Picture of Heron Armor

The Story Of A Knight

Matilde Victoria Freitas Vaz Vieira was a young girl from Lisbon. She had grown up in a very rich and privileged environment, but she was not interested in the material pleasures it offered her. Instead, she wanted to learn how to be a knight. So, at the age of 16, Matilde went in search of a master who could teach her martial arts and chivalry. After weeks of searching, she finally found a master who agreed to train Matilde.


For several years, Matilde worked hard to acquire the skills necessary to become an accomplished and respected knight. She learned how to handle various weapons and also how to ride a horse properly. But what was most important to Matilde was her code of honor: always to fight loyally and respectfully against her adversaries and to defend those who were weak or defenseless against the tyrants of the kingdom.


Over time, her growing reputation as a champion of just causes caught the attention of the King of Portugal who eventually invited Matilde to the royal castle so she could serve the crown as a Portuguese Royal Knight. Its mission was mainly to protect royal interests while maintaining social justice within the Portuguese kingdom. During her remarkable military career, she led several successful campaigns against foreign invaders and displayed exceptional bravery on the battlefield despite her small physical size compared to that of other soldiers in the field.


At the end of her long and successful military career, Matilde returned to Lisbon where she was greeted with joy by her grateful fellow citizens for her unfailing courage during all this time spent away from them serving her country with honor and dignity. The heroic and inspiring story of Matilde Victoria Freitas Vaz Vieira, the first Portuguese female knight who dedicated her entire life to the loyal service of Portugal, is still told today.