Antoran Chivalry

Andoran Chivalry is a system of various concepts that encompass the ideals, behaviors, and status of Andoran knights and gentlefolk. First popularized in 1149 with the writing of To Become an Ideal Cavalier (Convertirse en un Perfecto Caballero,) the proliferation of chivalric codes of conduct and social conventions across Andora was greatly helped by literature and the teachings of the Andoran Deus Church. Literary sagas such as The Great Deeds (Las Estupenda Hazañas) and Fifteen Virtues (Quince Virtudes) told the stories of knights performing acts of honor and great renown. Modern scholarship has suggested that most of the writings from this period on the matter are apocryphal and anachronistic, but did have a great impact upon the chivalry of the day.

The Rest, 1877, displays an idealized Andoran knight and his maiden

The idea of chivalry in Andora traces its roots to the cavalrymen of the eastern principalities where the terrain was favorable to mounted combat. The day-to-day lives of these cavalry involved military proficiency, constant training as an individual, service to a higher authority, and battlefield control. As mounted combat become more culturally intrinsic and more ritualized, so too did the lifestyles of the cavalrymen. Concepts such as it being forbidden for an infantryman to directly fight a horseman or vice versa emerged, owed to the disparity in training and equipment between the two being unequal and therefore unfair, and also to the status of many professional cavalrymen as landowners and nobles. The service of these self-equipped and trained soldiers became so important to the lords of the east that the formal office of knighthood was eventually created. Knights, as the most powerful individuals on a battlefield, became expected to become ideal people as well as warriors. The ideals of chivalry became codified in 1355 as the Andoran Precepts of Honorable and Chivalric Life.

Chivalry is ingrained heavily into the culture of Casilló y Réal. For much of its history its two constituent kingdoms were at war, and knights featured heavily in the militaries of both parties. There are five Chivalric Orders of Knighthood in the present day, three of which trace their heritage to the longest and bloodiest war between the kingdoms, the Thirty Years Bloodshed. So many knights were created during this war it is said that 80% of the population can trace their ancestry to one. In the modern era, chivalry has come to be accepted as a general social norm. 'Casual Chivalry' in contemporary Andora is a philosophy on living life which combines a knowledge of 'courtly' or high society manners, being true and honest with one's beliefs be they religious or otherwise, and the ability and capacity to defend oneself or others. These ideals combine into the moral and ethical concepts of Andoran honor and nobility, which all are generally expected via social contract to follow. People are expected to act honorably and selflessly, to perform good deeds on occasion, to respect and consider their neighbors. Casilló y Réal's populace remains one of the few in the world that integrates a written social code that is not politically designed nor religious into their everyday life. As a point of cultural uniqueness, the battlefield usage and practices of knighthood remain alive today in the Corric military.

Terminology & Origins

The origins of the Staynish word 'chivalry' are disputed, but scholars have noted a relationship to the Impelanzan word 'caballero/a' which can translate to 'horseman,' 'cavalry,' 'cavalier,' or 'knight,' depending on context. As it was used in the Andoran principalities before the Twelfth Century, 'caballero' meant contextually 'a man, who either has been granted military office or has assumed one on virtue of owning land, who serves as a mounted combatant for his liege lord by the ability of his physical body and the equipment he possesses.' Such men were expected to act as officers of individual units known as 'lanzas,' or lances, and act as an example for the men under them. Similar to the concept of 'knights' being mounted armored soldiers who act with dignity in other parts of the world, the Andoran caballeros can be categorized as and indeed directly translate idiomatically and linguistically to knights.

As the caballeros became more and more pervasive in cultural understandings of war, the idea of formations of mounted soldiers spread from the coastal regions to the Andoran interior. While mountainous terrain did not provide as much room for ideal cavalry maneuvers, the principalities of the west saw the virtue in organizing forces of horse. These caballeros were used in skirmishing, flanking maneuvers, and scouting, taking on a slightly different connotation than their eastern cousins. While the heavy horse of the Andoran coastal states were designed as the mailed fist that crushed enemy formations and rode down routed soldiers, the lighter horse of the interior lords were better suited to locating, reporting on, and harrassing the enemy, preventing him from organizing efficiently while the main infantry moved into position and tore him apart while he was distracted. This resulted in the western caballeros being viewed less as paragons of leadership, virtue, and raw martial skill, and more of responsible guides; the men that led the army onto the path to victory rather than leading the army on the path. Due to the importance of the duties of scouting and skirmishing, they were no less respected, and the position was seen as just as indicative of status.

