.m 



C II I V A L R Y. 



:. -.:;.... 



Oltji>y. connected with the institutions and ctremonies of chival- 

 i - ry. When knight entered on any engagement, t 



performance of which he bound hiimclf by olcmn vow, 

 he put chain* sometimes on hit arm, and tometimrt on 

 hi* foot, which he durst not remove till he had fulfilled 

 hit vow, or till he could tranifer them to another knight, 

 whom he had overcome in battle or single combat. Ta- 

 ci(u<, in hit account of the manners of the Germans, re- 

 lates that the Catti, a tribe of that nation, wore a ring, 

 hich they viewed at ignominious, and from which they 

 could not be liberated, till they had distinguished them- 

 selves by the slaughter of an enemy. 



In the History of Charles and Grymer, Swedish kings, 

 and of Hialour. the son of Harci, King Biarmlam!, 

 which evidently describes the manners of Scandinavia 

 during the continuance of the Pagan religion, and in 

 times preceding the tenth century, Hialmar proposes to 

 Grymer to enter into ttnct brotherly confederacy, which 

 was evidently of the same nature as those fraternities in 

 arms which occur so frequently in the history of chi- 

 valry in France and England. Keysler, in his Aiiliqin- 

 tiilft SeptcnlrionaUi, informs ut, that the ceremonies 

 used in entering into those fraternities wire similar to 

 those employed in the days of chivalry ; and the most 

 singular and remarkable of those ceremonies, the ad- 

 mixture of the bluod of those who were to compote the 

 brotherhood, is described by Herodotus, as havng been 

 usual among the Scythians, the ancestors of the Goths, 

 on the same occasion. 



Trace* of It now remains to examine the manners and institu- 

 lry in tj on j o f Armotica, in order that we may be enabled to 

 detect in them whatever tracts they may exhibit of the 

 features of chivalry. The name of Armorica is suppo- 

 sed to be of Celtic origin, and to signify the country near 

 the sea ; for more than 800 years, under that appella- 

 tion, wat comprehended all that part of France which is 

 bounded by the Seine on the east, the Loire on the 

 south, and the sea on the north and the west ; inclu- 

 ding therefore Brittany, the greatest part of Normandy, 

 Maine, Perobe, and the northern pan of Anjou and of 

 Tourraine. In a more strict and limited sense, however, 

 Armorica comprehended that province of France, which, 

 from the end of the fourth century, was called Brit- 

 tany. 



The inhabitants of this part of France are of C< luc 

 origin ; and, in comparing their manners and institutions 

 with those of chivalry, we must therefore have recourse 

 to what we know of the manners and institutions of the 

 Celtic tribes in general, as well as of those of Armorica 

 in particular. 



Among the Celtic nations, at well as among those of 

 eastern and northern origin, feats of arms were a regular 

 and honourable employment. The Oryrff of the Welsh, 

 Iske the knights of chivalry, rose to that rank through 

 different degrees of honour, and were admitted into it by 

 a ceremony very similar to that which was used in chi- 

 valry. They were taught the use of arms ; and, like 

 the knights' errant, were clothed in green. The gold 

 chain, which has already been noticed in treating, of the 

 manners of the Scandinavian nations, was used by the 

 Celtic knight*, but rather as an ornament, and for the 

 purpose of bestowing it as the prize of valour, or the 

 reward of minstrelsy, than as the badge of an unper- 

 d vow. An order of men, similar to the Scalds of 

 irthem nations and the minstrels f chivalry, wen- 

 educated among the Welsh and the other Celtic tribet, 

 for the purpose of indulging the passions of the Orydt 

 (or puWic recitations in rhyme. 



-C features, however, in the manners of the Celtic 



tribes, are very general, and by no means sufficient to Chivalry. 

 establish a striking and undisputed resemblance between "~~<~* l ~' 

 them and the institutions of chivalry ; much lees to prove 

 that chivalry originated with the people of Armorica, or 

 the Celtic inhabitants of Wales and Cornwall. There 

 is, however, another circumstance on which the ingeni- 

 ous and learned supporter of this hypothesis rests, in 

 order to establish his position, which, though not im- 

 mediately connected with our present subject, ought not 

 to be passed over. He contends, and with much felici- 

 ty and strength of illustration, that the oldest romance* 

 of chivalry are of Armorican origin. The steps by 

 which he endeavours to make good his position are, 1st, 

 that all the European nations take their romances of chi- 

 valry from the French ; 2d, that the French romances 

 originate in the north of France j and, 3d, that the older 

 romances of chivalry have especially celebrated the he- 

 roes of Greater or Lesser Bnttany, and are therefo:v ol 

 Armorican origin. But it u evident, that it by no means 

 follows, because romances of chivalry are of Armorican 

 origin, that chivalry itself sprung from the same coun- 

 try. This circumstance might strengthen other argu- 

 ments, but it cannot of itself constitute a:i irrefragable 

 and conclusive argument. Another position of the same 

 writer is certainly unsupported by fact, and ev n were 

 it true and well founded, it is not easy to perceive how 

 it could strengthen his hypothesis. In order to prove 

 that chivalry is not Scandinavian, but of Armorican ori- 

 gin, he asserts, that " the whole ritual of chivalry, the 

 military exercises, the fortified palaces, its very religi- 

 osity, imply an advanced state in society, to which the 

 Scandinavians could not have attained ;" and the obliga- 

 tions of the knight, to which his oath buund him, he 

 considers as the reliquea of a receding, rather than the 

 tokens of a growing civilization. 1 his opinion is sin- 

 gular, and seems utterly void of foundation ; but were 

 it correct, what proof is there that the people of Armo- 

 rica exhibited symptoms of a receding civilization, at 

 the time when the people of Scandinavia were only ad- 

 vancing in civilization ? 



But in the manners and institutions of the Celtic na- 

 tions, there is no proof of the existence of those pecu- 

 liar qualities of chivalry : a high sense of honour, cour- 

 tesy of manners, and a refined and respectful gallantry ; 

 with regard to the latter, the Celtic nations, from every 

 evidence, were far behind the Gothic tribe?. 



From the preceding investigation into the manners and Inference* 

 institutions of the eastern, northern, and Celtic nations, ' or ' 

 BO far as they appeared to bear a resemblance to the 

 manners and institutions of chivalry, several inferences 

 may be drawn, which will be of use in fixing its origin 

 and tracing its causes. 



In the first place, the high estimation in which valour 

 was held by the eastern, northern, and Celtic nationi, 

 and their fondness for feats of arms, proves neither that 

 these nations sprung from a common stock, nor that 

 either of them gave birth to chivalry. The very c nsti- 

 tution and circumstances of society, at the period to 

 which our investigations referred, rendered v:ilour indis- 

 pensably necessary, and of paramount importance and 

 honour ; whiie the desire of keeping alive and improving 

 their skill in fighting, ati^ the habits they had acquired 

 in actual warfare, natur. 'iy gave rite to feats of arms. 

 These features in chival y, therefore, were rather ii a- 

 turcs of the age, and !>ucd wit'i more pr. mi- 



nence by those who had !n.in i.e knights, only because 

 their rank and station in society called for greater skill 

 and courage. 



In the eecoad place, the same remark will not apply 

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