The question of what medieval rites are depicted on ancient miniatures is quite often found in various school assignments (exercises, olympiads, etc.). Working with illustrative material is important because it forms in the child a visual representation of the life of people of that distant time. Drawings help to better remember the features of clothing, weapons, dwellings of representatives of the military and upper classes, since they were most often depicted in the pictures.
Knightly dedication - girdling
When answering the question of what medieval rites are depicted in ancient miniatures, it should be remembered that these drawings, as a rule, depicted scenes that were especially important for the life of the society of the time in question. One of the most common compositions is the knighting ceremony.
This is because the society was hierarchical. Almost every person was drawn into the system of vassal relations. Warriors also occupied a prominent place in the hierarchical structure. In order to become a member of a knight corporation, you mustit was necessary to go through a special ceremony, which consisted in girdling the sword. Therefore, when it comes to what medieval rites are depicted in ancient miniatures, it must be remembered that this particular scene is especially common.
Knight's dedication - sword strike
The above version of the initiation is rooted in the era of barbaric times. The peculiarities of the ceremony were influenced by the ancient German customs of the era of military democracy. Before a warrior became a knight, he went through a long and difficult path of fulfilling the duties of a squire, participated in battles, and at the same time he had to accomplish a military feat. That is why the ceremony was so carefully scheduled and regulated. The latter circumstance should be taken into account when studying what medieval rites are depicted on ancient miniatures.
There was another way of knighting - a blow with a sword on the shoulder of the applicant for knighthood. This option is also quite common in the drawings. However, it belongs to the period of the developed Middle Ages. Moreover, this ceremonial is mentioned in the famous novel Don Quixote.
Vasal oath
Another way to enter the hierarchical system was to swear allegiance to a vassal. In the French version, this rite was called hommage - “homage”. The knights always took an oath of allegiance to their master - the man who gave them land, for which they were obliged to perform military service. This scene is often depicted in medievalrituals on ancient miniatures. There is a lot of information on this topic in the 6th grade history textbooks. This rite involved the pronunciation of an oath, and then the exchange of a kiss, symbolizing fidelity.
