Post by Hyperspacerebel
So you want to play a Paladin? Want to be a bastion of light and a fountain holiness to your fellow heroes? Well, fear not, brother, for you are about to step into a tradition deeper and more alive than you could have ever imagined. There is much mystique surrounding these noble warriors, both in the World of Warcraft and without. Let your brothers in the light guide and protect on journey and quest.
Welcome to the world of Paladins!
Origins of the TermThe first written record of the term
Paladin being used in English is in
Samuel Daniel's compilation of sonnets, "
Delia," written in 1592:
Let others sing of Knights and Paladines
In aged accents and untimely words,
Paint shadows in imaginary lines
Which well the reach of their high wits records...
The term came into English from the French,
palladin, which further derived from the Italian,
paladino. Both of those terms were used as titles reserved originally for Charlemagne's Twelve Peers, or his closest and most trusted knights and nobles. Much of what we know of them is rather sketchy; but if we are to trust the Old French epic poems (
e.g. The Song of Roland) at all, then there were indeed 12 such paladins: Roland, Olivier, Gerin, Gerier, Berengier, Oton, Samson, Engelier, Ivon, Ivoire, Anseïs, and Gérard de Roussillon (as named in
The Song of Roland). With Charlemagne being a Christian, it is likely that the number 12 was chosen due to its biblical significance with regard to the Twelve Apostles.
Once the term began spreading to other countries and was translated into different languages, it began to be applied to any great hero of legend: King Arthur's Knights are one example.
The term went into decline as time went on and really only emerged again within the last 50 years. Paladin was the main character of the 1950's TV show
Have Gun - Will Travel. He was 'Champion-for-hire' in the Wild West, and always made sure to err on the side of Good. In the 70's Paladins were again brought into the public eye with the release of
Dungeons and Dragons. Paladins here are again holy warriors, modeled in part from Chalemagne's Paladins, but are portrayed with divinely bestowed powers. Finally, we come to our modern day where Paladins have emerged in many games, books, and movies -- almost exclusively based, however, on the image of paladin as revived by Dungeons and Dragons. And this the Paladin you will be playing in WoW.
Paladins from Real-Life LegendRoland - As a historical figure, Roland was not very interesting. Just another military leader under Charlemagne, he died quite unheroicly when the army was ambushed in the Pyrenees. The legend that grew out of that however, is a much better tale.
Oliver -
Astolfo -
Renaud de Montauban -
Paladins in Non-Warcraft SettingsPaladins in WarcraftSo What Is the Light Exactly?Paladins and Race -- Is There a Difference?
Under construction. I don't know if I'll ever get around to finishing it :P