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"KNIGHTHOOD AND CHIVALRY We are the Knights of the Kappa Alpha Order. Although the significance of the termsknight and order will be fully realized only after initiation, you should remember thatknighthood was originally the quality of being an armed and mounted warrior. Today itis a special dignity conferred on worthy individuals. Chivalry is the code of behaviorexpected of a knight. An order is a brotherhood of knights devoted to a set of ideals. Aman is chosen for membership in our Order because his conduct reflects the true chivalriccode, a code modified only slightly to suit contemporary society. Although Kappa Alpha is an order, it is similar to a fraternity in its brotherhood.However, it is vastly different from a fraternal organization on all other fronts. KA isan order because its members are bound by the same ideal and philosophy of life -- theepitome of the chivalric knight. Knighthood and chivalry date to the early centuries of Medieval Europe. Civilization wasthen being remolded by the Christian Church and by the institution of feudalism which wasa system of defense whereby knights were rewarded with land and privileges in return forfighting and governing. The concept and the ceremony of knighthood probably originatedfrom an interaction of very early Germanic military custom, the nature of Medievalwarfare with its emphasis on cavalry, and the impact of Christian influences. Theconduct, ideas, and ideals of the knightly class of the Middle Ages came to bestandardized and referred to as "chivalry," a term derived from the French wordchevalier, meaning knight. Scholars have disputed the exact origins of chivalry.Some authorities have traced it to 12th century southern France; others maintain that itis of Arabic origin transmitted to Europe through Muslim Spain; and others insist that itbegan in the Scandinavian countries. Nevertheless, it appears reasonably evident that thegreat principles of chivalry are of Gothic origin, influenced by the religious charactersof the early Middle Ages. It is also known that the rudiments of the laws of chivalrywere defined by the 11th century and that they were formally confirmed in 1025 by theCouncil of Clermont in France. the chivalric code compelled a knight to be brave,courageous, honorable, true to his word, and loyal to his feudal overlord, and to defendhis Church, protect the weak, aid the poor, seek justice, and revere pure womanhood. thisset of high standards of conduct significantly refined the character of Medievalcivilization and later had a profound impact on the shape of modern life. Finally,knighthood and chivalry acquired new dimensions with the creation of orders of knights --men bound together for a common purpose and who shared an ideal. These orders originatedduring the crusades, those 200 years of war that followed Pope Urbal II's call in 1095 forthe knights of Christian Europe to unite under the symbol of a red cross for the purpos ending Muslim rule in the Holy Land. Such great orders as those of the KnightsHospitallers and the Knights Templar appeared as exalted brotherhoods destined to play animportant historical role. A lengthy period of rigorous training and service was required to attain knighthood.During training, the candidate was prepared in the arts and techniques of war andfamiliarized with the code of chivalry. Each aspect of his training was directed to apositive educational goal. the process began at the age of seven or eight when the son ofa noble was sent to another noble's castle to begin his apprenticeship (as a varlet)(. Forthe next seven years, he and others training him learned how to ride and care for horses,were taught fighting skills, and were instructed in courtesies to ladies and in otheraspects of chivalry. At the age of 14, the varlet passed into the rank of squire, and atthe same time, was formally assigned to a knight. A ceremony marked this occasion, whichincluded a priestly benediction and the bestowing of a sword in recognition that thesquire had gained the privilege of bearing arms. For another seven years, the squirepassed through several degrees. He was constantly instructed by the knight and attendedto his personal needs, caring for his weapons and horse, and accompanying him into battle.At the termination of this period, when he was 21, a squire who had demonstrated hiscompetence and worth, either by successful completion of his training or on the actualfield of battle, was knighted. The ritual by which knighthood was conferred began as early as the sixth century.Description of the ceremonies, which varied in time and place, can be found in the recordsof the Middle Ages. Documents relate how Charlemagne girded his son, Louis the Pious,with a knight's sword in the year 791, and how Louis bestowed the honor upon his heir,Charles the Bald, in 838. Medieval epic literature describes the conferring knightlydignity for heroic achievements. The ritual is illustrated in the glowing colors ofilluminated manuscripts of the times and in the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry. Theceremony could be simple if performed in time of war, especially if the event took placeon a battlefield. However, if the knighting took place during peacetime, the rites wereusually solemn and splendid. The taking of knightly vows brought privileges of class, including a style of dress, marksof deference, and a coat-of-arms. The vows also entailed renewal of religious faith andacceptance of obligations and responsibilities of knighthood and the code of chivalry. Aserious violation of these vows could result in a knight being classed an undignifiedknight. In the 14th and 15th centuries, feudalism and its distinctive type of knighthood wereslowly transformed as European civilization evolved. the decline of feudalism and itscharacteristic institutions resulted from numerous interrelated factors, including thedevelopment of changed methods of warfare, the end of the crusades, a new era of commercestimulated by the reopening of trade with the East; and the gradual creation ofcentralized national monarchies. Although feudalism disappeared, the concepts ofknighthood and of chivalry survived into modern times. Outstanding accomplishments andactions were rewarded as sovereigns continued to create exalted orders of knights, as forexample the English Order of the Garter, the French Order of the Holy Spirit, and theAustrian and Spanish Orders of the Golden Fleece. such distinctions are currentlyconferred by heads of state in almost every country. Fraternal orders and brotherhoods inAmerica emerged as another variation of the original type of knighthood, and even asknighthood continued to exist, the spirit of chivalry also continued in the concept of thegentleman, which his attributes of honor, faith, justice, regard for truth, considerationof others, reverence for pure womanhood, and courtesy and good judgment in everydayactions. These qualities are still admired, and they remain as applicable in today'sworld as they have been in the past. Kappa Alpha Order, then, is a contemporary order of knighthood. It is composed of men whohave been deemed worthy of the designation of knighthood, are religious in their feeling,and are pledged to the ideals of modern chivalry. "The Varlet" Copyright В© 1992 Kappa Alpha Order "