Life of medieval knights. The history of the emergence of knights

The life of a person in the Middle Ages was, in fact, a continuous test of endurance, although people were hardly aware of this, because they lived without knowing or even assuming a different reality. They lived as usual, as their fathers and great-grandfathers, and great-great-great-grandfathers lived. The exception was, perhaps, the knights, in whose way of life certain changes nevertheless took place. In the beginning, being a knight simply meant being a warrior, carrying a vassal, usually mounted military service to his lord. However, in the endless medieval outer and internal wars, a new ideology and psychology of chivalry was gradually formed; a fair share of aristocracy and nobility, even some courtesy in the best sense of the word, was added to the image of an illiterate military man. The knight became not just a warrior, but the standard of noble aspirations and feelings, the concept of chivalry became synonymous with fidelity, which in medieval society was considered an almost unaffordable luxury. Even the king could not always boast of the loyalty of his own subjects, and what can we say about mere mortals?

The knights formed their own concepts of honor and nobility. First of all, the knight had to be a good Christian and pledged to fight everywhere and everywhere for Christian faith and protect her. He had to protect the weak, always keep his word. The knight had to be faithful to his liege and had to be able to stand up for his life and dignity. And yet, the skills of the knights to play on musical instruments, compose poems and poems dedicated to the Beautiful Lady, who simply had to be with every self-respecting knight. At the same time, it should be noted that the Beautiful Lady had to remain an unattainable value for the knight. He could compose poems and songs in her honor, he could fight for her favorable look at tournaments and perform God knows how many more military feats on the battlefield, but a knight, as a rule, could not possess the lady of his heart. So, often the knights chose married ladies as Beautiful Ladies and, according to all the medieval rules of etiquette, praised their beauty and virtue, and sighed about them exclusively platonically. Even a queen could well become the Fair Lady of some glorious knight, because, as you know, even a cat is allowed to look at the king.

Of course, all the boys of the Middle Ages dreamed of becoming a knight. But for this it took a lot of work. Fifteen years is the most suitable age for a squire. It was at this age that the boys entered the service of the knight, everywhere, like a shadow, following their master. Page-squires held a shield, gave spare weapons during the battle, looked after the horses. For several years of service, the boy matured and he himself could claim to be knighted. On the night before the initiation, the future knight had to pray all night on his knees, asking the Lord for strength and courage, and nobility of thought, and fortitude, so that in the future he would have the courage not to disgrace the honorary title of knight. In the morning he confessed, performed a ritual bath, put on the snow-white clothes of a neophyte and, having laid his hands on holy gospel, solemnly swore to observe all written and unwritten laws of chivalry. After that, one of the knights (or the father of the young man) pulled out a sword from the scabbard and three times touched the shoulders of the neophyte with the blade. Then the young man was given his own sword, with which he no longer parted from now on. The one who knighted the boy beat him three times on the cheeks, saying: "Be brave!" and these were the only blows in the life of a knight to which he had no right to answer. Even the king, undergoing obligatory knighthood, had no right to resist these ritual slaps. During the war, however, the ritual of knighting was somewhat more modest.

The knight spent almost all his free time either hunting or in war. - this is the nurse not only of the knights, but also of any other warriors. Marauding in the occupied territories, people made themselves, if not a fortune, then at least somehow compensated for many years of military deprivation. Another way for a knight to earn a living was jousting tournaments. This semi-military - semi-sports fun, in which the knights fought each other, trying to knock the opponent out of the saddle with the blunt end of the spear. The knight who was defeated on the ground had to give his horse and his armor to the winner, but since it was considered a shame for the knight to be left without a horse and armor, the winner immediately returned his winnings to the loser for very good money (knightly armor cost approximately the same as a small became cows, heads, commercials, at 45). So, some knights earned their living by traveling from city to city and taking part in knightly tournaments, while glorifying the name of their Beautiful Lady in all cities.

The history of the creation of chivalry has not been sufficiently studied to this day and does not have a single agreed opinion of historians. It is interpreted in a wide range and variously dates the organization of chivalry from the seventh to the tenth century. This military estate received general recognition upon the fact of its existence, when researchers allow semantics from the German word "ritter" - horseman. Some researchers see in the knights of all secular feudal lords early medieval, others are only a part of them - petty feudal lords, implying military servants (riders) who were vassals of the nobility. Considering also that as the growth feudal fragmentation, which favored the expansion of the rights of small knights, the line between knights and the nobility was gradually erased, equalizing their rights.

