"Strong of Body, Brave and Noble" - Chivalry and Society in Medieval France (Hardcover)

Medieval society was dominated by its knights and nobles. The literature created in medieval Europe was primarily a literature of knightly deeds and the modern imagination has also been captured by these leaders and warriors. This book explores the nature of the nobility, focusing on France in the High Middle Ages (11th-13th centuries). Constance Brittain Bouchard examines their families; their relationships with peasants, townspeople and clerics; and the images of them fashioned in medieval literary texts. She incorporates throughout a consideration of noble women and the nobility's attitude toward women.