Chivalry

Afterwatchingthemovie,Ihavesomequestionswhichpuzzleme.AndIhavereadsomebooksaboutchivalrytofindtheanswertothesequestions.NowIwanttotalkabouttherelationshipbetweenknightsandwars,courtlylove.(Knightsandwar)Ireallyenjoythismovie,especiallythescenesofbattle.AsaChinese,theirfighting-patternreallyimpressedme.Ourancientsusedswordsorspearstofighteachother,buttheydidn’t.AndIwasreallysurprisedatthewayofwarinmedievalEurope.Therearethreebattlesinthemovie.ThefirstoneisthatIvanhoefightswithotherfiveknight.Theyaimorthrustalanceinajoust.Youmaythinkitisveryeasy,butasamatterafact,ifyouwanttomakeyouropponentfalldown,youneedtopracticemuchandhaveaclearideaofothersshortcomings.Ifyouhavecourage,butwithoutmoney,youcannottakepartinit.ThesecondbattleoftheTuoKuierStoneCastleisverymagnificent.Thisisastrugglebetweenevilandjustice.Almosteveryonehasappearedinthebattle,andthebattlecompletelyunmasktheevilofNorman.ThethirdbattleistheduelbetweenIvanhoeandGuilbert.Thismovieisonly106minuteslongbutcontainthreebattles,doyouknowwhy?Frommyperspective,itisamovieaboutknight,andwarhascloserelationshipwithknight.Inmedieval,Knights’professionisfightingagainsttheenemies,andfightingagainsttheenemiesisviewedasthemostnobleandscaredjob.Thetournamentisknights’secondjob,whichisshowedinthefirstandthirdbattle.Itgoeswithoutsayingthatpeoplehatewarnowadays,butwhyknightslovewarandtournamentsomuchinmiddleages?Medievalaristocraticsocietyisahonorsociety.Inmedievalaristocraticsociety,nothingismoreimportantthantherespectforhonor,that’stosay,everyonepursuehonor.Honorviewisthecoreofchivalry,andwaristhesourceofknightshonor.Ithinkthisisthereasonthatknightsusedviolencetosolveproblem,theycanshowoffandgainrespectaswell.Thefilmfullyshowsthesignificanceofwarandhonorforknights,whichIreallyappreciate.BeforetheduelbetweenIvanhoeandGuilbert,GuilbertsaysthatifhegaveupfightingwithIvanhoe,hewilllosethehonorandrespect.Atfirst,Ididn’tunderstandwhyhesaysthat.Inmyculture,itisagoodthingthatyougiveupfightingagainstsomebodywhocansavethepeopleyoulove.ButnowIseemtounderstandwhathesays.Ifhegiveup,hewouldlosethetitleofknight,hisdignity,honorandtherespectfromothers,whichmeaneverythingforaknight.(KnightsandCourtlylove)Inthefirstbattle,Ivanhoewinsotherknights,thekingsays:“Accordingtotheknightsystem,youhastherighttochosethemostbeautifulandpopularqueen”.Iwaspuzzledatthebeginning,whyhegiveacrowntoanoblewomen?Asweallknow,inancientChina,thebeautifulwomenareoftendepictedsirenswhoconfuseemperorandbringthefallofthecountry.ChinaandEuropehasreallydifferentattitudetowomeninthepast.IntheviewofChinese,womenmakemonarchyfatuousanddissipated.ButfromtheopinionofmanyEuropeans,womenmakemenmorecrazyandbrave.Inordertowintheloveofnoblewomen,knightscansacrificeeverything,whichisseenasPlatoniclove.Noblewomenisthesymboloftruth,virtueandbeauty.Lovebecomethepowersourcewhichhelpknightschangethemselvesandachievethemoralqualityofsublimation.(实现道德品质的升华).TheloveamongIvanhoe,RebeccaandLadyRowenaalsomakesthefilmmorebrilliant.Courtlyloveispureandsacred.Ithasgreatandfar-reachinginfluenceonWesternCivilization.Itsublimateandremodelchivalry,makesknightsmorebraveandpolite.(典雅爱情重新塑造了和升华了骑士精神，使骑士更加英勇，同时融入了风雅，英勇中浸染了文雅和彬彬有礼，并蓄了刚柔文武).What’smore,courtlylovealsoimprovesthestatusofwomenandthethoughtsofrespectingwomenalsospreadinmiddleages,whichhaveprofoundimpactsonthesociety.Forexample,whentheTitanichitanicebergandsankmorethan81yearsago,onlyaboutathirdofthegreatship’spassengerssurvived.Mostwerewomenandchildren.Severalmalepassengersrefusedtoenterlifeboatsbecausetheyweren’tsureallthewomenweresafelyaboard.Butitisapitythatthechivalryofrespectingwomenandprotectingtheweakisgraduallyfadingawayinthemovementforwomensrights.(尊重妇女、保护弱者的骑士精神在女权运动中逐渐消逝)WhatIsaidaboveisthechivalrywhichhasbeenidealizedandprettified.Whenyouseethemovie,youpaymoreattentiononIvanhoethanGuilbertandotherknights,soyoumayignoretheshortcomingsthatshownbyotherotherknights.Ivanhoeisbraveandjustice,butnoteveryknightisbraveandjustice.Weneedtomorerationalandhaveagoodunderstandingofchivalry.WeknowthattheRomanEmpirewasoverrunbyNordicbarbarians.AnditwasGermanicpeoplethatbringRomanEmpiretolife.Howcanabarbaricracemakeadyingcivilizationcomeintolife?(野蛮的日耳曼民族是如何使一个垂死的文明重新焕发生命力？)Gentileinstitution(氏族制度)hasagreatimpactonGermanicpeoples,Germanicpeopleslikewaranditmakethembrave,generousandrespecthonor.Withtheestablishmentofwesternfeudalsystem,theGermanbodyguardsystemhasbeendevelopedintochivalry.Andthespiritofbrave,generousandhonorarethebasiccontentsofchivalry.Then,withthelimitofreligion,thenourishmentoflove,theinfluenceofliteraturearoughwarriorbecomesamodelofsocialjustice,butfightingagainstenemiesisalwaystheirregularoccupation.Now,wehaveageneralideaoftheoriginofchivalry.Warisaessentialpartofknights‘life.ThatiswhythemovieofIvanhoeshowthreebattlesandtous.Thecourtlyloveisshowninthemovie,butitisnotakeypoint,itsfunctionistodrivetheplot.