Our King Needs Us - Stripey the Noble Traditional Cache
Stripey the Bear: Thanks to all who visited this cache
Our King Needs Us - Stripey the Noble
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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When the call came to help our King I was but a lowly squire, but was desirous to aid
our King. I offered my service to the knights, at that point Willy the Majestic
bestowed on me the honour of Knight.
There were only two ways in which a person could become a knight. The first way was
considered the normal course of action for the son of a noble. When a boy was eight
years old, he was sent to the neighboring castle where he was trained as a page. The
boy was usually the son of a knight or a member of the aristocracy. He spent most of
his time strengthening his body, wrestling and riding horses. He also learned how to
fight with a spear and a sword. He practiced against a wooden dummy called a
quintain. It was essentially a heavy sack or dummy in the form of a human. It was
hung on a wooden pole along with a shield. The young page had to hit the shield in
its center. When hit, the whole structure would spin around and around. The page had
to maneuver away quickly without getting hit. The young man was also taught more
civilized topics. He would be taught to read and write by a schoolmaster. He could
also be taught some Latin and French. The lady of the castle taught the page to sing
and dance and how to behave in the king’s court.
At the age of fifteen or sixteen, a boy became a squire in service to a knight. His
duties included dressing the knight in the morning, serving all of the knight’s
meals, caring for the knight’s horse, and cleaning the knight’s armor and weapons. He
followed the knight to tournaments and assisted his lord on the battlefield. A squire
also prepared himself by learning how to handle a sword and lance while wearing forty
pounds of armor and riding a horse. When he was about twenty, a squire could become a
knight after proving himself worthy. A lord would agree to knight him in a dubbing
ceremony. The night before the ceremony, the squire would dress in a white tunic and
red robes. He would then fast and pray all night for the purification of his soul.
The chaplain would bless the future knight's sword and then lay it on the chapel or
church's altar. Before dawn, he took a bath to show that he was pure, and he dressed
in his best clothes. When dawn came, the priest would hear the young man's
confession, a Catholic contrition rite. The squire would then eat breakfast. Soon the
dubbing ceremony began. The outdoor ceremony took place in front of family, friends,
and nobility. The squire knelt in front of the lord, who tapped the squire lightly on
each shoulder with his sword and proclaimed him a knight. After the dubbing, a great
feast followed with music and dancing.
The second method was the method by which I, Stripey the Noble became a Knight. A
young man could also become a knight for valor in combat after a battle or sometimes
before a battle to help him gain courage.
Knights believed in the code of chivalry. They promised to defend the weak, be
courteous to all women, be loyal to their king, and serve God at all times. Knights
were expected to be humble before others, especially their superiors.
At this time I put the challenge to all Knights and would be Knights to go to the
place of the epic battle between Wood and Wind to find the treasure which you seek.
This treasure along with those placed by my fellow Knights will lead you to our
King.
Stripey the Noble
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