5. 2 The Cultural Influence of the Swordsman...16

6 Conclusion. …... …18

Bibliography. …. ..…20

1 Introduction

Culture spirit is born in literary output. Since ancient times, Chinese swordsmen have long been described as heroes who are honest, martial, devoted, righteous and accommodating. In British literature, knights have been portrayed as role models who are brave, loyal, masculine and gentlemanly, and thus been respected and admired by people. Both of the two literary characters have similar belief and represent a kind of awe-inspiring and masculine culture. Thus Chinese Swordsmen and British knights are known as the representatives of Chinese chivalrous culture and British knight culture.

Though cultivated in different cultural environments, both characters show their otherness. The otherness is the basic element of the contrastive study. Both of them impede the violent and assist the weak. They punish the rich who are notorious and support the vulnerable groups. They fight with crime and cherish their reputation. Most of their behaviors involve saving and care to the vulnerable groups. Meanwhile, as they belong to different cultural environments, the two characters show obvious distinctions. In China, the chivalrous culture is deeply impacted by the national characters of the country, such as the requiting of favor, the behavior of revenge, the thought of loyalty, etc. For an inpidual, the swordsmen cherish and respect their human dignity and reputation. They are willing to devote all their power even their life to the vulnerable group. For a ruler, the swordsmen are the destroyers of the social order and they represent the oppressed groups. In Britain, the British knights are advocated to be the gentlemen. They emphasize the environment of fair competition. The spread of the knight culture urges the popularization of etiquette. People start to pay attention to their demeanour, ceremony, appearance and behavior. The knights are apologists who really believe in God. Their loyalty only belongs to their monarch. Compared with differences in the thought of social status, the relationship between the development of fate and the system can be more profound in understanding Chinese chivalrous novels of chivalry culture.  

This paper explores the existing research of domestic and international authoritative scholars and a lot of Chinese and foreign data to elaborate on the connotation of the two masculine culture. Started with the stories and the characters in Chinese and British famous artistic creation, this paper aims to further our understanding of the connotation of the two spirits. Therefore, we can integrate various nature and legalization process through the promotion of chivalry.

2 Literature Review

The influence of the Chinese Chivalrous culture and British Knight culture to the society has continued till today. Thus, the literary works about those themes prevail in these two cultures and have been widely explored and frequently cited by scholars and critics from different perspectives.

The knight class occupies an important position in the medieval Western society. The foundation of the knight’s culture is rooted in the Welsh folk legends of the 7th and 8th centuries, King Arthur and his legend of the Round Table Knight. Knight literature and legendary stories have had a profound impact on the British and even western societies since the Middle Ages. The knight system and the chivalry have exerted a tremendous influence on all aspects of modern western society，which highlights the important practical significance of its research.

In British knight culture, King Arthur is the King of the knights. So I choose this legendary personage to be the object of study. Le Morte D’Arthur is one of the most famous literatures about King Arthur. Sir Thomas Malory, an English writer, was the author of Le Morte D’Arthur. In the 15th century, the knight system gradually declined and the society is undergoing major changes. This work expresses the author’s pity for the decline of the knight system and is also a recognition and praise of his own knighthood. This book gives a detailed description of the adventures and emotional life of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, highlighting the inner core of the chivalry and embodying the virtues and good qualities of the knight. Throughout the book, knights represent justice, integrity, and courtesy. At the heart of the knight’s pursuit, the core of knight culture is loyalty and bravery. By studying the knight’s courage and loyalty, we can further explain the social phenomena in Chinese and British society and people’s differences in thinking. This will allow us to understand more deeply the development of British society and re-understand the unique cultural environment of British society.