Most people at the word "paladin" can not always accurately say what it means. Someone may have heard somewhere, but not many people can recall it for sure. Therefore, in our article today, we decided to talk about who paladins are. We hope that the information presented below will help our readers learn something new, and for those who are already familiar with this concept, refresh our memory.
Who is a paladin?
This concept came to us from the French language and goes back to Italian and Latin. The term "paladin" refers to knights who have come out of the upper classes who are distinguished by their fanatical devotion to an idea or person.
Below we will consider the manifestation of both the classical image and that which has long become a part of our modern culture.
History and Myths
Medieval Western European literary sources called the paladins of all those who were associates of two legendary personalities: the Frankish emperor Charlemagne and the legendary Celtic leader - King Arthur. This concept applied to all knights of the Round Table. A little later, the title of a paladin could be obtained by any knight who was betrayed to his patron or chosen one, and which contained the qualities of a real hero.
Modern culture
If we talk about who such a paladin is in our time, then the fantasy genre immediately comes to mind. In this part of the article, we will focus on such manifestations of modern culture as computer and board games, as well as some literary works. Now the word "paladin" is applicable to knights with magical powers that are of divine origin. Such a warrior does not have a mortal patron in the form of a king or emperor, he follows good and devotes his life to the fight against evil and the creatures of Darkness. A paladin must have strong faith and the ability to call upon divine powers for help with prayer alone. This is his main ability.
There is a lot of information regarding who a paladin is in games. For example, the mechanics of the popular desktop RPG "Dungeons and Dragons" endows such a character with certain spells and abilities similar to those in the arsenals of light priests. As for armor and weapons, they are quite specific. Their production always takes only high-quality materials, and the appearance is decorated with various patterns, ancient symbols and runes. From a weapon such a hero would prefer two-handed swords or huge hammers. Sometimes the royal family becomes paladins, but in some cases they can be heroes who have performed great deeds.
It is worth saying that the views of people regarding who such paladins were always different. This is especially true of their beliefs and what their faith is based on. Someone believes that the paladin always follows the Light, and if he leaves the path, then the fate of the Fallen awaits him. If the hero leaves the path of the believer and does something that crosses his honor and conscience, then he can part with his magical abilities.
Atonement for such a sin is not easy, but possible. This requires the commission of some special heroic deed that can purify the fallen soul and return it to the path of faith. According to other versions, in the world there are not only light paladins, but also dark ones. They are in the service of the powers of the Darkness or some unclean Deity.
Paladin in the World of Warcraft universe
Heroes of this class are a true stronghold of justice. They protect those who are weaker, and punish those who do dark things. The power of the paladin extends to the darkest corners of the WoW world. Each warrior of the Light prefers to go into battle in the company of two things: his strong armor, giving protection from any enemy, and the divine blessing, which can heal the most severe wound and even resurrect the fallen. Paladins prefer to fight one on one, relying on the power of their heavy armor and the ability to heal.
The rest of the equipment does not matter much - the Light warrior can cope with both a solid shield and heavy two-handed weapons. The presence of a paladin in any group can turn the outcome of the game at the most crucial moment. Companions will receive additional protection and healing.