriptions of the knighting ceremony. First, the would-be knight would take a bath to symbolically cleanse himself of sins (it should be noted that thirteenth century descriptions had gained a more overtly religious character than those of the eleventh and twelfth centuries). After this, he would take his rest in a bed with white sheets. Upon waking the next morning he would be dressed in clothes of pure white, over which would be put a red robe and white belt. In an earlier real-life ceremony (1128), the fifteen-year old Geoffrey IV of Anjou was reported to have worn a tunic of gold cloth and a purple robe over his simple white clothes. This likely means that the Ordene’s red robe—red being, like purple, an expensive color to produce—was a continuation of the tradition of nobles displaying their wealth by wearing their best-quality clothes at important occasions. After the clothing had been donned, the applicant’s sponsor would put on the youth’s spurs and gird him with a sword. It is important, before continuing, to explain the significance of this sponsor.
The sponsor was usually the man who had trained the applicant in combat. Yet, in the interest of building networks with other nobles, fathers would often send their sons to be trained at another man’s castle. This man could be the boy’s uncle, a cousin, a powerful local lord, etc. Regardless, this man would be responsible for raising the boy in his household, and so would often be the choice for the boy’s sponsor when it came time to knight him. Once the applicant’s sword had been girded on him by his sponsor, the sponsor would then give him the colée, a blow to the head which was supposed to serve as a reminder to the new knight of his chivalric vows (taken at some point before or during the ceremony, though I have not yet seen any exact timing specified). However, far from being a simple tap, the colée was a strong, open-handed strike, and it was not unusual for the recipient to be knocked clean off of his feet. According to the Spanish chronicler Raymond (or Ramon) Lull, the new knight should then ride through town and present his sword at the church altar.
While Fakir does not follow the above ritual in the exact order presented, he nevertheless follows a loose interpretation of it. As per the traditional ceremony he begins by cleansing himself, albeit with a shower rather than a bath. After that, he of course put on his Academy uniform. While it is certainly not of a medieval fashion, the majority of the clothing (shirt, pants, belt, shoes) is pure white. Even the blue blazer does not automatically cancel out the parallels with the knighting ceremony. As other episodes seem to hint, it is unlikely that Fakir was very many “good” clothes, so his school uniform is probably the nicest, not to mention the most formal, outfit that he owns. So, in this case, he is carrying on the tradition of knight applicants of wearing their best clothes for the knighting ceremony. It is when Fakir meets with Charon that some of the dubbing steps are reversed. Here, he states (or restates) his knightly vows of service to his lord: protecting Mytho.
Normally, is would probably be at this point that Charon, as the man who raised him and therefore his sponsor, would gird him with a sword. However, for Fakir, the infamous colée comes first, and he is indeed knocked to the ground. Interestingly, the blow seems to have achieved its intended ideal purpose. Not only does Fakir again confirm his oaths of loyalty to Mytho, he also acknowledges his own shortcomings (Raymond Lull had suggested that a knight applicant should confess his sins prior to the dubbing). It is only after taking a moment of soul-searching and self-reflection by the bond—perhaps an abbreviated version of the night-long vigil that was being recommended for would-be knights by the thirteenth century, though it usually took place the night before the actual ceremony—that Fakir returns to his sponsor. Finally, Charon deems him worthy of receiving his sword and knightly apparel. The embrace Charon then gives him may even be a second colée. The knight William Marshal knighted young Henry, son of Henry II the king of England, and the colée he gave Henry took the form of a kiss. Fakir then ended up taking the last bit of Raymond Lull’s advice to newly-dubbed knights: he rode through town, and he ended up at the church.
And when I call this geekery, I'm not kidding; I looked up *sources*. Anyway, hope you enjoy this (and that the lj-cut works...) and I look forward to being a part of the community!
