9 terrible things medieval knights were waiting for

1. Dangerous and sometimes wasted preparation

If you think that a man of noble birth became a knight for beautiful eyes, then you are mistaken. A young man who intended to ride a horse and perform military feats (well, or rob and humiliate commoners, whichever you prefer) required special training.

It started 1. How to Become a Medieval Knight / World History Encyclopedia
2. Medieval Activities: Jousting. Tournaments, Lances, Knights and Horses / Medieval Britain
3. Training a Knight / Medieval Lifewhen the future chevalier (fr. chevalier, horseman) was 7-10 years old. Children of nobles became pages and were assigned to the service of some more noble knight.

Naturally, he was in no hurry to put them on a horse and hand them over to the lance, but gave the pupils more useful tasks. For example, the pages helped the gentleman get dressed, served at the table, cleaned his weapons, worked in the stables. It was not considered humiliating - on the contrary, being the errand boy for tough guys in armor was kind of honorable, albeit tedious.

By the age of 14, the page was transferred to squireMedieval Activities: Jousting. Tournaments, Lances, Knights and Horses / Medieval Britain. To do this, he had to master the seven "arts of dexterity." These included fencing, wrestling, shooting, horse riding, swimming and diving, rock climbing, long jumping, tournament fighting and dancing. Some clever men added to the list chess, hunting, the ability to read poetry and behave gallantly with noble ladies.

If you noticed, there are more than seven points - because each mentor taught his subordinate as he saw fit.

In general, the knights, who often hit on the head with clubs, had problems with logic and mathematics. And there are seven arts just because it is a beautiful number.

Somewhere between the removal of horse dung and the polishing of swords, there was grueling training. The combat training was difficult and traumatic. Training armor and weapons were deliberately made heavierHistory of Jousting / Sky History combat - sometimes twice. They could weigh up to 40 kilograms. This was necessary to develop endurance, as well as reduce the risk of injury in sparring.

By the age of 18-21, the squire was finally knighted. Prior to this, the candidate spentMedieval Knight / World History Encyclopedia sleepless night in prayer, baptized again, confessed and, finally, received the coveted slap on the shoulders with the sword.

If you're lucky. Because sometimes the overlord could decide that it was not yet time, and indeed the young man was not ready yet. Some poor fellows lived their whole lives as squires, never becoming knights. For example, Jeffrey Chaucer's dedicationR. Rossignol. Critical Companion to Chaucer: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work did not wait, spat on everything and became poet.

2. Fatal falls from a horse

There is a fairly common myththat if a rider in armor falls from a horse, then he will no longer be able to get to his feet on his own. The equipment is supposedly very heavy. This is not so: the knight could well 1. Can you move in armor? An Experiment in Mythbusting / Medievalists
2. Medieval Knights on a Treadmill Put Historical Myths to the Test / Popular Mechanics in their battle armor and get up, and run, and even walk with a wheel.

But nevertheless, often the warriors, having turned from the horse, could not sit back on it. Because of their untimely death.

Fatal fallsD. Edge, J. M. Paddock. Arms & Armor of the Medieval Knight: An Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages from the horse was one of the main causes of death among knights. Believe it or not, google the list of medieval historical figures who died in a four-legged vehicle accident. Philip of Bavaria, King of Jerusalem and Count Anju Fulk, William the Conqueror, his namesake William III, Landgrave of Hesse-Marburg, Marquis of Montferrat Boniface IV and dozens of nobles died, horses.

This happened on the hunt, at tournaments, during training, in the war and just while traveling. An innocent horse ride could kill even a high-born nobleman, and even small insignificant knightswho died under such circumstances, no one at all counted.

Falling from a horse led to fractures, and injuries could easily become fatal. In addition, the knight could be finished off or captured by satisfied opponents running by.

The armor did not save much - rather, it interfered. Still, they were needed to protect against weapons, and not from traffic injuries, like modern motorcycle equipment.

3. Tournaments that look like a small war

We usually imagine knightly tournaments as magnificent festive competitions in which handsome men in armor fight on horseback and on foot, fighting for the attention of beautiful ladies.

The noble knight immediately stretches out his hand to the losing opponent, helping to rise, sacredly respecting both his own and someone else's dignity. And after the competition, a grand feast is rolled up, where everyone drinks and waltzes courtly with the ladies.

