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The training of a medieval squire was the second stage of the long process by which a young man of the aristocratic class became a knight. Beginning around the age of fourteen and lasting for about seven years, the squire’s training prepared the young man for the ceremony of dubbing to knighthood and for the responsibilities of the knightly class. The squire’s training was both practical and theoretical, both physical and moral, and it prepared the young man for the military, social, and ceremonial demands of the knightly life. The training was carried out in the household of a lord or a knight, and it was supervised by the master of the household and by the other knights of the household.
Maurice Keen, “Chivalry” (1984), and the practical sources (the biographies of William Marshal, the Ordene de chevalerie) are the modern and medieval starting-points. The page below uses both, and flags the regional variation between English, French, and German practice.
The Squire’s Duties
The squire’s duties were varied and demanding, and they prepared the young man for the responsibilities of the knightly class. The squire was the personal attendant of a knight, and he was responsible for the care of the knight’s equipment, the maintenance of the knight’s horse, the service of the knight at table, and the assistance of the knight in his various activities. The squire was expected to be always at the knight’s side, ready to assist him in any way.
The squire’s most important duty was the care of the knight’s equipment. The squire was responsible for the maintenance of the knight’s armor, the cleaning of the knight’s weapons, the organization of the knight’s equipment for battle, and the assistance of the knight in donning and doffing his armor. The squire was also responsible for the care of the knight’s horse — the destrier or war-horse — and the squire was expected to be able to ride the horse in battle if the knight was wounded or killed.
The squire’s duties at table were also important. The squire served the knight at table, bringing him food and drink, carving the meat, and pouring the wine. The squire also assisted the knight in the various social activities of the household — the feasts, the dances, the games, the tournaments. The squire was expected to be courteous, discreet, and attentive in these activities, and he was expected to learn the manners and the customs of the aristocratic class.
The Squire’s Instruction
The squire’s instruction was intensive and practical, and it prepared the young man for the military, social, and moral demands of the knightly class. The squire received instruction in the use of arms, in the care of horses, in the manners of the court, in the principles of chivalry, and in the religious duties of the knight. The instruction was carried out by the master of the household, by the other knights of the household, and by the chaplain of the household.
The squire’s instruction in the use of arms was the most important part of his training. The squire learned how to handle the various weapons of the knight — the sword, the lance, the mace, the dagger, the bow — and he practiced the various techniques of mounted and dismounted combat. The squire also learned how to use the various pieces of the knight’s armor — the helmet, the cuirass, the gauntlets, the greaves — and he practiced donning and doffing the armor quickly and efficiently.
The squire’s instruction in the care of horses was also important. The squire learned how to ride, how to care for the horse, how to feed and water the horse, how to groom the horse, and how to train the horse for battle. The squire also learned the various breeds of horses, the various types of horses (the destrier, the courser, the palfrey, the rouncey), and the various uses of horses in war, in the chase, and in travel.
The squire’s instruction in the manners of the court was also important. The squire learned how to behave at table, how to address his superiors, how to conduct himself in the rituals of aristocratic life, and how to speak and write in the vernacular and possibly in Latin. The squire also learned the various games and pastimes of the aristocratic class — chess, the chase, falconry, tournaments — and he was expected to participate in them with skill and grace.
The Squire’s Religious Training
The squire’s religious training was an essential part of his preparation for knighthood. The squire received instruction in the basic prayers, the sacraments, and the moral teaching of the Church, and he was expected to attend Mass regularly, to receive the sacraments at least once a year, and to live a moral life in accordance with the teachings of the Church. The squire also learned about the special religious duties of the knight — the protection of the Church, the defense of the faith, the care of the poor and the weak — and he was expected to take these duties seriously.
The squire’s religious training was often carried out by the chaplain of the household, who was a priest or a clerk in the service of the lord. The chaplain taught the squire the basic prayers (the Pater Noster, the Ave Maria, the Credo), the sacraments (baptism, confirmation, communion, confession, marriage, holy orders, last rites), the moral teaching of the Church (the Ten Commandments, the Seven Deadly Sins, the Seven Works of Mercy), and the religious duties of the knight. The chaplain also served as a spiritual advisor to the squire, and he was available to hear the squire’s confession and to give him counsel.
The Squire’s Wanderjahre
The squire’s wanderjahre — the years of travel and experience that the squire undertook after the completion of his formal training — were an important part of his preparation for knighthood. The squire would travel to other courts, other households, and other lands, where he would learn the various customs and practices of the knightly class, make connections with other knights and nobles, and gain experience in the various activities of the knightly life. The wanderjahre were a kind of finishing school for the squire, and they prepared him for the wider world of the aristocratic class.
The squire’s wanderjahre were often financed by the squire’s family, and they could last for several years. The squire would travel to the great courts of Europe — the court of the king of France, the court of the emperor, the court of the king of England — where he would learn the manners and customs of the great houses, participate in the tournaments and the chase, and make the connections that would serve him in his later career. The squire would also travel to the Crusader States, where he would gain experience in war and pilgrimage, and he would visit the great shrines of Christendom — Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostela, Canterbury.
The Squire’s Preparation for Knighthood
The squire’s preparation for knighthood was a formal and solemn process that culminated in the ceremony of dubbing. In the months and weeks before the ceremony, the squire would undergo a period of spiritual and physical preparation. He would fast, pray, and keep a night-long vigil in a church. He would bathe, dress in clean clothing, and confess his sins. He would receive the blessing of the priest, the lord, and the other knights of the household. He would prepare his equipment — the sword, the spurs, the shield, the lance — and he would choose the knight who would dub him.
The squire’s preparation for knighthood was also a financial affair. The squire’s family was expected to provide the equipment of the new knight — the sword, the spurs, the shield, the lance, the armor, the horse — and these items could be very expensive. The squire’s family might also be expected to provide a feast for the household and the community to celebrate the dubbing. The financial requirements of knighthood were a major reason why knighthood became a closed class in the late Middle Ages: only the wealthier members of the aristocratic class could afford the cost of equipping a new knight.
Sources
Principal sources used in this article:
- Maurice Keen, Chivalry (Yale, 1984) — the standard English-language history.
Further reading:
- Jean Flori, L’Essor de la chevalerie, XIe–XIIe siècles (Droz, 1986).
For a recent single-volume synthesis with full scholarly apparatus, see the relevant chapter of Barbara H. Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages (University of Toronto Press, 2014).