Hedge knights are typically commoners who have risen to knighthood.There are three stages of service that knights hope to work their way up through:Ī poor hedge knight, proverbially camping under a hedge by the roadside. Most often, young men who have finished their training and just recently been knighted are landless and not in the service of any lord. They would technically hold the title of "knight", but no one would take their title seriously due to the low prestige of how they became knighted. A sellsword might get knighted for fighting well in a battle, and he might dishonorably knight all of his drinking companions who did nothing to earn it. Any knight can theoretically make another man a knight if he is willing to say the vows, though respectable knights would not hand out the title lightly. It is also seen as more prestigious to be knighted by a king, a major lord, a Kingsguard, or another highly respected knight.
In theory, all knights hold an equal rank, but in practice knights who own their own lands or who serve major lords are much more highly respected than a landless commoner who happened to be knighted after fighting valiantly in a battle. For example, Ser Bronn of the Blackwater was knighted after the Battle of the Blackwater for the vital role he played in setting the wildfire trap which destroyed much of the attacking enemy fleet. During Robert's Rebellion, Stannis Baratheon knighted Davos Seaworth as a reward for saving his castle garrison at the Siege of Storm's End - albeit this was a rare case in which Davos's bravery was not in combat, but in running the blockade around the castle to bring food to the starving garrison.Įven a common sellsword that has fought valiantly in combat may be rewarded by being dubbed a knight, though this occurs infrequently. This skips the typically large costs of training to be a knight, though it happens more often in wartime. It is not unheard of, however, for commoners to be knighted after significantly distinguishing themselves in combat. Of course, a commoner who has been knighted will have greater opportunity to gain the wealth needed to put his sons through training as knights. The rank of knighthood is not hereditary, and thus a knight's sons must go through the whole process of becoming knights themselves. However, such a task usually involves the expenditure of significant sums of money on armor and weaponry which puts it out of the reach of most commoners. Pursuing a knighthood is one of the few ways for a member of the smallfolk to achieve rank and standing amongst the nobility. A young knight-in-training is known as a " squire". Typically, young men must undergo many years of extensive and expensive training to become a knight. Gregor Clegane is knighted by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Either enough men, or the right man." ― Sandor Clegane Let me tell you what makes a knight: killing. " Honor, glory.lies to make idiot boys want knighthood and idiot girls spread their legs for it.
#KNIGHTHOOD LIST FREE#
Examples are Ser Rodrik Cassel and Ser Jorah Mormont, both of the North.īecause it is tied to the Faith of the Seven, knighthood does not exist in other cultures outside of the Seven Kingdoms, either among the wildlings beyond the Wall, nor across the Narrow Sea in other continents such as Essos (though of course, a knight from the Seven Kingdoms may travel to the Free Cities).
Sometimes, however, a soldier who does not follow the Faith of the Seven may nonetheless be rewarded for exemplary service with the title of knighthood by a lord who does worship the Seven. For example, Eddard Stark himself was not a knight, because he proudly continued to worship the Old Gods of his ancestors, yet he was still a great warrior. The institution of knighthood is therefore not heavily practiced in these two regions, and very few Northerners or ironborn ever choose to become knights, even if they are renowned warriors. The Faith of the Seven is the dominant religion in all but two of the kingdoms: the North (whose inhabitants still worship the Old Gods of the Forest) and the Iron Islands (who follow a local deity called the Drowned God). And with any knight, honorable conduct and level of piety varies from person to person. As a result of this, knighthood is intimately tied to the Faith of the Seven, and the ideal of knighthood is to be not only an honorable warrior but a devout follower of the Seven. Knighthood originated in Andal culture, and was introduced to Westeros during the Andal Invasion six thousand years ago. Even the ones who have never seen an arrow coming their way." ― Eddard Stark, a Northman, criticizing knights. They strut around like roosters down here.