These examples, presented on the already accomplished fact of the existence of chivalry, do not take into account the degree of logical expediency of any actions of historical characters entering the stage of the theater of history. And the logic is such that knightly equipment is a very expensive pleasure that not every nobleman could afford, as evidenced by the tradition of transferring the helmet and armor of the defeated knight to the winner. It is known that in the early Middle Ages, interstate relations often had a military character, when different kings and sovereigns, being leaders of military detachments, had to wield weapons and constantly improve their military skills. Therefore, it can be assumed that knightly armor is a combat form, first of all, of a king to protect him from enemy weapons.

By tradition, members of the royal family can only cross arms with an equal in position, and chivalry turned out to be the very environment with which the king could, without losing his dignity, participate in tournaments on the lists, holding war games and competitions. So from history we know that at a similar tournament, the French king Henry II, who was defeated in a knightly duel by Count Montgomery, was mortally wounded by a fragment of a spear. The count, who, in the romantic interpretation of Alexandre Dumas, turned out to be the son of Count Montgomery, who spent half his life and died in prison because he drew his weapon against Henry II, who was then a prince, challenging him to a duel as a rival in a relationship with a woman. And in Everyday life you can’t do this - you can only fight with representatives of the royal house on the lists in an equal duel, having dignity on the social ladder no lower than the title of a count.

So, having received an education corresponding to his status, a knight could take his proper place in the power hierarchy, from baron to king. This hierarchy can be represented, descending from top to bottom, as: "The King and - his barons (dukes, counts)". As time passed and with the beginning of the formation of knightly orders, the role of the baron in the knightly hierarchy decreased: the King is the Head of the order. Duke - Head of the detachment (Head of the Order). Count - Knight (team leader). Baron - Knight (team leader). A knight in the service of a baron.

The original name of the knight - the equestrian comes from the means of transportation necessary for a person armed in heavy armor, which is the horse. Thus, chivalry became a privileged shock military unit of heavy cavalry, capable of breaking through the ranks of an enemy armed with spears, while remaining virtually invulnerable to infantry. The main theme of chivalry is the theme of service and austerity, which are often accompanied by the mystical cult of the beloved - the Lady, whose colors the knight wore on his armor and served as a guarantor of the protection of the honor of this Lady in cases of the so-called "God's judgment", when the conflict was resolved in a mortal duel between representatives accusing and defending side. Even the king had no right to cancel such a court.

Knighting was carried out in a solemn atmosphere, when only the king could knight, later the Grand Master of the Order of Knights began to do this. The training of a knight took place in serving as a page of a noble lady, and then a squire for one of the knights, who then presented his squire to the king for knighthood. Thus, each knight had his own history and belonging to any land ownership or military knightly order, marked with the appropriate heraldic symbols, which the knight usually wore on his shield. The first military monastic order arose in the 11th century in Palestine, when seven knights created the Order of the Temple to protect pilgrims.

Then other knightly monastic orders were created, into which the children of nobles who did not have the right to inherit the title - Maltese, Livonian, Teutonic, had the opportunity to join. The master or grandmaster, the head of the order, acted as abbot. Therefore, no one could see a woman among the knights (even if it was the queen herself), even in the most nightmare, because it was physically impossible. In the course of the historical period of time, the original meaning of chivalry was lost and perverted to those positions when the knights began to reproduce themselves through a blow to the face and some oral parting words. With the invention of firearms, chivalry ceased to be the main military strike force. And after women were also called knights (masters), the institute of chivalry generally lost any meaning. Freemasonry, which considers itself the heirs of knightly traditions, has invested a different esoteric meaning in heraldic symbolism, when in allegorical expression the title of a knight sounds like a master. Logos controlling his horse - matter. Here, the true concept of the semantic sounding of the word knight is inaccessible to most people without special education.

