Encore: Chivalry and Knighthood in Medieval Europe

Tides of History

Wondery / Patrick Wyman

Documentary, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 6.3K Ratings

🗓️ 7 July 2022

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When we think of the Middle Ages, the first thing that comes to mind is usually knights in shining armor. Chivalry - the ideal of behavior that guided knights - was a major force in medieval life. Honor and piety, bravery and reputation: these were core values for the secular elite. We explore what they actually meant to medieval people.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everybody, Patrick here. Today we're going to revisit one of my favorite older episodes for you to listen to.
0:06.6	So when we think of the Middle Ages, the first thing that comes to mind is usually nights in shining armor,
0:11.3	guided by the ideal of chivalry. But what was chivalry? It certainly wasn't some romantic idea of
0:17.8	honor and bravery. We're going to explore what chivalry actually was, how it molded and shaped
0:23.8	nights and their behavior, and what it really meant to be a night in the Middle Ages.
0:27.6	Thanks for joining me today and enjoy the show.
0:37.2	A young knight sat sweating on his horse, lands at the ready. A crowd had gathered to watch.
0:43.6	The only sounds our young knight heard through the thin slits in his helmet were the distant
0:47.8	chatter of the crowd and the sound of his own heart pounding in his chest. His horse
0:53.5	winning and podded the ground, ready to sprint. Every shift from the night or his horse ground
0:59.6	armor plates against one another. The lance grew heavier in his hand with every passing second.
1:06.8	A hundred feet away, another night, lands in hand, stared straight back at him.
1:12.0	The young knight turned to peer toward the crowd. A wooden pavilion held richly dressed to
1:17.5	attendees. Lords, ladies, and other knights drank wine in the sun. Minstrels plucked their
1:24.4	lutes and sang long, winding ballads of love and great deeds. The crowd settled. All eyes turned
1:33.6	toward the nights. The air was electric with anticipation. A pair of heralds, bedecked in arms,
1:41.9	read out each night's lineage and named their proud forebears who had held expansive lands.
1:47.0	Great titles of lords could done great deeds. The young knight took deep breaths and tried to
1:53.3	slow his racing heart. He was just a teenager. This was his first joust in front of an audience
1:59.2	this big or any audience for that matter. If he lost, he could lose his horse, his money,
2:04.4	maybe even his life. But if he won, he could win big. High status, honor, material goods,
2:11.5	all would flow to it. He could see the king, the sponsor of the tournament, addressing the crowd.
	...

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