Perhaps it was something like this in the 16th century, when horse collisions disappeared from tournaments. They were replaced by festive equestrian ballets, in which riders in lush costumes showed the audience the skills of their horses. But real knightly tournaments in the harsh Middle Ages were a much tougher spectacle: people died almost in batches.

Sudden injuries and deaths were common. And sometimes the killings did not happen by accident.

The fact is that the loser in the tournament 1. R. C. Clephan. The Medieval Tournament
2. Medieval Tournament / World History Encyclopedia knight, the winner could legally take away armor, weapons, horse or an impressive cash rate - and this is a huge financial loss. Therefore, not very rich fighters, realizing that defeat was inevitable, could begin to fight to the death, only to save their property.

There were also frequent conflicts on ethnic grounds. For example, once at a big tournament two groups of horsemen, the French and the British, came together - 200 fighters from each side. And these hotheads staged a showdown that almost ended in bloodshed.

Observance of the rules on the equestrian field was looked after 1. R. C. Clephan. The Medieval Tournament
2. Medieval Tournament / World History Encyclopedia special noble marshals, but they could not keep up everywhere. And sometimes it happened that a group of knights from one team attacked alone from another, took away from him weapon and took prisoner, demanding ransom from relatives, as in a real war.

One or two accidents at the tournament did not surprise anyone, but sometimes the number of victims became simply indecentR. C. Clephan. The Medieval Tournament.

In 1240, in a festive equestrian battle near the German city of Neuss, the competing knights were so carried away that they killed each other. About 60 people died.

It was not only the enemy or the stumbling horse that could finish off the horseman, but also the weather. For example, in 1241, at a summer tournament, as many as 80 German knights fell ill and subsequently died from heatstroke, exhaustion and heat.

Doom hauntedThe Medieval Tournament / Curious Historian even monarchs and high-born nobles: in 1559, at the races, King Henry II of France was struck with a spear in the eye. In England, the Earl of Salisbury was killed in a duel in a horse race, as was his grandson, William Montague. Straight generic curse of some kind.

But the worst thing is that a knight who suffered terrible injuries could sometimes... surviveM. Missmann, T. Tauscher. Impaled head / The Lancet. For example, here portrait of a hungarian knight XVI century Gregor Bachi - be careful, the faint of heart is better off not looking. He received a spear in the eye at a tournament (according to another version, in a battle with the Turks). The weapon passed by the brain, and the nobleman survived. Imagine what it would be like to walk with a broken spear in your head.

4. Unsuccessful swims in armor

In the ever-memorable "Game of thrones”There is an episode when Jaime Lannister and Bronn the Blackwater jump into the river, fleeing the dragonfire, and swim away. And the armor does not bother them. After a while they get out on the shore downstream, clear their throats and continue the conversation.

In reality, forcing the river, if it was impossible to wade, was a real problem for the knights. Moreover, the infrastructure in medieval Europe was slightly inferior to modern Europe and bridges were not very common in those days. And swimming in armor is very difficult: after all, this is not a life jacket, but an extra 20-25 kilograms of load.

Iron doesn't add buoyancy, you know.

For example, the whole Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa drownedK. Onapolis. The Knights Templar: The Priceless Treasure Discovered while trying to cross the Salif River in 1190, during the Third Crusade. The horse slipped, the majesty was in the water and disappeared there.

Or the crusaders under the command of the famous Richard the Lionheart. On the march to Ascalon, they lost a lot of people during a flood that happened due to heavy rainfall. Poor fellows, according to the testimonyG. Vinsauf. Richard of Holy Trinity: Itinerary of Richard I and Others to the Holy Land chronicler Jeffrey Winsauf, "plunged into mud and sodden earth, never to get up again," while "the bravest of men shed tears like rain."

Although, strictly speaking, with a certain physical preparation, you can still swim in armorHow much steel armor can you wear and still be able to swim? / Stack Exchange - reenactors confirm. True, their experiments they spent in a pool, not in a stormy stream.

5. Killing food on the hikes

The word "scurvy" is usually associated with by sea pirates - those who supposedly loved rum and walked under a black flag with a skull and bones. However, medieval knights in their campaigns suffered from this disease no less, if not more.

A healthy, balanced diet with fruits, fiber and vitamin C among the Crusaders, few people thought about.

