Some people say that chivalry is dead. Others say it is a code of living that would not be plausible in modern society. Still others (myself included) believe that chivalry still exists, but in a radically different form than its medieval origins.
The Art of Courtly Love was written down in the Middle Ages by Andreas Capellanus. Some of the rules he defined would not make sense in our society today. For example, he stated that blind men cannot love because they cannot see and that peasants could not love because they were consumed by work. (Sidenote: Capellanus told men that if they fell in love with a peasant woman that they should “not hesitate to take what you seek and embrace them by force”, which is different from the rest of his writing where he tells men not to force themselves upon women.)
However strange his feelings about blind men and peasants are, he does lay down some rules that still make sense in today’s society. Here are a few examples:
1) Love based on someone’s looks won’t last. It is better to base love on the excellence of someone’s character. (Basically, don’t be shallow).
2) Love won with money is false love. When the money is gone, the love will also be gone. (Mo money, mo problems).
3) A man cannot love multiple women. When his lustful desires overtake him he is not capable of heart-felt love.
4) To retain love a man should not do anything to annoy her. He should come to her aid when she needs help, confess to a mistake, be generous, and show courage. (So be Prince Charming, gentlemen).
Most of the rules and feelings expressed by Capellanus don’t exactly translate into modern society, but some of the basic rules like the few I listed above should still be listened to. Sure, chivalry as it was in the Middle Ages isn’t exactly practical anymore, but that doesn’t mean that we should throw out all of the messages in The Art of Courtly Love.
Family: Link to Our Past, Bridge to Our Future 
Reblogged this on familylifeineurope and commented:
While these rules are hardly classified as “modern” (although I do think that can be argued depending on your definition of modern….), I still think they are very accurate and very important to listen to and clearly have been the foundation for millions of relationships over time. Plenty of relationships have failed by not following these rules and while they have been around for “ever” and may not be “modern”, they still hold strong values and portray a strong message that should be followed by all.