KNIGHTS (Saxon, Cntht, a servant or attendant), originally men-at-arms bound to the performance of certain duties, among others to attend their sovereign or feudal superior on horseback in time of war. The institution of knighthood, as conferred by investi ture, and with certain oaths and ceremonies, arose gradually throughout Europe as an adjunct of the feudal FEUDAL SYSTEM; CuivALnv). The character of the knight was at once military and religious. The defense and recovery of the holy sepul cher, and the protection of pilgrims, were the objects to which, in the early times of the institution, he especially devoted himself. The system of knight-service, introduced into England by William the conqueror, empowered the king, or even a superior lord who was a subject, to compel every holder of a certain extent of land, called a knight's fee, to become a member of the knightly order; his investiture being accounted proof that he possessed the requisite knightly arms, and was sufficiently trained in their use. The "statute of knights," of the first year of Edward II., regulating the causes that were to be held valid to excuse a man from knightly service, shows that in the 14th c. the knightly office was not always eagerly coveted; yet its social dignity was very con siderable, for even dukes, if not admitted into the order, were obliged to yield precedence in any royal pageant or public ceremony. In time of war, each knight was bound to attend the king for 40 days, computed from the day when the enemy arrived in the country. After the long war between France and England, it became the prac tice for the sovereign to receive money compensations from subjects who were unwill ing to receive knighthood, a system out of which grew a series of grievances, leading eventually to the total abolition of knight-service in the reign of Charles II.
Knighthood, originally a military distinction, came, in the 16th c., to be occasionally conferred on civilians as a reward for valuable services rendered to the crown or com munity. The first civil knight in England was sir William Walworth, lord-mayor of London, who won that distinction by slaying the rebel Wet Tyler in presence of the king. Since the abolition of knight-service, knighthood has been conferred without any regard to property, as a mark of the sovereign's esteem, or a reward for, services of any kind, civil or military. In recent times it has been bestowed at least as often on scholars, laAvyers, artists, or citizens, as on soldiers, and in many cases for no weightier service than carrying a congratulatory address to court.
The ceremonies practiced in conferring knighthood have varied at different periods. In general, fasting and bathing were in early times necessary preparatives. In the 111h c. the creation of a knight was preceded by solemn confession, and a midnight vigil in the church, and followed by the reception of the eucharist. The new knight offered his sword on the altar, to signify his devotion to the church, and determination to lead 'A holy life. The sword was redeemed in a sum of money, had a benediction pronounced
over it, and was girded on by the highest ecclesiastic present. The title was conferred by binding the sword and spurs on the candidate, after which a blow was dealt him on the cheek or shoulder, as the last affront which he was to receive unrequited. He then took an oath to protect the distressed, maintain right against might, and never by word or deed to stain his character as a knight or a Christian. A knight might be degraded for the infringer:tient of any part of his oath (an event of very rare occurrence), in which case his spurs were chopped off with a hatchet, his sword broken, his escutcheon reversed, and some religious observances were added, during which each piece of armor was taken off in succession, and cast from the recreant knight.
It has been said that knighthood could originally be conferred by any person of knightly condition, but if so, the right to bestow it was early restricted to persons of rank, and afterwards to the sovereign or his representative, as the commander of an army. In England the sovereign now bestows knighthood by a verbal declaration, accompanied a simple ceremony of imposition of the sword, and without any patent or written instrument. In some few instances, knighthood has been conferred by patent, when the persons knighted cc old not conveniently come into the presence of royalty, as in the case of governors of colonies, or other persons occupying prominent situations abroad. The lord-lieutenant of Ireland also occasionally, hut rarely, exercises a delegated power of conferring knighthood. The monosyllable "sir" is prefixed to the Christian names of knights and baronets, and their wives have the legal designation of "dame," which in common intercourse becomes "lady." Persons who are simply knights without belonging to any order are called in Eng land knights bachelors, a name probably corrupted from bas chevalier. Knighthood of this kind is now only conferred in Great Britain. A. degree of knighthood called ban neret formerly existed in England and France, which was given on the field of battle in reward for the performance of some heroic act. For the mode in which that dignity was conferred, see BANNERET. No knight-banneret has been created in the field since the time of Charles I., when that honor was bestowed on one sir John Smith, for res cuing the royal standard from the hands of the rebels. George III. twice conferred the title on occasion of a review, but the proceeding was considered irregular, and the rank of the knights not generally recognized.
The form of helmet which the requirements of the later heraldry have appropriated to knights, entitling them to place it over their arms, is full-faced, of steel, decomted with bars, and with the visor a little open. It is represented under the article HELMET.