Then the European knights leaned more and more on meat, cereals and corned beef. The food was of very mediocre quality and poorly stored, so they suffered from scurvy. It was this disease, and not the troops of Sultan al-Kamil, that causedA. Holt. The World of the Crusades: A Daily Life Encyclopedia sixth of the French army during the Fifth Crusade.

In 1218, the crusaders surroundedA. Holt. The World of the Crusades: A Daily Life Encyclopedia Egyptian city of Damietto. The siege was long, provisions were scarce, and scurvy raged in the Christian camp. The knights, as their contemporaries wrote, “were seized with severe pains in the feet and ankles, their gums swollen, teeth loosened and useless, and thighs and shins turned black. " The sick crusaders suffered a "peaceful death": before the campaign, Pope Innocent III forgave them all their sins, so the poor fellows went to paradise.

Not only ordinary crusaders perished from scurvy - King Louis IX also fell victim to it. True, he had enough provisions, including healthy fruits.

But Louis was very devout and adhered to fasting and abstinence in food, as the church prescribed to the righteous knight. And he finished his meal. Having fallen ill with scurvy, he and his soldiers used the services of barbers, without being distracted from the siege of Tunisia in the Eighth crusade 1270.

The barbers treated the affected gums to the poor, which is why, as he wroteScientists Find Scurvy in Mouth of Long-Dead, Failed Crusader King / Live Science the chronicler Jean de Joinville, the king and his knights "screamed and wept like women in labor." But unsuccessfully. But then Louis was canonized - at least some plus.

6. Hygiene problems on the marches

Tales of People in the Middle Ages never washed and generally dipped only once in a lifetime - during baptism, nothing more than a myth. Washing existed even then, although, of course, it was difficult without a modern water supply system. But nothing, the knights coped: it was always possible to send servants to warm up their bath.

But during the hikes, you can't really wash yourself. Especially if the campaigns are crusading: sometimes there was not enough water in the hot Holy Land even for drinking, what can we say about bathing.

The European knights who were at war for a long time suffered more from non-combat losses than from the swords and spears of the Muslims. For example 1. A. Boas. The crusader world
2. King John: Dysentery and the death that changed history / BBC, in the Seventh Crusade, a significant part of the army of the aforementioned Louis IX, himself, and his retinue were struck by dysentery and diarrhea. The poor man had to go to the toilet so often that he ended up cutting off the back of his breeches so he wouldn't waste time taking them off.

The reason for the epidemic was that the knights did not have enough clean water and they often drank from sources contaminated with waste. Thought to to boil water and not walking close to where you eat was too innovative for these sufferers.

In addition to dysentery, poor hygiene carried diseases such as tuberculosis and trench fever (carried by lice). According toEat like the locals: How scurvy undid last crusader king / Phys chroniclers, the pestilence struck not only the crusaders, but also their enemies, the Muslim Saracens. As a result, the unfortunate people on both sides were more concerned with how to survive in the conditions of epidemics than some kind of wars of faith.

7. Long imprisonment in captivity

V movies and serials about the Middle Ages or its fantasy counterparts, knights are constantly fighting to the death. However, in reality, defeated enemies were still more often taken prisoner.

This seems strange, since we are used to associating this era with cruelty. But in fact, the knights were captivated not out of philanthropy, but for economic reasons. After all, they were noble lords, which means that their families could give a rich ransom for them.

In addition, it was considered good manners for a noble to not kill another noble. These conventions, of course, did not apply to commoners.

Many curiosities are also associated with the capture of the knights. So, according to the historian Remy Ambul of the University of Southampton, there is evidence that a certain knight was captured 1. F. Gies. The knight in history
2. Everything Movies Get Wrong About Being A Knight / Grunge
3. What Happened To Prisoners Of War In Medieval England / War History Online
4. Medieval warfare had well ‑ organized ‘ransom market’ / BBC as many as 17 times. Relatives gave a ransom, he was released, and then he was caught again. History, unfortunately, has not preserved information about what happened to this dumbass further - it is quite possible that he went bankrupt.

And the other poor fellow had been in captivity for 25 years before he was ransomed. I wonder how much money the winners lost on the hostage's meals? It might have been cheaper to get rid of it.

Duke Charles of Orleans, captured in the battle of Agincourt, was marinated by the British for 24 years in the Tower, and without the right of ransom. He, out of nothing to do, became interested in writing and composed more than 500 poems. Became a classic of medieval literature, by the way.