First and foremost, every knight needed a horse. The original French term chevalier meant “horseman,” from cheval (horse). So, at the very least, Fakir already had access to the most defining characteristic of knighthood. However, in order to properly show ho Fakir followed the rituals of the dubbing ceremony, the ceremony itself must be explained.
The Ordene de Chevalerie (Order of Knighthood), an anonymous mid-thirteenth century source, gives one of the most comprehensive descriptions of the knighting ceremony. First, the would-be knight would take a bath to symbolically cleanse himself of sins (it should be noted that thirteenth century descriptions had gained a more overtly religious character than those of the eleventh and twelfth centuries). After this, he would take his rest in a bed with white sheets. Upon waking the next morning he would be dressed in clothes of pure white, over which would be put a red robe and white belt. In an earlier real-life ceremony (1128), the fifteen-year old Geoffrey IV of Anjou was reported to have worn a tunic of gold cloth and a purple robe over his simple white clothes. This likely means that the Ordene’s red robe—red being, like purple, an expensive color to produce—was a continuation of the tradition of nobles displaying their wealth by wearing their best-quality clothes at important occasions. After the clothing had been donned, the applicant’s sponsor would put on the youth’s spurs and gird him with a sword. It is important, before continuing, to explain the significance of this sponsor.
The sponsor was usually the man who had trained the applicant in combat. Yet, in the interest of building networks with other nobles, fathers would often send their sons to be trained at another man’s castle. This man could be the boy’s uncle, a cousin, a powerful local lord, etc. Regardless, this man would be responsible for raising the boy in his household, and so would often be the choice for the boy’s sponsor when it came time to knight him. Once the applicant’s sword had been girded on him by his sponsor, the sponsor would then give him the colée, a blow to the head which was supposed to serve as a reminder to the new knight of his chivalric vows (taken at some point before or during the ceremony, though I have not yet seen any exact timing specified). However, far from being a simple tap, the colée was a strong, open-handed strike, and it was not unusual for the recipient to be knocked clean off of his feet. According to the Spanish chronicler Raymond (or Ramon) Lull, the new knight should then ride through town and present his sword at the church altar.
While Fakir does not follow the above ritual in the exact order presented, he nevertheless follows a loose interpretation of it. As per the traditional ceremony he begins by cleansing himself, albeit with a shower rather than a bath. After that, he of course put on his Academy uniform. While it is certainly not of a medieval fashion, the majority of the clothing (shirt, pants, belt, shoes) is pure white. Even the blue blazer does not automatically cancel out the parallels with the knighting ceremony. As other episodes seem to hint, it is unlikely that Fakir was very many “good” clothes, so his school uniform is probably the nicest, not to mention the most formal, outfit that he owns. So, in this case, he is carrying on the tradition of knight applicants of wearing their best clothes for the knighting ceremony. It is when Fakir meets with Charon that some of the dubbing steps are reversed. Here, he states (or restates) his knightly vows of service to his lord: protecting Mytho.
Normally, is would probably be at this point that Charon, as the man who raised him and therefore his sponsor, would gird him with a sword. However, for Fakir, the infamous colée comes first, and he is indeed knocked to the ground. Interestingly, the blow seems to have achieved its intended ideal purpose. Not only does Fakir again confirm his oaths of loyalty to Mytho, he also acknowledges his own shortcomings (Raymond Lull had suggested that a knight applicant should confess his sins prior to the dubbing). It is only after taking a moment of soul-searching and self-reflection by the bond—perhaps an abbreviated version of the night-long vigil that was being recommended for would-be knights by the thirteenth century, though it usually took place the night before the actual ceremony—that Fakir returns to his sponsor. Finally, Charon deems him worthy of receiving his sword and knightly apparel. The embrace Charon then gives him may even be a second colée. The knight William Marshal knighted young Henry, son of Henry II the king of England, and the colée he gave Henry took the form of a kiss. Fakir then ended up taking the last bit of Raymond Lull’s advice to newly-dubbed knights: he rode through town, and he ended up at the church.