The codification of chivalry and the acts of caballeros into a hard set of rules began with the writing of To Become an Ideal Cavalier in 1149. Penned by the Tunesism scholar Guilliam de Cartevija, it was the first literary work to describe in detail the responsibilities and expectations placed upon a caballero and how he should act to accomplish them. With some obvious but not direct religious overtones, the work was generally accepted as a good guide on comportment. In 1203 it was joined by the Deusism-inspired Holy Actions of the Noble Man, written by Count Julían de Vries. de Vries is generally accepted to have drawn heavy inspiration from de Cartevija's work, but crucially added a list of commandments that he thought all caballeros should follow. It was the combination of these two texts that proliferated the idea of a universal social code for gentlemen and warriors.

de Vries Noble Commandments

Count de Vries text listed eight Noble Commandments which he believed all those of noble birth, great renown, or martial skill should follow:

1. Thou shalt always be mindful that there is a higher power.
2. Thou shalt never act contrary to the ideals of the higher power
3. Thou shalt defend the sanctity of the world and those places of worship therein.
4. Thou shalt be aware of thine own strength of body, spirit, mind, and status and use thine strength to better the world.
5. Thou shalt obey thine liege be they good, just, and of sound mind.
6. Thou shalt consider those of less status as no less important, and respect and defend them.
7. Thou shalt act to thine foes and friends a just man, and never give thyself to lie, deceit, or treachery.
8. Thou shalt observe the world and make effort to rid it of the unjust, the deceitful, the liers, and the treacherous.

Further texts, such as the 1297 work The Great Deeds, which chronicled the life of caballero Frederico de Largo and his efforts to always act with moral goodness, and the 1321 anthology Fifteen Virtues, a collection of fifteen poems about different knights and their triumphs over different obstacles, can be considered part of the courtly romance and romantic chivalry movement of Andoran literature. This saw the idea of caballeros rescuing, learning from, escorting, or courting women enter into mainstream practice as a way to entertain and add aspects to stories that ladies could relate to. The courtly practices in literature soon became reality in noble life across the region. This combination of honor, virtue, skill, and piety would combine to make caballeros into the true Andoran embodiment of the knightly concept.

As Tunesism fell out of use in Andora in favor of Deusism, aspects of its ideas could still be found in chivalric traditions such as certain colors being associated with certain aspects of caballeros. The color orange, for example, still is connected to martial strength in Casilló y Réal. King Arturo Gael Andres, who founded Casilló in 1249, took orange as both his dynasty name (Naranza) as well as the official color of royalty. Most Andoran texts on chivalry after 1400 have all overt religious aspects relating to Deusism, however, and Tunesism remains largely in the minority of contemporary Corric knights.

Andoran Precepts

The Andoran Precepts for Honorable and Chivalric Life were written in 1355 by King Marius Ignatius II of Réal. The king was considered a scholar in his day and was a great student of philosophy. The Precepts were written as part of a larger effort by Marius Ignatius II to set standards for behavior in his court and on the battlefield. The entire text was unique at the time for its total disregard for religious doctrine and lack of theological content. The king argued that for one to act properly, one did not have to believe in any higher power, as he had seen many men who were avowedly atheist or of completely different religions act with more honor than some Deusist knights of his court. Marius Ignatius II would go on to use the Precepts as the measuring stick by which he measured his court; only those worth of the office would be knighted and any who were found to have violated a Precept were stripped of their knighthood. This, while unpopular with many members of the Réoran nobility, would ensure that the corps of professional caballeros the king retained were so respected and so skilled they remain immortalized in Andoran culture as 'The Righteous Brotherhood.'