Knight without fear and reproach

The most famous knight was Bayard Pierre du Terail. He was called "a knight without fear and reproach", his name became a household name, synonymous with honor, disinterestedness and military prowess. Bayard was born near Grenoble in the family castle in 1476. The Terailei dynasty was famous for its chivalrous feats, many of Bayard's ancestors ended their lives on the battlefields. He was raised by his grandfather, who was a bishop and gave the boy a good education and upbringing. One of the main elements of education at school in those days was physical training. From birth, Bayard did not differ in good health and physical strength, so he devoted a lot of time to gymnastics and various exercises. Since childhood, he dreamed of devoting his life to the service of France as a warrior. From an early age, Bayard got used to wearing heavy weapons, jumping on a horse without a stirrup, overcoming deep ditches and climbing high walls, shooting from a bow and fighting with a sword. All his life he remembered the advice of his parents: to hope in God, always tell the truth, respect your equals, protect widows and orphans.

By tradition, Bayard began his service as a page of Count Philippe de Beauges. Having become a knight, he participated in many tournaments. Bayard's duel with the Spanish knight Inigo is described in D'Azeglio's novel "Ettore Fieramosca, or the Tournament in Barletta": "Bayard ... was the first to enter the arena on a beautiful Norman bay stallion; The stallion had three white legs and a black mane. According to the custom of that time, he was covered with a huge blanket that covered his body from ears to tail; a blanket of light green color with red stripes, and the coat of arms of a knight was embroidered on it; it ended with a fringe that reached the horse's knees. Sultans of feathers of the same colors fluttered on the head and on the rump of the stallion, and the same colors were repeated on the spear badge and on the feathers of the helmet ... Bayard restrained his horse against Doña Elvira and, as a sign of greeting, bowed his spear in front of her, and then hit him three times into Inigo's shield... This meant that he summoned Inigo for three blows of his spear... Having done all this, Bayard rode off to the entrance to the amphitheatre. At the same moment Inigo was in his place, opposite him; both held a spear at their feet, point upwards...

When the trumpet sounded for the third time, it seemed that the same impulse animated the fighters and their horses. To bend over a spear, to spur a horse, to rush forward with the speed of an arrow was a matter of one minute, and both horsemen performed it with equal speed and swiftness. Inigo aimed at his opponent's helmet; it was a sure, though not easy, blow; however, when they came abreast, Inigo thought that in the presence of such a lofty assembly it was better to act without risk, and contented himself with breaking his spear on Bayard's shield. But the French knight... aimed at Inigo's visor and hit so accurately that even if they both stood still, he couldn't have struck better. Sparks flew from Inigo's helmet, the shaft of the spear broke almost at the very base, and the Spaniard leaned on his left side so much - for he also lost his left stirrup - that he almost fell. Thus, the honor of this first fight went to Bayard. Both knights continued to gallop around the arena to come out towards each other, each from the other side; and Inigo, throwing back a piece of his spear in anger, drew another from the barrel as he galloped. In the second fight, the blows of the opponents were equal... In the third fight... Inigo broke his spear on the visor of his opponent, and he barely touched his cheek with his spear. The trumpets sounded again and the shouts of "Hurrah!" The heralds announced that both knights were distinguished by the same valor, and together they went to the bed of Doña Elvira ... The girl met them with words of praise.

From the end of the 15th century, the era of the decline of heavily armed mounted knights begins. No, they still participate in wars, they are considered a force, but new types of weapons lead to the emergence of combat-ready infantry and knightly cavalry begins to give up their positions one by one. The feudal militia is largely giving way to mercenary troops, and light cavalry takes the place of heavy cavalry. In the 16th century, the French army already consisted of a standing army and part of mercenaries, the knightly militia was recruited only in case of war. It was then that France was at war with Italy, and Bayard "did not get off his horse" until his death.

He went with the king on a campaign against Naples. In frequent, almost daily battles, he showed miracles of heroism and was always distinguished by high honesty. In one of the battles, he managed to capture the Spanish general Alonzo de Mayor. According to the customs of that time, it was supposed to receive a ransom for his release, but since the Spaniard gave his word of honor that he would not leave until money was sent, Bayard ordered the general to be released from supervision. But the Spaniard left, and soon he was captured again, and, having paid a ransom, began to tell that Bayard treated him very strictly and slandered the knight in every possible way. Then Bayard challenged him to a duel, in which the Spanish general was killed. But it was a rare case when Bayard ended the duel with the death of the enemy - his generosity and generosity were amazing. His opponents knew this too. Once, pursuing a defeated enemy, Bayard broke into Milan, where he was taken prisoner. Having learned who was taken prisoner, he was immediately released without ransom as a sign of respect for his military merits.

