The lowest rank of the nobility. Knighthood is an honor conferred on a person for his or her life only and is not heritable. Knights are usually men but this is not a requirement. Hârn has some
female knights, but not many.
The training for knighthood (apprentice knights are called squires) begins at around age 12, when the child of a knight is invited to foster at the household of another knight. Squires learn
the knightly virtues: skill at arms, heraldry, and horsemanship. If all goes well, the squire can expect to be knighted around the age of 21.
Although anyone may theoretically be knighted, most who achieve the rank are the son or daughter of a noble family and thus born to the station. A person may be knighted for exemplary military service to the crown, but working ones way up through squirehood is almost the only way to gain the necessary skills of horsemanship. Because it is customary to provide the new knight with a horse and full war gear, the considerable expense tends to deter most who could legally grant the rank from doing so. Most knighthoods are granted by barons, earls, or other wealthy fiefholders. The quality of training received by a squire will vary according to the wealth of the household where he receives his training.
The number of knights far exceeds the number that can be granted fiefs. Some will inherit or marry into land, but most will spend their careers as knights bachelor.