The Precepts are still used today as the code for the knights of Casilló y Réal, revised from the originals slightly:

1. As a knight, you will perform the duty required of you by your lord and your monarch, so long as the duty is Fair, Just, and Good.
2. As a knight, you will only serve a lord and monarch who are Fair, Just, and Good, and if they not, make known their misdeeds if possible and remove them from office if not.
3. As a knight, you will be in all things Fair, Just, and Good, as the expectations of your people, lord, and monarch are with you at all times.
4. As a knight, you will maintain your physical and mental prowess, for you have earned this office in the expectation you will use your prowess when called upon.
5. As a knight, you will exercise the prowess of which you posses upon the issues of your lord and monarch, be they enemies of the state or the dilemma of the debate floor.
6. As a knight, you will never act with enmity towards those with less than you, even if they are criminal or enemy, for all people deserve respect.
7. As a knight, you will use only commensurate force against those you are called to combat, and never cause undue or collateral harm.
8. As a knight, you will learn and broaden your scope of knowledge, and not willfully become ignorant, to better understand and navigate the world.
9. As a knight, you will assist the people around you to better their lives and to better your own understanding of life.
10. As a knight, you will face many challenges and situations of difficult choice, so you must be prepared to make difficult choices.
11. As a knight, you will encounter failure, so you must understand that failure does not mean the lessening of your worth, only the opportunity to continue to better yourself.
12. As a knight, you will encounter success, so you must understand that you must not act with arrogance or boastfulness, as this will only diminish your ability to continue to truly succeed.
13. As a knight, you will represent the heritage and ideals of your office, and endeavor to spread the knowledge and actions of chivalry wherever you go.
14. As a knight, you will have the power to make those who embody the heritage and ideals of your office into knights of honor, so long as it is documented and recorded for your lord and monarch.

The courtly reforms were so successful that the royal knights of Réal quickly became made up of only the most skilled, moral, and responsible caballeros in the Kingdom. The common folk brought most issues before a royal knight to be judged rather than their own lords knights, which prompted the nobility to send their retainers for study at the court of the king. The royal knights also became highly desirable social matches for unwed ladies, which further prompted more gentlemen to attempt to live by the Precepts in hope of good marriage prospects. Marius Ignatius II is credited with transforming the Réoran feudal system from one with a strata of morals into one that was filled with lords and gentlemen who were always considerate, kind, generous, and welcoming. The lords of Casilló were so impressed by the manners of their longtime enemies they too adopted the Precepts, with one unnamed Count at the Arranzic court in 1371 remarking, "we all, gentlemen, have been willingly domesticated by the chivalry of the East."

Modern Chivalry

There are two major influences that chivalry has had on Corric culture: military and social. The long history of chivalry being a core component of Andoran military reality, the practice of knighting particular kinds of soldiers has been kept alive. This has largely been at the behest of the monarchy and nobility, who have seen that knighthood be preserved close to its original form for cultural and martial prestige. Since the development of Corric culture has been hand-in-hand with the realities of local wars, the ideals of chivalry have trickled down from the caballeros to their families and the families upon their lands. Thanks to the large numbers of knights that fought in the Thirty Year's Bloodshed, nearly all regions of the country have people who can trace their family to at least one knight. This ancestry combined with the slow emulsion of court life into everyday life resulted in the general populace viewing 'chivalry' as a way all people should act, instead of only knights.

Types of Knights

There are different 'ranks' of knights in Andoran tradition, as well as several Chivalric Orders which have their own traditions, ranks, and codes.

The most basic type of knight is simple a 'Knight,' or Caballero. The title is non-peerage, meaning the holder cannot be elected to the House of the Nobility and cannot be afforded the Privileges of a lord, and non-hereditary. A Knight is formally afforded the title of 'The Honorable' and may attach the suffix 'cb.' to their name. According to Staynish language conventions, Knights may use the alternative titles of 'Sir,' 'Dame,' or 'Cavalier' depending on their preferences. This title is often used outside the military as an acknowledgement of an individuals service to the Corric state, people, or identity, such as prominent musicians or scientists.

The next step up from a Caballero is a 'Knight Sergeant,' the Sargento Caballero. This title is similarly non-peerage and non-hereditary. It does, however, afford the holder a small state pension. A King Sergeant is granted the title 'The Honorable Sergeant' and may use the suffix 'sc.' While having the same Staynish conventions, this level of knighthood is used for non-military award to politicians, humanitarians, and diplomats who have achieved great successes.

