Chivalry is Dead?

There was a discussion on the radio this morning about chivalry, or rather the lack of it. The accusation was that chivalry among Singaporean men is dead (as if it was ever alive!) and therefore local men should not complain when women flock to all the ang mohs because these caucasian males know how to pamper females with more ‘respect’ and ‘courtesy’, unlike the typical Asian males.

The whole discussion ended with a note from one of the listeners: “Knights should be knights, damsels should be damsels. But it’s hard these days when the damsel has two degrees, drives a BMW and earns three times more than you.”

A curse of modern, enlightened society?

In the pursuit of sexual equality and the abolishment of sexist attitudes, women have indeed become more equal, even to the extent where society is beginning to celebrate the emergence of house-husbands. Yet in trying to make the world ‘fairer’ for the fairer sex, women have slowly ceased being the ‘damsels’ they used to be. After all, being a damsel has always implied that you are weaker and less intelligent.

Yet the amusing irony still remains. You may be a double-degree holder, drive a BMW and earn a five-figure salary. But the moment the tire bursts and your humongous beemer is stuck by the roadside, you immediate become the medieval ‘damsel in distress’ again.

Over lunch, my female colleagues commented that chivalry is NOT part of Asian culture or tradition. The concept of chivalry, gentlemanliness, and deference towards the fairer sex is it seems, a western value after all.

A quick Internet check on the definition of chivalry show that the western overtures are more than evident. The Unabridged Dictionary.com definition of chivalry:

1. the sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms.
2. the rules and customs of medieval knighthood.
3. the medieval system or institution of knighthood.
4. a group of knights.
5. gallant warriors or gentlemen: fair ladies and noble chivalry.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines it slightly differently:

1. the medieval system, principles, and customs of knighthood.
2. a. the qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women.
   b. a manisfestation of any of these qualities.
3. A group of knights or gallant gentlemen.

It is irrefutable that chivalry as is defined, revolves around the whole concept of knighthood. In other words, chivalry is a qualification to becoming a knight. So technically therefore, if I have no desire to become a knight (not as if I could if I wanted), I would not need to fulfil the requirements of chivalry?

Whoever heard of a knight in Chinese, even Asian culture and history?

Whatever the case, I thought it useful to also insert here the origin of the word ‘Chivalry’, so we all have a better understanding how this whole concept came about:

The Age of Chivalry was also the age of the horse. Bedecked in elaborate armor and other trappings, horses were certainly well dressed, although they might have wished for lighter loads. That the horse should be featured so prominently during the Age of Chivalry is etymologically appropriate, because chivalry goes back to the Latin word caballus, “horse, especially a riding horse or packhorse.” Borrowed from French, as were so many other important words having to do with medieval English culture, the English word chivalry is first recorded in works composed around the beginning of the 14th century and is found in several senses, including “a body of armored mounted warriors serving a lord” and “knighthood as a ceremonially conferred rank in the social system.” Our modern sense, “the medieval system of knighthood,” could not exist until the passage of several centuries had allowed the perspective for such a conceptualization, with this sense being recorded first in 1765.