Half knight (name)

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There are many explanations for the surname Halbritter . What is certain is that, as with the names Halbpfaff or Halbmeister, it is a nickname according to ancestry, which indicates a socially dubious class (not a perfect knight ). The knighthood in the general sense denoted a special birth class alongside the bourgeoisie and peasant class, namely the lower nobility, which in turn was to be distinguished from the high nobility. The high nobility did not belong to the knighthood.

In marriages between knights and non-aristocratic women (they were probably richer than an impoverished knight), the sons were marked as half knights . Although they were entitled to inheritance, they were not allowed to participate in knight tournaments. In the end it became a separate half-knight stand. It is to be distinguished from the bastard , an old name for an illegitimate child, originally a fixed term in feudalism to denote the child conceived by a nobleman out of wedlock, but legally recognized by him. In the Middle Ages (and not only then) many princes and aristocratic bishops had wives on their left , also called Kebse , whose sons were also referred to as half knights for the sake of simplicity.

On the other hand, incorrect spelling (e.g. of half-judge, half-brother or half-priest) is of course also possible as the origin of the name.

Literature can be found under family name .