Medieval Chivalry, Explained

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:42 - History
02:49 - Rules of Chivalry
07:40 - The Realities of Chivalry

Some sources:
Medieval Chivalry by Richard W. Kaeuper
Chivalry in Medieval England by Nigel Saul
Chronicles by Jean Froissart

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Music:
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Fireside Tales by Darren Curtis

#chivalry #knights

[burebor]

"The code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules."
-Barbossa

[sonofthebearking]

So many people have the black or white views of chivalry, bitterly or enthusiastically preaching either one. I am so glad to see a well rounded and colorful presentation of it, thank you!

Many Guidelines still worth aspiring to today.

[cyrillian]

You put a significant amount of work into these videos. You're doing an amazing job!

[lorddervishquinterosara]

love the video and the art featured on it, I hope in the future you talk about Monasteries or Religious Knight orders

[jameswoodard]

An often overlooked aspect of chivalry was it's revitalization in the 19th Century. The Romantic movement of the time brought the more idealized forms of Chivalry into the present. This was also the time in which the concept of chivalry was moralized and democratized to a far wider extent. For example, all British males (especially from the middle classes and the wealthy, no longer just the nobility) were expected to behave like "gentlemen." This was explicitly the application of a modernized form of an aristocratic ethos and etiquette onto the broader population in general. Being a "good sport, " "behaving like a gentleman, " showing deference to ladies, and caring for one's percieved character in the eyes of others became the social expectation of a broad swathe of European society that never would have been touched by the old aristocratic code.
This was a time of increased idealism in many areas including romantic patriotism, moral purity, masculine virtue which sought expression in acts of bravery and sacrifice, an appreciation of poetry and romantic literature, and others.
Much of this was crushed brutally by the realities of WWI. The idea of sacrificial death against all odds for nothing other than glory and duty to ones king and kin, changed from a romantic ideal to a grotesque mockery in the trenches of Europe. This, followed by economic decline, the failute of romantic political idealism after the endless stream of Revolutions that spread across Europe ended not in utopia but in complete defeat and even reversal, were followed by WWII in which romantic nationalism was shown to be a dangerous farce capable of inhuman atrocity, then the long and often cynical struggle of the Cold War.
Chivalry was, for a time, renewed, modernized, and democratized into a form that had sweeping effects across Western Civilization only to quickly be stomped out again by the crushing and tragic realities of the 20th Century.

[dguy]

8:38 this is actually a little bit more complicated than people give it credit for, it wasn't just Christian knights destroying a Christian city, it was Catholic knights destroying a Orthodox city, the Catholics and the Orthodox were sometimes at odds with eachother in the middle ages

[NotSure]

For an interesting look at the reality versus ideal of chivalry as pertains to women, a few centuries later Jonathan Swift wrote "The Lady's Dressing Room", a poem that gives a first hand male account of the crumbling of the pedestal women were placed upon.

[Dawn.tless.]

Thank you very much for the clear & basic explanation, quite chivalrous of you man

[richyokel]

Great video, thanks for taking the time to explain.

[jozuameesters]

Im binging your vids, awsome work and awsome art!!

[SilverScribe]

To me, Chivalry means the following things

Safeguarding the helpless

Honoring those we love

Refraining from wanton (or unprovoked) offense

Exercising moral values in all that you do, be it in war or at home

Having an uncompromising sense of morality, no matter what

These are far more important than holding doors open for others, buying dinner for your love or placing one's coat over a puddle to help them across

[WallNutBreaker]

Underrated Channel this is. Very nice.

[davea]

Even with the code of chivalry among knights, if you were a peasant in the Middle Ages you could be expected to be treated harshly by knights.

[martinschulz]

Good video. Chivalry was imperfect (like everything in the real world) as the knights were still snobs looking down on serfs and lower segments of society, but was definitely a good movement and a step in the right direction.

[Reinhardthartman]

Thank you for showing that chronicles book youve given me ankther thing to read

[vangso]

Good stuff, congratulations! However, I have to point out, that the chivalric romances was originated not in the 14th but far earlier in the 12th century. Chrétien de Troyes was the most famous and talented author of the arthurian romances (Lancelot, Perceval etc) he wrote his works between 1150-1190.

[annbel]

Thank you! This was just what I was looking for!

[BleedingLiar]

Very informative and thank you for sharing ❤

[arielledayan]

Your channel is amazing!! Please keep making videos

[uykuykuykkuhkhukuh]

Be a good guy protect innocents and destroy evil in all it's forms













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