Chivalry is evidence of the essential goodness of the human spirit. It is a on attempt on the part of the brutal and violent to create a place for themselves in the fabric of society – for them to be better than their upbringing, their culture, and perhaps even their own natures.
In accepting a code of chivalry, the strong – warriors and knights – agree to limit their own power over others. It is in their power to kill, maim, torture, rape and steal; yet they choose not to, instead channeling their energy to maintain society. It is almost a miracle.
Central to this idea are the knightly virtues, which are the characteristics that define what is a good knight. Examples of these virtues are many, but the one’s most often cited are prowess, franchise, charity, mercy, faith, temperance, and prudence.
To my mind, the keystone virtue is prowess, which can be defined as “power through skill or strength”. Prowess and the effort to acquire it is the engine that drives a knight, pushes him forward to great deeds, both for woe and weal. The other virtues act to surround prowess, to limit it. A strong fighter without merci is a brute, one without honor is a brigand, one without prudence is a dangerous fool, and one without the will to use power (franchise) is the same as a man without any power at all.
As such, I am committed to no single virtue, but instead work constantly to maintain the dynamic balance between the virtues, and in so doing dream to become a complete and worthy knight.
It is a on attempt on the part of the brutal and violent
to create a place for themselves in the fabric of society
– for them to be better than their upbringing, their culture,
and perhaps even their own natures.
(すみません、ここがうまく訳せませんでした;;)