what role did women play in medieval knighthood?

In order to accurately explore the role of women in medieval society, and in relation to knighthood, it is most effective to look at a combination of primary and secondary sources. Starting with the rise of Arthurian romances in the 12th century, women are often portrayed as the driving force behind a knight’s prowess and deeds. Some examples to look at include Chrétien de Troyes’ ‘the knight and the cart’, ‘Eric and Enide’ and ‘knight of the lion’. Here women are described as both symbols of purity and perfection, and of a ‘prize’ to be won by the knight. It is notable to contrast romance works with later perceptions of women in knighthood in order to gain a deeper insight into the role of women. The 14th century ‘the book of chivalry’ by Geoffroi de Charny is a perfect example of the changed expectation of women by this time. Knights are foolish to fight for a woman’s love, and must not place a woman’s affection over his duties. Moreover, later depictions of jousting matches show an aristocratic and beautiful woman’s kiss being offered as a prize to the winner. Perhaps it would be most interesting to place this change in a wider context of chivalry and knighthood. Historians such as Maurice Keen argue that the age of chivalry had declined by the 14th century, and had become increasingly superficial. How would this fit the changing role of women in medieval knighthood?