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Eukara Vox -> Issue 46 - Chivalry (Stromy) (9/4/2009 14:03:01)
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Chivalry
by Stromy
Chivalry traces its roots back to medieval times. It is related to the institution of knighthood, based on a philosophy of virtue, honor, and love and admiration of women. Many times when people are talking about chivalry, they tend to associate it with the "damsel in distress". This in turn can lead to labeling chivalry as sexist. Things like holding the door for women and allowing a woman to go first indeed seem like sexist things. At its very core, chivalry is not really so much about specific examples, as it is about adhering to a set of morals. This leads me believe that women actually play a far different role in chivalry than the traditional "damsel in distress".
There's no arguing that one of the basic principles of chivalry is the gentlemanly treatment of women. Let us not dwell so much on the specifics that go hand-in-hand with that principle, but instead, focus on why the principle came about. When it comes right down to it, men are, in general, stronger than women. This is because a man's body produces large amounts of testosterone. In general, then, it would be more utilitarian for men to be the Protectors in a society. This was especially true before the advent of guns. This greater strength, though, can be corrupting. In a fight, if one person is more physically intimidating than their opponent, they have an advantage - this is assuming the equality of skill of the two persons. Using brute strength to win is a tactic that has and will be used quite often. Assuming that people are of equal intelligence, what then keeps the physically strong from completely dominating?
This is where chivalry comes into play. It was as much a requirement to be courteous, honorable, and faithful as it was to be skilled at using weapons for a knight in medieval times. Women of the time saw these requirements as necessary. If a knight did not act in a chivalrous manner, he was less likely to be well received by women. This good reception was a necessity if a knight wanted to court a lady. If a knight did not follow the principles of chivalry he was naught but a brute with a weapon.
Hidden, or maybe not so hidden, in the preceding paragraph is the essential reason why I believe women play a different role in chivalry than the damsel in distress. A woman's role is different than that of the damsel in distress because she has the control of whether or not she will respond positively to a knight's courtship of her. Though I am not female, I can guess that most women would indeed want a suitor who is courteous, honorable, and faithful to them. Since most women want these things, it is generally a good idea for a man to be a person who is described by those traits. Women were, rather than damsels in distress, the moral keepers of medieval society. Simply put, they made the men behave.
I mentioned before that things have changed since the advent of advanced weaponry - namely guns. This does not necessarily mean that chivalry no longer exists. If a man wants to marry a woman, she still must find him suitable. So then, rather than sexist, chivalry, in the modern world, seems like it could just be the values that the majority of women would find pleasing in a man that she would marry.
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