Luck was not always on the side of the French army. In Italy, the French were unlucky and retreated. The French settled down to rest on the banks of the river Garigliano, across which a wooden bridge was thrown. The Spaniards decided to punish the French for such carelessness. A detachment of two hundred cavalry rushed to the bridge to attack the French. Bayard was the first to notice them and rushed towards the enemy. The Spaniards went in threes. Bayard defended the bridge alone until help arrived. The Spaniards could not believe that they were opposed by only one person, and the king of France gave the brave knight an inscription on the coat of arms as a reward: "One has the strength of an entire army." Bayard participated in many more battles. In 1512, he was seriously wounded, and then again was taken prisoner. His opponents Emperor Maximilian and King Henry VIII released him without any ransom. The emperor received Bayard with respect, and the king offered him to go to his service, which was then very common. But Bayard replied that he had "one God in heaven and one fatherland on earth: he cannot change either one or the other." In 1514, Bayard accompanied the French king Francis I on a military campaign to Italy. He prepared a bold passage through the Alps and showed such fearlessness in battle that the king himself, who was twenty-one years old, wished to be knighted by Bayard's hand. He at first refused such an honor, but the king insisted. After the dedication, Bayard said to the king: "God grant that you do not know the flight." Soon Bayard received from Francis I the command of a company of bodyguards. Such a distinction was granted only to princes of the blood.

And again campaigns, battles, victories and defeats. In April 1524, Bayard was sent to Italy to conquer Milan. The campaign was not successful, the French were forced to retreat to the Alps across the Sesia River. Bayard commanded the rearguard. He gave the order to hold the bridge over the river, and he himself rushed to the enemy. The bullet pierced his side and shattered his lower back. Realizing that he would soon die, Bayard ordered to put himself under a tree facing the enemy. "I've always looked them in the face and when I die, I don't want to show my back," he said. He gave a few more orders, confessed, and put to his lips the cross that he had on the hilt of his sword. In this position, the Spaniards found him. The dying Bayard was approached by Charles de Bourbon, who went over to the side of the Spaniards and expressed his regret about what had happened. Overcoming the pain, Bayard answered him: "You should not regret about me, but about yourself, who raised arms against the king and the fatherland." Both the life and death of this glorious knight were flawless.

Order of Malta

One of the most interesting knightly orders was the Order of Malta. This spiritual knightly order, was founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century. It owes its origin to merchants from Amalfi (a town south of Naples), who obtained permission from the Caliph of Baghdad to build a hospital in Jerusalem for Christian pilgrims who visited the Holy Sepulcher. The hospital was run by Benedictine monks from the Jerusalem church of Santa Maria Latina. When Gottfried of Bouillon conquered Jerusalem during the 1st crusade (1099), Gerard, the first master of the order, organized from these monks the monastic order of the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. The monks wore a black cloak with white eight-pointed cross. In 1113, Pope Paschal II officially approved the order. Five years later, the French knight Raymond Dupuy, the first Grand Master of the order, became Gerard's successor, and the order itself turned into a military organization - the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, subordinate to the Augustinian order. The order by that time had grown so much that it was divided into 8 "nations" or "languages", with divisions in various countries of Europe, and was obliged not only to observe chastity and humility, but also to fight for the cause of Christianity to the last drop of blood. Probably, the same Dupuis singled out three classes in the order: knights of the order of noble origin, who cared for the sick and carried out military service; chaplains who were in charge of the religious activities of the order; and brothers who performed the duties of servants in the order.

