Chivalry and Violence in Medieval Europe

This original and authoritative text reveals how chivalry was part of the problem of violence in medieval Europe, not merely its solution. The ideal was to internalize restraint in knights, but a close reading of chivalric literature shows chivalry also praised heroic violence by knights. This fascinating book lays bare the conflicts and paradoxes surrounding the concept of chivalry in medieval Europe.

Acknowledgements

vii

Prologue

1

(4)

PART I. ISSUES AND APPROACHES

5

(36)

The Problem of Public Order and the Knights

11

(19)

The High Middle Ages and Order

11

(1)

Three Witnesses

12

(7)

Context: Socio-Economic and Institutional Change

19

(3)

Evidence from Chivalric Literature

22

(6)

Conclusion

28

(2)

Evidence on Chivalry and its Interpretation

30

(11)

Did Knights Read Romance?

30

(3)

Is Chivalric Literature Hopelessly Romantic?

33

(3)

The Framework of Institutions and Ideas

36

(5)

PART II. THE LINK WITH CLERGIE

41

(48)

Knights and Piety

45

(18)

Lay Piety, Lay Independence

45

(8)

Chivalric Mythology

53

(4)

Knights and Hermits

57

(6)

Clergie, Chevalerie, and Reform

63

(26)

Clerical Praise for Knightly Militia

64

(9)

Clerical Strictures on Knightly Malitia

73

(8)

The Church and Governing Power

81

(3)

The Force of Ideas

84

(5)

PART III. THE LINK WITH ROYAUTE

89

(32)

Chevalerie and Royaute

93

(14)

Royal Stance on War and Violence

93

(5)

Capetian Kingship and Chivalry

98

(4)

The Balance Sheet

102

(5)

English Kingship, Chivalry, and Literature

107

(14)

Royal Ideology and Enforcement

107

(4)

The Evidence of Literature

111

(10)

PART IV. THE AMBIVALENT FORCE OF CHIVALRY

121

(177)

The Privileged Practice of Violence: Worship of the Demi-god Prowess

129

(32)

Identification of Chivalry with Prowess

135

(14)

Competition

149

(6)

Conclusion

155

(6)

Knighthood in Action

161

(28)

A Delight in War and Tournament

161

(4)

The Fact of Fear? Voices for Peace?

165

(4)

Conduct of War

169

(7)

Looting and Destruction

176

(9)

Loyalty

185

(4)

Social Dominance of Knights

189

(20)

Chivalry and Nobility

189

(4)

The Role of Largesse

193

(6)

The Role of Chivalric Mythology (Revisited)

199

(6)

The Role of Formal Manners

205

(4)

Knights, Ladies, and Love

209

(22)

The Variety of Voices

210

(5)

Male Bonding

215

(4)

The Link with Prowess

219

(6)

Sexual Violence

225

(6)

Chanson de Geste and Reform

231

(22)

The Song of Aspremont

232

(5)

The Crowning of Louis

237

(7)

Raoul de Cambrai

244

(9)

Quest and Questioning in Romance

253

(20)

The Quest of the Holy Grail

253

(8)

The Death of King Arthur

261

(4)

Robert the Devil/Sir Gowther

265

(8)

Chivalric Self-Criticism and Reform

273

(25)

The Romance of the Wings

273

(2)

The Book of the Order of Chivalry

275

(5)

L'Histoire de Guillaume le Marechal

280

(4)

Geoffroi de Charny, Livre de chevalerie

284

(4)

Thomas Malory, Morte Darthur

288

(10)

EPILOGUE

298

(13)

The Essex Rebellion and the Bouteville Affair

299

(3)

Dissolving the Fusion of Chivalric Elements

302

(2)

Prowess and Honour

304

(3)

Prowess and Piety

307

(1)

Prowess and Status

308

(3)

Bibliography

311

(20)

Index

331

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Chivalry and Violence in Medieval Europe

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Table of Contents

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