Wharram Percy/A Knight's Tale
Look across to the hill you can see squires practising swordsmanship near the castle. We see a lot of this as the Baron's castle is close to the manor. Their armour, called chain mail, is made of interlocking iron rings making it easier to move.
Knights are skilled horse soldiers who have been given their Manors by the Baron in return for serving in the army. Knights are trained in chivalry from about the age of 7 when they become a page, at 14 he will become a squire and continue with his education as a gentleman, learning about religion, and also learning how to fight with lance and sword. A successful squire will be knighted by the Baron or even the King in a ceremony where he swears to fight for God, his King and to be chivalrous.
One of the best things about living near the castle is that we can go to the tournaments where the knights display their skills.
Tournaments
Jousting is a very popular entertainment up at the castle. Knights charge at each other along opposite sides of a barrier and try to knock each other off their horse. A knight often jousted to show his love for a lady and wore her "gage", often a scarf. It's very dangerous. Several knights have been killed jousting at Percy castle.
Jousting like most medieval pastimes have a serious side too. They are ways of practising the skills they will need in battle.
Interactive exercises
Gap-fill
Complete the text by dragging the green fields!
Every boy dreamt of becoming a knight. This, however, took years of hard work.
At the age of 7 they became a page and had to clean the stables, saddle the horses and clean the weapons.
At 14 he will become a squire. A successful squire will be knighted by the Baron or even the King in a ceremony where he swears to fight for God, his King and to be chivalrous.
What a life!
Knights and squires have different rights and tasks. Sort them!
A knight …
| must | fight for his king | help the poor | protect women and children |
| needn't | make his own weapons | do the housework | work on the fields |
| mustn't | lie to his king | torture his men | run away in a battle |
A squire …
| had to | feed his knight's horse | clean his knight's weapons | learn how to fight |
| didn't have to | cook the meals | learn how to sew | sleep in the stable |
| wasn't allowed to | speak badly about his knight | marry a lady | forget his knight's weapons |
Memo-Quiz
Find the pairs:
.jpg) |
armour |
 |
battle axe |
 |
helmet |
 |
lance |
 |
long bow |
 |
shield |
 |
sword |
Kreuzworträtsel
Can you do the a crossword puzzle? All the words are from unit 2!
If you click on the numbers, an input field will open!
| shield | wooden plate to protect against sword cuts |
| helmet | medieval headwear |
| sword | (much) bigger than a knife |
| armour | protective clothing (made of iron) |
| archery | shooting with bows and arrows |
| knives | weapon to cut and stab (plural) |