The knights defended Jerusalem from the infidels, but in 1187 they were expelled by Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and settled in Akka (Akko), which they held for a hundred years. Then the knights had to move to the island of Cyprus. In 1310, under the command of the Grand Master Devilaret, they captured the island of Rhodes, driving out the pirates from there. Three times the Turks besieged the island, but the knights held out until 1522, when they were attacked by Suleiman the Magnificent and surrendered on honorable terms after heroic defense under the direction of Philippe Villiers de Lisle-Adan. In 153, Emperor Charles V granted them the island of Malta, where in 1565 the knights, under the command of Master Jean de La Valeta, successfully repulsed the Turks. The city of Valletta, built on the site of the destroyed fortifications, bears the name of the hero of this struggle. For two centuries, the Knights of Malta patrolled the Mediterranean, fighting Turkish pirates, building new hospitals and caring for the sick. The French Revolution inflicted on the Order death blow. By decree of 1792, their property in France was confiscated, and in 1798 Napoleon occupied Malta, forcing the knights to seek a new refuge. Most of the knights went to Russia, where Emperor Paul I was elected Grand Master in order to resurrect the former greatness of the order, but after the death of the emperor (1801), the order ceased to exist. In 1879, an attempt was made to revive the order when Pope Leo XIII restored the position of Grand Master, and over the following years three "nations" were organized - in Italy, Germany and Spain, but the order could not return to its former glory. Grand British Priory Honorary Order of the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, this Protestant order, founded in England in 1830, maintains a distant, though unofficial, connection with the Order of the Knights of Malta. This organization is known for its merits in the field of social work and work in hospitals, as well as the creation of the Sanitary Association of St. John during the First World War. Catholic branches of the order existed until the 20th century. in a number of European and African countries, in the USA and South America.

Warband

The Teutonic Order was founded during the Third Crusade (1189 - 1192). Its full Latin name is Ordo domus Sanctae Mariae Teutonicorum ("Order of the House of St. Mary of the Teutonic"), German - "Deutscher Order" - "German Order". Members of this German Catholic spiritual and chivalric order were considered both monks and knights and took three traditional monastic vows: chastity, poverty and obedience. At that time, the members of the order were completely dependent on the Pope, being his powerful tool and not subject to the authority of those sovereigns on whose territory their possessions were located. In 1198, the order was established by Pope Innocent III, and in 1221, Pope Honorius III extended to the Teutons all those privileges, immunities and indulgences that the older orders had: the St. John and the Templars.

The end of the XIV - the beginning of the XV century was the heyday of the military power of the Teutonic Order, which received great help from Western European feudal lords and the Pope. In the struggle against this formidable force, Polish, Russian and Lithuanian troops united. In 1409, between the Teutonic Order, on the one hand, and Poland and Lithuania, on the other, a war broke out again, called the Great. The decisive battle between the army of the Teutonic Order and the Polish-Lithuanian-Russian troops took place on July 15, 1410 near Grunwald (the Lithuanians call this place Žalgiris, and the Germans - Tannenberg). Under the leadership of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, the main forces of the Teutons were defeated. This put an end to the expansion of German feudal lords and crusaders to the East, which lasted 200 years. The epochal significance of the battle, in which Grandmaster Ulrich von Jungingen and almost all members of the military leadership of the order were killed, lies in the fact that the military and political power of the Teutons was broken, their plans for domination in Eastern Europe. The Teutonic Order could no longer recover from the defeat inflicted on it. In vain he sought help from the Pope and from the ecumenical councils, which at that time were trying to strengthen the shattered authority of the Catholic Church. Under the combined blows of Poland and the rebellious cities, the Teutonic Order was forced to admit defeat and give up political independence.

In the first quarter of the 16th century, interesting events unfolded in the history of the Teutonic Order. On April 2, 1525, the Teutonic grand master Albrecht Hohenzollern entered Krakow, the capital of Poland, in a white cloak of the "holy army" decorated with a black order cross, and already on April 8, he signed peace with Poland not as a grand master of the Teutonic Order, but as a duke of Prussia, which was in vassalage dependence on the Polish king Sigismund. Under this agreement, all the old privileges enjoyed by the Teutons were lost, but all the rights and privileges of the Prussian nobility remained in force. And a day later, in the old market of Krakow, kneeling Albrecht took the oath of allegiance to the King of Poland. Thus, on April 10, 1525, a new state was born. The Teutonic Order was abolished in order for Prussia to exist.

