Treachery is one man’s meat and another’s poison….

    I have been reading a very interesting article from the Journal of Medieval History by E. Amanda McVitty, called False knights and true men: contesting chivalric masculinity in English treason trials, 1388-1415. (Vol. 40, No. 4, 458–477) There is an old saying that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, and by the…

A medieval woman who competed in a mounted duel and won….!

While searching for an explanation of why some women in the 14th century were termed “Dame” I found that it meant they were a knight’s wife/widow. Apparently Dame preceded Lady, which came about in the 17th Century—or so it seems. I can’t quite believe that. Anyway, I also learned that it wasn’t unknown for women…

A pedant writes…

In the aftermath of certain historical novels I have read recently, I should like to give the following information, in the hope it will be helpful to authors, editors (if they still exist) and indeed readers. SLAVERY – Although slavery was quite common in England in Anglo-Saxon times, it was became less usual after the…

Cover Crush: The Flower of Chivalry by Georges Duby

  In previous years, Lisl took part in conversations with other bloggers and writers about book covers, regarding their importance and appeal. From these discussions the Cover Crush evolved amongst several participants, who began recording their thoughts on images that, for various reasons, caught and kept their attention. Today, Lisl shares her most recent Crush,…

The Traitor’s Arms?

In 1840 workmen carrying out repairs to St Bartholomew’s Church, Ashperton, Herefordshire were collecting stones from the ruins of a nearby manor house when they discovered a heavy stone plaque, carved with an elaborate coat of arms, among the rubble. The stone was taken to the church for safekeeping and has hung on the wall…

St Maurice, patron saint of knights….?

  On reading Chivalry by Léon Gautier, I learned that St Maurice was the patron saint of knights. Another interesting fact about him is that he’s often depicted as a Black African man in armour. He apparently came from Upper Egypt, so he probably was black. I’m reminded of the Black Madonnas. We’re always surprised…

A list of names for medieval horses….

There have been posts about medieval horses before, including some about how these animals were named, but the image above shows another list of such names. I have a book on my shelf that I haven’t dipped into for….um, longer than I care to remember! It’s called Chivalry by Léon Gauthier and was first published…

The true meaning of being a knight….

This article is a well written summary of how one became a medieval knight, and what was expected of one’s conduct ever after. If you’d like to see the 14th-century process of being dressed in armour, here on You Tube is the site to go to. And if the composition and wearing of a knightly girdle…

A book about heraldry and livery on the medieval battlefield….

As a member of the Mortimer History Society, I have been notified that the above book has been greatly reduced in price at Oxbow Books. I’ve ordered it – including £4 postage! The blurb for the book is as follows:“The medieval battlefield was a place of spectacle and splendour. The fully-armed knight, bedecked in his…

The Most Noble Order of the Garter….

We all know of the Order of the Garter, and the legend of how it began, but what do we actually know about this, Britain’s oldest and most noble order of chivalry? If you visit this page, you will learn a great deal. I wish the illustrations were enlargeable, and thus more detailed, but they’re…