Glorious Age of Chivalry (Paperback)

This book examines the historical brotherhood of knights, how they were governed by their feudal lord, the moral code of the church, and the ideal of the chivalric code. Knights drew inspiration from portrayals of knighthood in the literature of chivalry - in heroic chansons de geste, poems of courtly love and prose and verse of romances that told of knights' great deeds in war and love. Together, the chivalric code and the art and literature of the time embodied a vision of how knights should and could behave. With sections on the knightly heroes of the Bible, the classical worlds, and the enduring tales of King Arthur, there is also a discussion of how the knights of history lived up to these ideals, and were themselves made into legendary figures. This is a description and explanation of the code of chivalry, who inspired and compiled it, and how it bound together the knights who swore to it. It contains a detailed analysis of the rich romantic art that chivalry inspired, including the chansons de gestes that influenced the knights and kings. Special sections cover the most revered and honoured knights of the time, including King Edward I of England, Sir John Chandos, The Black Prince, El Cid and William Wallace. It offers an intelligent and thoughtful discussion on the importance of the code of chivalry, with a comparison of how its idealistic rules matched up to the reality of combat and politics. It is lavishly illustrated with over 200 beautiful illustrations that shows knights on the battlefield, at the tournament, and in love.