Landed knight

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Revision as of 08:20, 25 January 2019 by TMWNN (talk | contribs) (Examples: Cite)
Jump to: navigation, search

A landed knight is a knight that takes residence in a keep with accompanying land. They have their own peasants and men-at-arms and may take sworn swords.

Landed knights are members of nobility; they sent girls to the Maiden's Day Cattle Show,[1] but normally are too low in rank to marry into great houses.[2] While the wealthiest knights manage more land than the poorest lords, landed knights do not have the authority to deliver justice in their land, the right of pit and gallows. Rather, they must appeal to their liege lord.[3][4] Landed knights are sworn to fight for the lord who holds dominion over their land.

According to George R. R. Martin, some landed knights are more powerful than smaller lordlings. These knights are usually of ancient houses, with extensive lands, and strong castles. Their status is often reflected by taking a style that incorporates the name of their castle, such as Symond Templeton being the "Knight of Ninestars". A landed knight generally has less prestige, however, and is outranked by lords at feasts and tourneys.[5]

According to a semi-canon source, "masters" in the north are similar to southron landed knights.[6]

Examples

References

  1. Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - War and Peace and Cattle Shows.
  2. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 6, The Merchant's Man.
  3. So Spake Martin: Land Ownership and Marriage in Westeros?, December 19, 1999
  4. The Sworn Sword.
  5. So Spake Martin: Knights and Lords, March 02, 2002
  6. A Forum of Ice and Fire: The ASOIAF wiki thread
  7. A Clash of Kings, Prologue.
  8. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 36, Davos IV.