# Are there any real examples of a knight-errant, the kind depicted in the romances?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-examples-of-a-knight-errant-the-kind-depicted-in-the-romances/389982>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 29, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-examples-of-a-knight-errant-the-kind-depicted-in-the-romances/389982 "2007-01-29T18:10:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ataxis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@ataxis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataxis)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-examples-of-a-knight-errant-the-kind-depicted-in-the-romances/389982/1 "2007-01-29T18:10:03Z")

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Are there any actual knight-errants? That is, knights that quested or wandered in pursuit of glory and honor, similar to Amadis of Gaul and Sir Gawain from the romances.

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-examples-of-a-knight-errant-the-kind-depicted-in-the-romances/389982/2 "2007-01-29T20:31:36Z")

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Although they are less poor than typically depicted and did not spend their whole life “questing”, some noblemen did have a hobby of participation in “crusades” on a regular basis (which weren’t all to the Holy Land,) more out of a search of glory (and especially love of war) than of a search for power or money.

And a lot of them were not the pledged vassal of the leader of the expedition but nonetheless fought, so the “wandering” part of the tale holds true, at least.

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**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-examples-of-a-knight-errant-the-kind-depicted-in-the-romances/389982/3 "2007-01-30T01:30:52Z")

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Well, Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein was a knight, wandered [and purportedly fought several seasons of jousts dressed in drag, and wrote poetry.

> **[Ulrich von Liechtenstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrich_von_Liechtenstein)**
>
> Ulrich von Liechtenstein (ca. 1200 – 26 January 1275) was a German minnesinger and poet of the Middle Ages. He wrote poetry in Middle High German and was author of noted works about how knights and nobles may lead more virtuous lives. Ulrich was a member of a wealthy and influential ministerialis family from Liechtenstein in Styria. He was born about 1200 at Murau in the Duchy of Styria, located in the present-day country of Austria.
> Ulrich wrote his stories at a time when knightly ideals were j...