Knight
Pronunciation: 'nIt
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English cniht man-at-arms, boy, servant; akin to Old High German kneht youth, military follower
1 a (1) : a mounted man-at-arms serving a feudal superior; especially : a man ceremonially inducted into special military rank usually after completing service as page and squire (2) : a man honored by a sovereign for merit and in Great Britain ranking below a baronet (3) : a person of antiquity equal to a knight in rank b : a man devoted to the service of a lady as her attendant or champion c : a member of an order or society
Belegarth Knighthood as a Title
In Belegarth there is no official National form of Knighthood. While traditionally there are forms of knighthood that have evolved from Realms or Chapters. Often times Realms will try a member and then the realm leaders knight them.
On a more prestigious level, older realms have members that have tenure and have been around longer than some realms, not to mention they were knighted by other famous knights that have long since faded from the sport. This passing on of knighthood from one knight to another is often referred to as a lineage of knighthood. This lineage is often viewed as important to a knight; it is a relationship that can even extend to squires of a similar lineage.
Knight Lineages
- Knights of Numenor
- Knights of Gwynedd
- Knights of Pentwyvern
- Knights of Avalon (formerly called Knights of the Phoenix)
- Knights of Arnor (Descended from Knights of Numenor)
- Knights of the Highlands
- Knights of Rhun
- Knights of Wolfpack
- Knights of Babylon
- Knights of Storm's Haven
- Knights of the Western Flame
- Knights of the Silver Order (Mittelmarch)
- Dragoons
- Women of Peerage
Gaining Knighthood
Knighthood is generally not just given to someone. It is earned in some way. Traditionally a knight squires before earning his or her title. This means they learn the ropes from another knight. When they have achieved a level of combat skill and experience as well as complete other non-combat related tasks, such as weapon construction, garb sewing, or running events they then go through a trial. After completing their trials a person who is the leader of a realm or an established King or Knight will dub' the squire and make them a knight.
Robber Knights
While Robber knights might not be the best terminology for it. These are knights that have not gained a level of camaraderie with the general populace of knights. Often they are self-proclaimed knights, someone in a drunk stupor may declare them knights, or they are just causing shenanigans or roleplaying to be funny. A perfect example of this is the Knights of Wildwood, who have a good time and a lot of laughs over the whole idea of knighthood often making traditional knights quite upset.