In 1834, the order was restored with slightly modified tasks in Austria (under Grandmaster Anton Viktor, who became known as Hochmeister), and soon de facto in Germany, although the official order authorities claim that the Teutons resumed their activities in this country only after the end of World War II, because the knight brothers were persecuted under Nazism.

In the modern view, the knight is an independent warrior. These members of society were quite privileged, and also constituted the basis of the medieval army. The knights could easily go on adventurous adventures and travel, they formed a romantic halo. Theoretically, even the most lower classes if they serve obediently and for a long time. For them, chivalry became the real reward for their courage and valor. Chivalry became an integral part of medieval European history.

This phenomenon originated in the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century and lasted until the 16th century, when a revolution in military affairs took place. National armies began to grow, and the number of independent warriors began to decline, as did their importance as the moral and physical core of military associations. Our list contains not only authentic historical figures.

After all, even fictional knights played an important role in the theory and practice of this phenomenon. The representatives of such a medieval trend can be assessed according to the following parameters: fame, trace in history, reflection of virtues. In general, the following knightly main features are traditionally known: justice, courage, generosity, mercy, faith, nobility and hope.

Knighthood began as a military structure. A man with a weapon took upon himself the obligation to serve his master with his sword. And he, in turn, provided protection, land and benefits in return. The element of service is paramount. Indeed, in those days there was no centralized power and the rule of law. And the community of warriors bound by oaths of allegiance were the most effective tool social cohesion.

It was believed that the knight had to have a certain skill in order to be ready to go on exploits. He also had to prove his loyalty to the master. The great knight had to create a reputation for his invulnerability, as well as leave behind myths of greatness and glorious deeds. Knights were also considered rulers. But their main function was still government, not battles. We will tell below about the greatest knights who entered the history of the Middle Ages.

Ulrich von Liechtenstein (1200-1278). Most famous trait this German knight - his narcissism. Ulrich's name was used in a historical romantic comedy played by Heath Ledger. In fact, he was an exemplary knight in the classical Western tradition. He started out as a poor nobleman in one of the many feudal principalities in fragmented Germany. But over time, he had his own squire, and eventually his own estate. Through his perseverance and skillful swordsmanship, von Lichtestein earned a lot of money from tournaments. This allowed him to make social progress and raise his status. Ulrich became a famous and great knight, it was considered an honor to accept many tournaments. Thanks to the big name and prize funds, he became rich. Surprisingly, in real battles, he did not glorify himself in any way, as well as in marriage. The other side of Ulrich's fame is his skill as a late minnesang poet. He sang lyric songs. Such poets were similar to bards or troubadours in France and England. They sang of their great love affairs and valiant victories. Ulrich, based on his travels, created a rather famous cycle "Serving the Ladies". This suggests that the knight was very well-read and creatively gifted. But as is usually the case for knights, he arrogantly claimed that all those great stories told about him were true. Including novels with numerous women and 307 tournament victories. Ulrich was a true living legend in his time, but he ultimately passed away quietly on his estate, never making a noticeable impact in the political arena. Von Liechtenstein is an exemplary example of a noble and romantic knight.

Don Quixote (circa 1600). This Spanish knight became famous for such traits as perseverance and self-deception. In fact, Don Quixote cannot be considered a knight in the full sense of the word. Nevertheless, our list would be clearly incomplete without him. After all, he had a noticeable literary influence through cruel sarcasm on the entire institution of chivalry. Don Quixote was a knight more in his dreams or fantasies, literature made him such. The hero of the novel became so obsessed with the idea of ​​chivalry that he began to seek adventure everywhere. The hateful house was exchanged for future exploits and love affairs. The story of Don Quixote is in many ways reminiscent of the story of El Cid, the great true Spanish knight. The plot is similar - a horse, a beloved woman in trouble, conflict resolution and crazy adventures. Jokes follow one another. Don Quixote calls an innkeeper a knight, saves a peasant's son, and mistakes a milkmaid for a noble lady. His squire is extremely two-faced. As a result, the search brings the knight only suffering. Like other knights, money is not at all the main thing for Don Quixote, he dreams of battles, and on his way there are the most different people. In the end, Don Quixote becomes sensible again. He abandons his former life as soon as it becomes clear that chivalry is dead, and the world no longer respects such romantics. In the finale, Don Quixote dies without abandoning his outdated ideals. The very form of the novel departs from medieval romantic traditions; on the contrary, they are ridiculed here.

