Listen Now A ‘good’ knight wasn’t just an effective soldier From British warlords that opposed the arrival of Julius Caesar to Roman emperors of Later Antiquity, Miles explores these individuals in ‘Arthur and the Kings of Britain: The Historical Truth Behind the Myths’. The legend of King Arthur has been reworked many times, but is there any historical truth behind the tales? Dr Miles Russell believes there is and in this podcast he highlights how elements of King Arthur’s story derive from five key ancient figures. In the 12th century, the literature of medieval romance became increasingly popular and a sophisticated culture of courtly behaviour between men and women changed the idealised image of a knight forever.
King arthur activities on chivalry code series#
This was especially relevant against the backdrop of the Crusades, a series of military expeditions beginning in the late 11th century that were organised by western European Christians in an effort to counter the spread of Islam. So, chivalric codes developed between 11, such as bravery in battle and loyalty to one’s lord, were the result of practical needs. In order to protect their interests, warring lords needed to control their disorganised and erratic armies. This tumultuous time in English history was punctuated with routine military violence, and as a result, knights were a symbol of misery and death. However, they were not always regarded as honourable figures, and instead were reviled for looting, pillaging and raping on their violent expeditions. Knights as we imagine them – armoured, mounted warriors from elite backgrounds – initially emerged in England during the Norman conquest in 1066. Here’s how European elites of the Middle Ages, and centuries of fiction, have rebranded late medieval mounted warriors as courteous and honest, as chivalrous ‘knights in shining armour’. The reality of knights in the Middle Ages is far more complicated: they weren’t always loyal to their rulers and their codes of conduct weren’t always adhered to. It wasn’t until the late Middle Ages that the image of the chivalrous knight grew popular, when kings and military rulers cultivated a new image for their warriors as gallant men of loyalty, honour and bravery.Įven then, our idea of ‘chivalry’ and the heroic ‘knight in shining armour’ has become confused by idealistic depictions in romantic literature and popular culture.
After 1066 in Britain, for example, knights were feared for wreaking violence and devastation across the country.
When we refer to chivalry, images of knights in shining armour, damsels in distress and fights to defend a lady’s honour spring to mind.īut knights weren’t always so respected.
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