Black Knights of Heaven Sword
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Black Knights of Heaven Sword |
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| Price per Unit (piece):
$299.00
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The Black Knight is loyal to no one but the virtue of his cause. This blade reflects that virtue in its construction and feel. A black knight is a soldier or knight who either is not bound to a specific liege or does not want his liege, or himself, to be identified and so does not bear any heraldic standards or has blackened them out. Since heraldic standards were carefully regulated by one official body or other (such as the Scottish Lord Lyon King of Arms or the English College of Arms), a fighting man who had not obtained a standard (through inheritance or endowment by a liege) would have no colors or devices to represent him. These would-be knights were often freelance soldiers. Because they usually lacked a squire or page to care for their armor, they would paint it black to prevent rust. An experienced and equipped soldier without a specific fealty was a wild card and an organized force of them could pose a serious problem for kings. This sort of dispossessed status ran contrary to the entire system of feudalism and this condition was looked upon with disfavor. This disfavoring viewpoint is a contributing factor towards the pejorative usage of the term. The more commonly used, and negative reference, is that of a soldier or knight who has purposely hidden their standards. Knights involved in risky political intrigues or activities unbecoming of a man of station would blacken their shields so as to not be easily identified. |
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