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

Craig Taylor examines French debates on the martial ideals of chivalry and knighthood during the Hundred Years War.

Craig Taylor (Author)

9781316631126, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 October 2016

362 pages, 1 b/w illus.
23 x 15.3 x 2 cm, 0.55 kg

'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

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 Mézières, 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.

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.

Subject Areas: Military history [HBW], Medieval history [HBLC1], European history [HBJD]