The accolade was the central act in the rite of passageceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term accolade was used much more generally to mean "praise" or "award" or "honour."
Etymology
Accolade was first used in 1611 and is French, from the Occitanacolada. This, in turn, came from the Latinad + collum and in Occitan originally meant "embrace". Accolade is akin to "dubbing" or "" since the tap on the shoulder with the knighting sword is accepted to be the point at which the title is awarded.
History
Ceremony
The accolade is a ceremony to confer knighthood. It may take many forms, including the tapping of the flat side of a knighting sword on the shoulders of a candidate or an embrace about the neck. In the first example, the "knight-elect" kneels in front of the monarch on a knighting-stool. First, the monarch lays the side of the sword's blade onto the accolade's right shoulder. The monarch then raises the sword just up over the apprentice's head, flips it counterclockwise so that the same side of the blade will come in contact with the knight's body, and places it on his left shoulder. The new knight then stands up, and the king or queen presents him with the insignia of his new order. Contrary to popular belief, the phrase "Arise, Sir..." is not used. There is some disagreement among historians on the actual ceremony and in what time period certain methods could have been used. It could have been an embrace or a slight blow on the neck or cheek. Gregory of Tours wrote that the early kings of France, in conferring the gilt shoulder-belt, kissed the knights on the left cheek. In knighting his son Henry with the ceremony of the accolade, history records that William the Conqueror used the blow. being knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1581. The recipient is tapped on each shoulder with a sword The blow, or colée, when first utilized was given with a bare fist, a stout box on the ear. This was later substituted for by a gentle stroke with the flat part of the sword against the side of the neck. This then developed into the custom of tapping on either the right or left shoulder, or both, which is still the tradition in the United Kingdom today. An early Germanic coming-of-age ceremony, of presenting a youth with a weapon that was buckled on him, was elaborated in the 10th and 11th centuries as a sign that the minor had come of age. Initially this was a simple rite often performed on the battlefield, where writers of Romance enjoyed placing it. A panel in the Bayeux Tapestry shows the knighting of Harold by William of Normandy, but the specific gesture is not clearly represented. Another military knight, sufficiently impressed by a warrior's loyalty, would tap a fighting soldier on his back and shoulder with the flat of his sword and announce that he was now an official knight. Some words that might be spoken at that moment were Advances Chevalier au nom de Dieu. In medieval France, early ceremonies of the adoubement were purely secular and indicated a young noble coming of age. Around 1200, these ceremonies began to include elements of Christian ritual. The increasingly impressive ceremonies surrounding adoubement figured largely in the Romance literature, both in French and in Middle English, particularly those set in the Trojan War or around the legendary personage of Alexander the Great.
Promotion steps
The process of becoming a knight generally included these stages:
Page - A child started training at the age of 7, he will begin learning about obedience, manners, and other important skills.
Squire - At the age of 14, the young man would observe and help other knights. Occupying a position comparable to an apprenticeship, he managed equipment and weapons such as arrows. He learned the use of weapons while hunting with the knights. He went into recruit training to learn how to become a military fighter. At the age of 21, if judged worthy, he was bestowed the accolade of knighthood. Squires, and even soldiers, could also be conferred direct knighthood early if they showed valor and efficiency for their service; such acts may include deploying for an important quest or mission, or protecting a high diplomat or a royal relative in battle.
Knight - A special kind of trained soldier, often cavalry, serving a lord. Knights had particular status in feudal society.
Accolade in the 21st century
France
Newly inducted military Knights of the Legion of Honour are struck on both shoulders with a sword or a dirk, if the ceremony is presided over by a military authority. Civilian members and all members of lesser orders are not dubbed with a bladed weapon. They receive only the accolade, which has kept in French its ancient meaning of "embrace".
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the knights in the exclusive Military Order of William are struck on the left shoulder with the palm of the hand, first by the Dutch monarch then by the other knights. The new knight does not kneel.
