Though several knighting ceremonies have come down to us, there are several sources for these well documented "knights of the bath" ceremonies. The custom of a ritual bath accompanying the knighting ceremony seems to be far more popular in France than in England; at least it appears in more French romances than English ones. However, in one notable exception, Guy of Warwick, an extensive ceremony not dissimilar to that which follows might also be found.

According to Maurice Keen, there was an early separation between the 'religious' ceremonies dubbing a man to knighthood and the secular versions. The Knights of the Bath seem to have been an informal group of knights in England elevated in a special manner, giving them a lifelong distinction from knights raised to the accolade in other ways. Knights were often made in mass, on the battlefield or at other times when a feast or festival might be in session. Sir John Astley, for example, was knighted soon after he met a Castilian knight in a challenge on foot in a combat watched by the king himself.

The ceremony which follows has been taken from the 15^th century manuscript that provides the source for several documents on this site. We have translated the sometimes difficult Middle English to a more modern syntax, updating spellings and occasionally rearranging words. In a very few cases we paraphrased more liberally for readability.

First the king our sovereign lord writes letters unto certain squires of this realm, desiring to make them ready to receive the high and worshipful order of knighthood at a high feast of the year at such a time as the king would like.

The evening of the day of the feast all the squires who shall be made knights shall come together unto the king's palace (and the Marshal of England shall have all their horses, and the steward of the king's house shall meet with them and bring them into the king's presence. Then shall the king steward go to the kitchen for his meat, all the squires who shall be made knights with him. Each one of them shall have a dish, serving the king for the first course. When the king is thus served then shall the gentlemen ushers bring them all together in their chamber. They shall there have their dinner served. After they have dined the ushers shall return to the chamber and assign every squire a place for his bed and for his bath. When the king has dined, he shall send for certain squires of his household to await upon they who would be knights, serving as their servants and chamberlains.

Then shall the king's barber come and shave all the squires. Each squire shall pay the shaving of his beard twenty s. Every squire shall also ordain for his bath 24 elles of linen cloth, the king's barber to have this for his fee.

Then shall the squires go in to their bath. All of their clothes shall the sergeant of the chamber shall have for his fee. When they are in their bath, then shall the heralds of arms go unto the king and let him know that the squires are ready in their baths. The king shall command the steward of his house, with the other lords and knights, to go to the squires and take them into their charge as they sit in the bath.

The steward shall then come with all the lords and knights, and the king's minstrels and heralds of arms, into the chamber. The heralds shall give them their next charge, saying in this way:

"Brother, the king our Sovereign lord wills it that you take up this high and worshipful order, which as a knight I declare to you certain points that belong to this high order of knighthood. You shall love God above all things, be steadfast in faith, sustain the church, and be true to your sovereign lord. Be true to your word and promises, be secure in this. Also you shall sustain widows in their rights, anytime they require you, maidens in their virginity, helping them and succouring them in your good that they not be misgoverned for their own faults. You shall sit in no place where an evil judgement should be wrongfully given, to anybody, according to your knowledge. You shall suffer no murderers, nor extortions of the people within the Country where you dwell, but with your power you shall put them into the hands of justice, that they be punished as the king's law requires."

Each lord or knight shall put his hand into the bath and take water, making a cross on the squire's left shoulder before and behind, kissing it and saying in nomine pris. "God send you as much worship as any of your kin." Thus must do all of the lords and knights, unto every squire as they sit in their bath.

They shall then leave their baths, going to their beds. When the rise, they shall make themselves ready in hermit's array of Colchester russet. The sergeant of the king's chamber shall have the beds thus arrayed. A mattress, a pair of blankets, a pair of sheets, a coverlite of worstede and cloth of gold. Upon that should be a [tapite] of worstede at the bed's head hung over the head.

They shall all go together to the Chapel, praying until eight in the morning. They shall then have a mass of the Holy Ghost, offering a taper and a penny striking in the taper as close to the light as is reasonable. When the mass is done, then shall they return to their chambers, changing. The king's waiter shall have their 'watching' garments.

They shall change into another raiment. First they shall put on a doublet with black hose, [chsemles], a red coat of red tartan, a white leather belt about him, a belt with no buckle. He must have a white coif upon his head, a mantle of red tartyn about him, with white ermine. A white blaze (?) must be in the said manner on the mantle on the brest of the mantle, a pair of white gloves knit in this said blaze (?).

Then the servants and chamberlains who have been assigned to wait upon them shall take their swords. The scabbards shall be of white leather, also without any buckle, a pair of gilt spurs hanging up on the hilts. The servants and chamberlains shall bear the swords with the spurs before them.

They they shall come down an take their horses. Their horses shall be arrayed in this way; the saddle must be black and bordered around with white leather; the bridle must be black with a cross of brass hanging in the front; a paytrell of the same suit. The Marshal of England shall have these horses for his fee.

They shall alight and come into the king's presence with their swords borne before them, making their obeissances. They shall come every one to the king, where two knights shall take the spurs from the sword and do them about their heels. The king shall gird the sword about them. The squire puts on his thumbs in the [las] of his mantle, lifting up his arms over his head. The king puts both his hands within him arms and takes him about the neck with both hands, kissing him. He plucks him on the neck and says to him, "Be a good knight!" The squire then kneels down, waiting until the king has made them all. Then shall they be led into the chapel with the other knights.

When they come to the chapel, before the high altar, they shall ungird themselves and leave their swords upon the altar. They shall kneel down, laying their hands upon the altar, and say, "Be this holy altar that Our Lord's body is ministered, you shall sustain the church and keep this high and worshipful order that you have taken up into your service."

And when they leave the chapel, the king's cook shall meet with them at the door, saying unto them, "Sir, I am the king's main cook, come at this time to let you have knowledge as to the nature of my office. Sirs, my office is, if you are untrue to your sovereign lord, it is my duty to smite the spurs from your heels, claiming the spurs. I pray you bear this in mind, keeping yourself in grace to this high and worshipful order; you now have as much worship as did any of your kin."

Then they shall be brought into the hall. The king will come into the hall, washes, and will take his seat. The newly made knights shall also wash and sit at a side board. When the king is served, then shall the rest of the hall be served. When the last course has been served, the heralds shall cry the king's largesse in the four places of the hall. The squires shall then go to their chambers, removing their raiment, which the heralds shall have for their fee.

They shall don long blue gowns, bordered with ermine and a white blaze of silk and gold in the tufts must be pinned the left shoulder, a hood of the same should have the shape of a bachelor's as the law provides. The hood must be cast around his neck, the tipet pinned together on the left shoulder. When thus arrayed they go together unto the king. Coming into his presence, they shall all say, "Most high, excellent and most mightly prince, our sovereign lord, we thank you for this high and worshipful order that you have given to us. We as your liege men shall be ready at your command." Then shall they all bow at once, arise, and go their way, heading once again to their chamber to change. The sergeant of the King's chamber shall have the gowns and hoods for his fee. Then may the new knights do what they like for all is done and ended.