The Code of Chivalry outlined 12 virtues that knights of the Round Table were expected to uphold, including faith, charity, justice, and valor. During the Medieval period, religion had a strong influence on art, literature, and daily life. King Arthur, a mythic Celtic figure, established the Knights of the Round Table to protect the kingdom. Knights like Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain embodied chivalric ideals of courage, honor, and courtesy. Feudalism defined social and political relationships, with lords providing protection to vassals and peasants in exchange for loyalty and labor.

1. Arthurian Medieval Time

2. Code of Chivalry
• The Arthurian Code of Chivalry was how the knights of the Round Table were
expected to conduct themselves in public.
• The 12 points in the Code of Conduct are as follows:
• Faith
• Charity
• Justice
• Sagacity
• Prudence
• Temperance
• Resolution
• Truth
• Liberality
• Diligence
• Hope
• Valour
• Honor, Honesty and Loyalty were also unlisted but very important aspects.

3. Medieval Art

4. Scenes of Courtly Love
• On the front of this
ivory mirror case is
depicted four scenes of
a knight attempting to
court a lady.
• The mirror case art
shows the importance
of courting and proper
romance to the ladies
of the Medieval Ages.

5. The Codex of Aureus of St. Emmeram
• The Codex Aureus of St.
Emmeram is a Christian
gospel book bejwelled
and engraved with
images of biblical tales.
• The detail and expense
paid for the decoration
of a gospel book shows
the vast importance of
religion during the
Medival Ages.

6. The Assault on The Castle of Love
• A popular subject for
ivory mirror cases, this
depicts not an actual
battle but a theoretical
battle between the
knights attempting to
“conquer” the ladies
and the ladies
defending their
“castle”.

7. Impact of Religion
During the Middle Ages the impact of
religion was detectable on nearly
every piece of art and every work of
literature. Religion governed the lives
of nearly ever man, woman and child
to be found across the globe.
The Church held nearly all the legal
authority as well as heavy influence on
the Kings and Queens of the time
period. If something was in
debate, the Church settled the
outcome.
Literature was often completely
religious works or, if not a religious
tale, a story that contained biblical
references.
Even architecture was affected. People
built towering cathedrals so they could
be closer to God and nearly every
person of wealth built small rooms for
private worship.

8. The Church
• The Church influenced nearly all the literature
of the Medieval Ages, banning anything that
was “against God” and imprisoning those that
wrote them.

9. King Arthur
King Arthur is the figure at the heart of the Arthurian legends. He is
said to be the son of Uther Pendragon and Igraine of Cornwall.
Arthur is a mythic figure in Celtic stories. In early Latin chronicles he
is presented as a military leader, while in later romance he is
presented as a king and emperor.

10. The name Arthur may be a form of Artorius, a
roman gens name, but it’s possibly of Celtic
origins. He defeated the barbarians in dozens
of battles. He conquered a wide empire and
eventually went to war with the Romans. He
returned home on learning that his nephew
Mordred had raised the standard of rebellion
and taken Guinevere, the Queen.
The famous enchanter Merlin had place a
sword in a stone, saying that whoever drew it
out would be king. Arthur did so and Merlin
had him crowned.

11. He married
Guinevere, whose
father gave him the
Round Table as
dowry, it became the
place where his knights
sat and, to avoid
quarrels over
precedence. The quest
for the Holy Grail
began and Lancelot’s
intrigue with the queen
came to light.

12. THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE
The knights were men of courage, honor, dignity, courtesy and
nobleness. They protected ladies and damsels, honored and fought
for the kings and undertook dangerous quests.

13. SIR LANCELOT DU LAC
He was the first knight of the Round
table and he never failed in
gentleness, courtesy or courage. He
was the greatest fighter and
swordsman of all the knights of the
Round Table. Many sources tell us of
the love he shared with Queen
Guinevere. He rescued her from the
stake on two different occasions. It
was at one of these rescues that
Lancelot killed Sir Gareth, which led
to the disbandment of the Round
Table. After the Queen repented to
an abbey as a nun, Lancelot lived
the rest of his life as a hermit in
penitence.

14. SIR GAWAIN
He is the nephew of Arthur.
Gawain figures prominently in
many romances.
He is considered the principal
hero and the exampler of
courtesy and chivalry.

15. FEUDALISM
The country was not governed by the
king, but by individual lords or barons who
administered their own estates, dispensed
their own justice and minted their own
money.
Feudalism was built upon a relationship of
obligation and mutual service between
vassals and lords.

16. KING
BARONS
KNIGHTS
VASSALS
PEASANTS

17. VASSALS
A vassal held his land as grant
from a lord. The vassal was
required to attend the lord at
his court, help administer
justice and contribute money if
needed. He must answer a
summons to battle , bringing
an agreed upon number of
fighting men. He must feed
and house the lord and his
company when they travelled
across his land.

18. LORD’S OBLIGATION:
On the lord’s side, he
was obliged to
protect the
vassal, give military
support and guard
his children. If a
daughter
inherited, the lord
arranged her
marriage.
If there were no heirs
the lords disposed of
the fief as he chose.

19. THE PEASANT’S LIFE:
Peasants had a hard life, but
they didn’t work on Sunday and
they could go to nearby fairs
and markets. The lot of serfs
was much harsher. Although
not techinically a slave, a serf
was bound to a lord for life. He
could own no property and
needed the lords permission to
marry.