In the middle ages how did children of all social classes think about when they looked at knights?

[Cut]

Nowadays in the U.S.A. Marines and soldiers in every aspect of our military are looked up like role models or heroes. But, in the middle ages, all social classes of teens and young children, squires- peasants-farmers- every social class, what did they think? What did they think about seeing weapons? Modern day its like "oh dude check this piece out!" or "holy crap...." and be totally awe-struck by them. What happened in the middle ages/renessaince?

[TatorTats]

They thought about how it would be like to be a knight to stay and guard homes of the villagers. Also, all children who lived in the same area as the King, the King then forced all boy children to become a knight.

[chris b]

"Where's the metal cleaner?"

[Diomed]

Interesting question.

Of course the answer is, "it depends on the kid."

But first consider the social context of feudal knights. They were close to private armies, and often lords themselves. Of course some degree of loyalty ran up to the king or duke or whoever, but things were very local in the middle ages. Your local lord owned the land, owned a portion of your labor (if not you), owned a portion of what you produced. Probably you couldn't leave, and even if you can you probably can't afford to go far. Your lord was the only court you could go to with a problem.

And of course he had a local monopoly on violence too.

His armed men would do what he asked. If they did something that you didn't like, who could you complain to? Your lord? He's going to be much more loyal to his trusted man-at-arms than a peasant who works the land. And even less so to that peasant's kid. Or maybe not -- maybe he is good and fair. But the point is that this is all within his power to do.

So my best guess as to what your average kid in the middle ages felt when he saw an armed man in the market? Fear.

[old lady]

Very few young men (and NO young women) became knights. In order to aspire to knighthood, your father had to be of noble blood and he had to have enough money to equip you - that armour wasn't cheap, nor were the horses.
Mostly children of the lower classes never even saw the knights when they were all kitted out, because they didn't parade around the streets, they wore their armour for tournaments and the lower classes were not invited to the tournaments. Nor were the middle classes. So the only children who would even see the knights were the children of the nobility and the royalty - and they just regarded them as part of the scenery. Nothing special. Again, very few children outside of the nobility would have even seen weapons. They weren't on parade, as modern militia is.