The next rank is known as the 'Knight Captain,' the Capitán Caballero. This title is non-hereditary, but does grant the bearer the same Privileges as a Corric noble of Baron. Knight Captains are able to be elected into the House of the Nobility as Bailiffs and receive a moderate state pension in lieu of tax funds from owned land. The formal title for a Knight Captain is 'The Honorable Captain,' and their suffix is 'cnc.' The Staynish titles knights at this rank are allowed to use are 'Honorable Sir,' 'Honorable Dame, or 'Honorable Cavalier.' This rank begins the trend of levels of knighthood that are not awarded to the general populace, only military personnel or members of the peerage.

Above Knight Captain is 'Knight Commander,' known as the Commandante Caballero. It is a peerage title equivalent to a Viscount, and holders can be elected as Bailiffs and recieve a more robust pension than Knight Captains. Knight Commanders are afforded the official title of 'The High Honorable' and use the suffix 'cmc.' As a Staynish title, Knight Commanders may use 'High Honorable Sir,' 'High Honorable Dame,' or 'High Honorable Cavalier.' Recipients of this knighthood are most often accomplished military officers or nobles who have performed an extraordinary service to the state or people.

The highest knighthood outside of the Chivalric Orders is the 'Knight Paladin,' otherwise known as the Paladín Caballero. Unlike all other ranks, it is both hereditary and peerage, elevating the recipient to the equivalent of a Count and granting them a small area of land for them to help administrate and receive revenue from. This allows them to be elected to the House of the Nobility as a Lord rather than a Bailiff. A rare title, only granted to those the monarch personally deems to be of the highest deed and moral fiber, it comes with the caveat that once someone inherits the title, they must be tested by the reigning monarch to see if they are worth of carrying on the knighthood. If they are not, the rank is downgraded to that of Knight Commander and the associated lands will revert to the Crown upon the knight's death. Knight Paladins may use the title 'The Most Honorable Paladin' and receive the suffix of 'pc.' The Staynish name for the title is the same and has no gendered derivatives.

The authority to make a knight rests ultimately with the monarch, who according to the First Constitution is afforded the power amongst those that deal with managing armory and nobility. The Constitution states that "all chivalric deeds and titles are derived from, and source authority from, the Monarch, who retains the ultimate ability and right to dispense the acknowledgement of chivalry in the form of titles and grants." However, in medieval times, any Andoran knight was allowed to knight another individual. This came with the expectation that any such even would be recorded and justified, then submitted to the knight's liege lord and then the monarch for ratification. This allowed for a form of battlefield promotion to reward and encourage worthy soldiers in the monarch was not present to do the deed. This system still survives in the modern day.

A person who possesses any chivalric title may allow another person to assume the title of Knight, through proper ceremony and paperwork. This involves tapping both shoulders twice with a sword, a sprinkling of olive oil across the forehead, and having them repeat each of the fourteen Precepts before reciting "I am a knight, and a knight I shall die, save if I dishonor they who have granted me this boon." This is considered the spiritual beginning of the new knight, though the person who knighted them must fill out an official document known as a C-180-k. This document requires an explanation for the knighting and must be cosigned by the new knight and two witnesses. This document is then sent to the Ministry of Civil Services for archival and is then sent to the Monarch, who reviews and rubber stamps it. Only regular Caballeros may be created in this manner.

Tank crews such as this one in the Corric military are all granted the chivalric rank of Caballero

Military

The practice of knighting soldiers of particular role or skill is still actively practiced in the Royal Corric Defense Forces. All tank crews and aircraft pilots and copilots are knighted upon their formal posting. In this practice, it is believed that the old traditions of noble cavalry will survive to enrich Corric culture and provide a morale boost to the soldiers. Such postings are highly coveted and competitive in training, which ensures only the best performing individuals make the cut. To avoid demoralization, the Corric military also grants the title of Squire to all soldiers who train for a knightly position but do not achieve it, and the title of Man-at-arms to all vehicle crewmembers. These hold no privileges, pensions, or formal titles, but recipients are allowed to use the suffix 'cv.' for 'chivalry.