Concept in Definition ABC

A squire was the person who was in charge of serving a knight in his daily tasks. They were normally individuals of noble origin, but their lineage had a very humble rank within the hierarchy of the nobility.

Feudal lord, knight and squire

In the feudalism the population in a social pyramid. At the top of the pyramid is the monarch. Below him are the feudal lords, who are the owners of the land. The subjects of the feudal lord are the vassals, who dedicate themselves to the culture of the lands.

To protect the territories or fiefdoms the feudal lords formed armies, which were composed of gentlemen, so called because they had sufficient financial means to keep a horse. The knights were dedicated to the militia and for this they hired the services of an assistant, the squire. At the same time, the nobles had another type of helper, the pages.

The tasks of a squire

If a man was appointed squire by a knight, it was understood that he had achieved greater social prestige. As an assistant, she had to maintain the weapons of his superior, cook for him, attend events social and ultimately serve his knight in all his needs, both in times of war like

peace. If in a battle a squire showed special bravery, he could become knighted by some great lord. On synthesis, the role of a squire was learn the world of chivalry, that is, heraldry, horsemanship and the use of arms.

Don Quixote's squire

Although Sancho Panza is a fictional character, he is undoubtedly the most recognized squire in history. His master is the knight-errant Don Quixote and both are the protagonists of the famous novel by Miguel de Cervantes "The ingenious gentleman Don Quixote de la Mancha".

Sancho is a farmer of humble origins and who agrees to be a squire for his neighbor Don Quixote because Don Quixote promises him that if they succeed in his adventures, he will become governor of his own island.

Sancho Panza is an uneducated, peaceful, happy man, a lover of popular sayings, with a great appetite and a free ride. In Don Quixote's words, Sancho has "very little salt in his head." Throughout the episodes starring the knight and his squire, it can be seen that Sancho is a faithful, good-natured and realistic man. In principle, Sancho decides to accompany Don Quixote out of interest, but little by little they become great friends.

With the history of these two characters we can learn how people lived in Castile in the 15th century.

Photos: Fotolia - FranciscoJose / Laiotz

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