The Book of the Order of Chivalry (c. 1275), was written by Ramon Llull (1232–1315), a polymath and Christian mystic from Majorca. Llull thought that knights should be chosen, trained, and ordained like priests. Llull’s book became a handbook of chivalry throughout much of Europe. Being a Christian mystic, of course he writes about Chivalry using Christian vocabulary. But I think his ideas transcend any particular Spiritual Tradition.
LLull wrote over 250 books on a wide range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, logic, science, and even poetry. (And one on Chivalry!) He is best known for his book Ars Magna &mdahsh; a groundbreaking philosophical and logical system that aimed to uncover universal truths using mathematics — now considered the invention of Mathematical Combinatorics. He was also known for his interest in memory and logical systems more generally: his method of linking virtues to physical objects is an example of the ancient memory technique known as the Memory Palace.
An overview of the Order of Chivalry, and a linked table of contents to all my blogs (with music) on various chapters of Llull’s book can be found HERE.
Here Llull equates the knight’s dagger with ‘hope’:
The dagger is given to the knight so that if his other arms fail him he have recourse to the dagger. Or if he is so close to his enemy that he is unable to wound him with the lance or sword, he may surmount him by the force or strength of his dagger. And this weapon — the dagger — signi and he must fear and trust in God and join to Him by good works and by the very hope that he ought to have in him, that by the help and aid of God he may vanquish his enemies and those who are contrary to the Order Chivalry. Hope is easy when things are going well. But persevering hope when things are going poorly — that’s chivalrous virtue.
The knight’s dagger, according to Llull, symbolizes hope — a hope that is resilient, persevering, and ever-present, even in the direst circumstances. Just as a knight turns to his dagger when all other weapons fail, so too must one turn to hope when all other sources of strength seem exhausted. This hope is not passive, but active, a powerful force that pushes one forward even when defeat seems inevitable.
“The dagger is given to the knight so that if his other arms fail him he has recourse to the dagger.”
In this statement, Llull reminds us that hope is a weapon of last resort. When the knight’s sword and lance, symbolizing justice and truth, are no longer effective, hope remains as a final recourse. This mirrors life’s most challenging moments, when our plans, efforts, and strength may falter, but hope sustains us. Hope is not merely wishful thinking—it is the deep conviction that, even in the face of overwhelming adversity, there is still a way forward. Many spiritual traditions share this belief, emphasizing that hope shines brightest in moments of darkness. In Christianity, for example, hope is seen as the anchor of the soul, while in Buddhism, hope arises from the recognition that suffering can lead to enlightenment and transformation.
“If he is so close to his enemy that he is unable to wound him with the lance or sword, he may surmount him by the force or strength of his dagger.”
Hope becomes most necessary in life’s close, personal struggles—those moments when we feel surrounded by adversity and cannot see a clear path to victory. The dagger, as a weapon of last resort, is used when the battle becomes intimate, when the distance between the knight and his enemy has disappeared, and all other options are gone. This image speaks to the intimate, often personal nature of hope. In many spiritual traditions, hope is not just for grand victories, but for small, inner battles. In the Islamic tradition, for instance, there is the concept of sabr (patience or perseverance), which highlights how hope and endurance in personal struggles are forms of inner jihad, a fight for the soul.
“This weapon — the dagger — signifies that he must fear and trust in God.”
Llull connects the dagger, and therefore hope, to faith in a higher power. In moments of deepest struggle, hope comes not from external sources, but from an internal trust in the divine, or in a higher order of things. The knight’s recourse to his dagger is paralleled by his reliance on hope through faith. This belief that something greater than oneself is at work provides the strength to continue. Many spiritual traditions emphasize that hope is inseparable from faith—faith in the goodness of life, the wisdom of the universe, or the protection of a higher power. In Hinduism, for example, hope is rooted in the understanding that every action is part of a divine cosmic order, and in Judaism, hope is maintained through the belief in divine justice and redemption.
“By the help and aid of God, he may vanquish his enemies and those who are contrary to the Order of Chivalry.”
Hope, in Llull’s vision, is not passive reliance on divine intervention but a source of active strength that allows one to overcome challenges. The dagger, though small, represents the final, most critical effort in a struggle. This is the essence of hope in difficult times—not giving up, but continuing to act with the belief that one’s efforts, with divine assistance or aligned with universal truth, can still achieve victory. This reflects the idea that hope is a force that allows us to rise even when we are at our weakest. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches that one must engage in battle (symbolically, the battle of life) with hope and faith in the righteousness of the struggle.
“Hope is easy when things are going well. But persevering hope when things are going poorly — that’s chivalrous virtue.”
The heart of Llull’s message is that true hope, like the dagger, is most valuable when things are at their worst. It is easy to be hopeful when life is smooth, but maintaining hope during hardship requires a chivalrous heart—a heart of courage, faith, and endurance. This persevering hope reflects the highest virtues in all spiritual traditions: the ability to trust in the good when only difficulty is visible. In the Christian tradition, this is known as hope against hope, trusting in divine goodness even when reason and circumstances suggest otherwise. In Zen Buddhism, it is the calm acceptance of adversity, knowing that the storm will pass, and in Taoism, it is the recognition that life flows in cycles, with difficulty followed by ease.
Ultimately, Llull’s metaphor of the dagger as hope reminds us that hope is not an abstract feeling but a tool, a resource we can use to overcome even the most intimate and personal battles. Just as the knight clutches his dagger in a moment of last resort, we hold onto hope when everything else fails. It is in those moments of struggle that hope reveals its true strength—not as a fleeting emotion, but as a resilient force that sustains us when we need it most. This hope is rooted in faith, perseverance, and the belief that, no matter how difficult the path, we have the strength to prevail.
