A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

When Ser Arlan dies, Dunk is left with his armor, his sword, and his horses, which become, to him, a symbol of knighthood. Just as much as the ritual of being knighted, these possessions make Dunk feel as though he is a knight. Without any great deeds to his name and with many people doubting whether he is even truthful, the swords, armor, and horses take on an even greater importance in Dunk’s life because they are the only reliable, outward expressions of knighthood. For a knight who is not famous, physical objects such as a sword or armor become their only evidence of their knighthood; no one would believe Dunk were a knight if he did not have these items, which is why he is risking so much by taking part in a joust where he may need to surrender his armor or horse.

Knights are so closely wedded to the idea of combat that the weapons and armor of a knight are intrinsically, symbolically linked directly to their identity. In The Sworn Sword, Dunk has internalized this symbolism, worrying that “a knight without a horse [is] no knight at all” (123). Over the course of the novellas, Dunk slowly comes to terms with the hollowness of the idea of knighthood, connecting this symbol to the theme of