NAVIGATION

Medieval knights were usually below the highest ranks of the nobility, but were traditionally able to equip themselves with a horse and all the necessary arms of a cavalryman. Jousting was an expensive pursuit owing to the cost of armour and horses, but many knights travelled from place to place challenging opponents in honour of a lady, true to the ideals of courtly love and literary romance.
Nobility of birth was a virtue as was success in arms, and both were linked in the cult of chivalry which was supported by the Royal courts. Chivalry was closely associated with beliefs in Christian endeavour, and fighting on a crusade continued over a long period to represent the pinnacle of knightly courage and endurance.