Chivalry and the Ideals of Knighthood in France During the Hundred Years War

ISBN-13: 9781107042216 / Angielski / Twarda / 2013 / 358 str.

Craig Taylor

Opis

Craig Taylor's study examines the wide-ranging French debates on the martial ideals of chivalry and knighthood during the period of the Hundred Years War (1337 1453). Faced by stunning military disasters and the collapse of public order, writers and intellectuals carefully scrutinized the martial qualities expected of knights and soldiers. They questioned when knights and men-at-arms could legitimately resort to violence, the true nature of courage, the importance of mercy, and the role of books and scholarly learning in the very practical world of military men. Contributors to these discussions included some of the most famous French medieval writers, led by Jean Froissart, Geoffroi de Charny, Philippe de Mezieres, Honorat Bovet, Christine de Pizan, Alain Chartier and Antoine de La Sale. This interdisciplinary study sets their discussions in context, challenging modern, romantic assumptions about chivalry and investigating the historical reality of debates about knighthood and warfare in late medieval France."

Recenzje

'Debates about medieval chivalry will continue, but Taylor's book will take its place among the essential contributions to the field.' Rory Cox, English Historical Review

Spis treści

Introduction; 1. Texts and contexts; 2. Honour; 3. Prowess and loyalty; 4. Courage; 5. Mercy (part 1); 6. Mercy (part 2); 7. Wisdom and prudence; Conclusion.