8. Problems with surrender

At the same time, you must still be able to successfully surrender. For exampleF. Gies. The knight in history, once one knight did not have time to put on full armor before the battle, and he had to fight in simpler clothes. Yes, and on foot - so that he was indistinguishable from an ordinary archer.

And when he decided to surrender, he was not accepted, and without further reasoning, they stabbed him with a spear. He just didn't look very pretentious, and the winners did not believe that they could help out for him.

And if the prisoner was clearly of a status, they could 1. F. Gies. The knight in history
2. Everything Movies Get Wrong About Being A Knight / Grunge
3. What Happened To Prisoners Of War In Medieval England / War History Online
4. Medieval warfare had well ‑ organized ‘ransom market’ / BBC literally fight. Therefore, for example, the British introduced strict rules during the Hundred Years War.What was it like to be a Prisoner of War during the Hundred Years ’War? / History Extrahow to divide the ransom if several winners claim the same hostage.

Sometimes a prisoner who did not have a family was released so that he could collect money for his release on his own.

Not only on parole - the winners left themselves some kind of pledge, such as a horse, armor, or something else of value. Again, not paying for your release meant sacrificingEverything Movies Get Wrong About Being A Knight / Grunge reputation. Next time, they may not captivate, but without talking to smudge with an ax on the head.

And finally, the cherry on the cake. It was indecent for the knight to surrender to ignoble opponents. Consequently, he had to ask the commoner soldiers to call their commander to surrender to him. If there was no such person nearby, the question arose before the prisoner: either you will compromise your honor, or they will kill you.

And the nobles found an elegant solutionM. H. Keen. Chivalry - quickly knighted the soldiers who took them prisoner, so that they would not be ashamed to surrender. However, later on with the Swiss pikemen and German Lansknechts, the technique ceased to work.

The scoundrels-mercenaries, not being tempted by dedication, silently finished off the surrendering knights on the spot, because they did not like them very much. This was expressed in them by class hatred, multiplied by personal enmity.

9. Keeping strange vows

Depending on which order they belonged to, the knights were obliged to follow different rules - that is, they took vows like monks. Basically, these were trivial tasks like maintaining austerity, which could be periodically violated. The Lord is merciful, will forgive.

But in some orders the vows were quite... extravagant. For example, according to the testimonyLe livre du chevalier de LaTour Landry pour l'enseignement de ses filles: publié d'après les manuscrits de Paris et de Londres. G.de La Tour Landry Chronicler La Tour Landry, in the society of the "Cheers and admirers" of the XIV century, it was customary to sit in fur coats by the fireplace in summer, and in winter to walk half-naked in the cold to show everyone their stamina. Those who caught a cold and died, were considered martyrs.

To die from a common cold in the Middle Ages was as easy as shelling pears. There were no antibiotics, and doctors could offer patients only mercury and bloodletting.

In addition, members of the Order of the Voters offered their wives to their comrades for the night when they were staying - this was considered a sign of good form.

And the Earl of Salisbury, while his king Edward III's war with France lasted, went and fought, closingJ. Froissart. Chronicles of England, France, Spain, and the Adjoining Countries: From the Latter Part of the Reign of Edward II. to the Coronation of Henry IV one eye. And his vassals also bandaged their eyes with a bandage. This was done to demonstrate their coolness to the French. Like, we will do you and "looking half-heartedly".

Some knights sworeE. Monusov. Complete history of knightly ordersthat they will not eat meat until they accomplish this or that feat. Or giving up shaving and bathing. Or they promised to eat only while standing. A certain unique person decided not to feed his horse on Fridays until he defeated all the Turks.

How useful a hungry steed is in battle is not entirely clear. But, perhaps, this motivated the knight for additional accomplishments.

Ladies also took vows. In 1601, Princess Isabella of Spain promised not to change until they captured the fortress of Ostend, and she wore the same shirt for three years. As you can see, in the Middle Ages, not only men, but also women were not alien to the spirit of adventurism.

There were also more boring vowsR. W. Kaeuper. Chivalry and Violence in Medieval Europe, which the church tried to impose on the knights. For example, do not steal livestock from peasants, do not beat up monks, do not burn people's houses without good reason, not to assist in the commission of crimes, and to beat women only if they are malicious against you.

But the knights did not like to observe them: it is impossible to throw out of life all the good that is in it, for the sake of ghostly piety?