Christian influence is evident in chivalry by examining that which was glorified within the code. Loyalty, kindness, politeness, and respect was the behavior expected from a knight. Most importantly to the knight, however, was faith in God. It was thought that through strong belief in God, they would be able to "overcome the evil tidings of the world" (Wyrme, Internet). Loyalty was demanded from both God and the knight's feudal lord. The knight was to be kind to all; peasants, ladies, lords etc (Encarta). This was supposed to mean that he also protect

Another significant influence upon the ideals of chivalry was courtly love. This was basically sanctioned adultery. Since marriages were often just business contracts, it was not uncommon for a lady of nobility to have an anonymous lover. A knight would write her poetry, do good deeds in her name, and if needed, defend the name and honor of this lady. Once the knight made his love known to her, and if she shared it, they would go on with complete secrecy. In this way the contract of marriage wasn't defied in the eyes of the public. Unfaithfulness to this lover, however, was considered much more sinful than the extra marital relationship (Encarta). Politeness and respect have partial origin from courtly love. Being polite and having high respect for the lady during times of courting were n

Some common words found in the essay are:
Encarta Politeness, World History, Internet Loyalty, Code Chivalry, courtly love, politeness respect, loyalty kindness politeness, kindness politeness respect, social rank, kindness politeness, loyalty kindness,
Approximate Word count = 533
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)