The brave knight in shining armor come to slay the dragon and rescue the fair maiden in distress — is it merely the stuff of fairy tales? Who were they really and how easy was it to become one? Did they loot, pillage, and rape their way across the countryside, wreaking death and destruction? Or were they compassionate founders and staff of hospitals? Multinational financial corporations or warring farm women? Heretics or pious monks? Great military leaders or bumbling fools? How did one order manage to achieve its own independent state? We will look at possible answers to these questions in four sessions of lectures and discussions. The first will focus on how to become and remain a knight, purpose, and places; the second will examine the Knights Hospitaller; the third, the Knights Templar; and the fourth, the Knights Teutonic and contemporary organizations. There will be no study of the Knights Who Say Ni!

This course will combine lecture with class discussions.