In ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’, HBO’s latest return to Westeros, shining armor and noble banners fill the screen. However, among all the refined knights who crowded the tournament at Ashford Meadow, there is one title that has a silent sting: hedge knight.
It’s the label constantly thrown at Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall, and it matters far more than it first appears. On the face of it, the insult is petty. A knight is a knight, right? However, in the strict social hierarchy of Westeros, where names, witnesses, and wealth are the measures of value, being a hedge knight makes Dunk a peripheral figure of chivalry. And that outsider status is the emotional core of the series.
Why Being A Hedge Knight Makes Dunk Stand Out In ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’
To see the distinction, it is useful to know what knights are in Westeros. Knights are oath-bound warriors who are proficient in horseback fighting and jousting. They are typically the retainers of a noble household. They possess banners, squires, money, and above all, protection. A real knight is a part of something. Whereas Dunk is not. A hedge knight is a knight in full armour who has no lord or great house to serve.
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Rather, hedge knights travel from keep to keep, offering their sword to whoever needs it. This is because many of them literally sleep in hedges or camp under the stars, as opposed to castles or pavilions. Their name is literally based on that. They are knights in title and training, but poor in coin and influence. His dying mentor, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, knighted Dunk.
However, no one was present to witness this. That technicality is an issue when Dunk attempts to join the tourney, which requires evidence of knighthood and financial backing, as skill is not as important as it is. Dunk has a simple but inconvenient truth in a world that is obsessed with lineage and pageantry. And that is what makes him interesting. He’s not chasing glory. He’s chasing survival.
Why Hedge Knights Are Looked Down Upon
Hedge knights have a bad reputation in Westeros. Some become bandits in times of severe winter, and most are not as polished as noble warriors. They are referred to as lesser knights by others, not due to their vows, but due to their poverty. They possess neither banners, nor lands, nor a mighty family to recommend them. Dunk experiences this stigma at all times. While other knights arrive at the tourney with elaborate tents and entourages, he tends his horse alone and counts every coin.
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The juxtaposition is not subtle, and it is not intended to be. The show takes the Dunk’s status to reduce knighthood to its bare basics: honor, loyalty, and defense of the weak. That is why Ser Arlan thought that hedge knights were the truest knights. They either live or die by their actions without political safety nets. Dunk holds that belief in silence, even when the world mocks him for it. And there lies the core of ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’.