Edward the Black Prince (1330-1376). The best thing that this English hero had was a string of great victories. Edward, by the status of his birth, was already at the height of chivalric culture, so his status as a great was given to him relatively easily. This man was the eldest son of King Edward III. It was he who founded the Order of the Garter, a noble order of chivalry. The Black Prince bore the title of Prince of Wales and records speak of him as a strong warrior. He was resolute and brave, he showed himself excellently in battles with the French. But they were richer, better trained and armed than the British. Despite this, Edward led his father's troops against them. He was able to win the battles of the Middle Ages that have become classic - at Cressy and at Poitiers. For this, his father especially noted him, making him the first knight of the new Order of the Garter. And the personal life of the knight was quite famous. He married for love his cousin, Joanna of Kent. This couple has become one of the brightest in Europe. The spectacular wife glorified the knight even more, making his image richer and more versatile. Edward is marked by many knightly virtues, including generosity and piety. This manifested itself in relation to the king of France captured at Poitiers and to ordinary prisoners. But in relation to the common people, Edward was more arrogant, showing concern for his position and for the situation in his native England. Edward was constantly trained in the war. This manifested itself in his pragmatism and innovative tactics. This was the main difference between the Black Knight and the French, who followed the traditional strategy. The innovative approach made the knight a great military leader. And like a true knight, Edward soon felt that France and England were too small for him. He decided to look for glory elsewhere, in particular in Spain, although in the end he did not succeed. The negative side of the knight was that, unlike his other exemplary colleagues, he did not fight the infidels, did not write poetry and did not spend much time in romance novels. And the word "black" in his name can mean the color of his armor, a difficult character, or the origin of his mother.

Jacques de Molay (1244-1314). This famous French knight became famous for leading the largest Crusade. De Molay was the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. This is not enough to rank him among the great knights. But the recent novel The Da Vinci Code has drawn attention to him, and the image of the master himself has become much more interesting in the eyes of his contemporaries. What did he actually do? He was chosen to lead the most powerful crusade in Christendom. That is why many knightly features should be displayed in it, because they were quite an important basis for life in his native order of the Templars. Jacques became a knight at the age of 21 after participating in the battle. To consolidate his status, the young man took part in the Crusade to the Holy Land. Soon the Crusades faded away, all that de Molay could do at that time was to move the headquarters of the Templars to Cyprus after the fall of Acre in 1291. As a result, the Order left the land, for the protection of which it was actually created from Muslims. But these events were a happy occasion for Jacques himself. A respected and pious knight became the Grand Master of the Knights Templar. De Molay showed himself not as a military leader or heartthrob, but as a skilled administrator and European politician. He created a whole network of branches of his organization throughout Europe. They began to engage less in knightly affairs, and more in trade and usury. The master began to convene the monarchs of Europe for a new crusade. The efforts even culminated in an attack on the Mamluks in Egypt in 1300, but soon the gained foothold was again lost without the support of the allies. Tired of military losses, Mole and the Templars began to win victories in banking. Such an impact on the economy of the recovered France began to frighten King Philip IV. During the struggle for power, Mole also supported the pretender to the throne, which was the reason for his arrest in Paris in 1307. The formal reason was the betrayal of the Templars, but in fact, in this way the king covered his debts, taking all the funds of the Order for himself. Jacques defended his independence to the end, like a true knight, remaining true to the oath of the Church to the very end. In 1308, Mole was actually released by Pope Clement V. After all, the Magister's guilt was based more on rumors and speculation than on facts. But long hearings led to the fact that Mole was burned alive, as if he had fallen into heresy again. He stated that all of his previous testimony against the Order was false.

Knight of Chaucer (circa 1400). The main features of this English knight are rather stereotypical, but they are built on the basis of real people. In the late Middle Ages, the image of a knight was formed as an outdated person. This is due, among other things, to the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. This English writer of the late 14th century wrote several fabulous creations about the knights of his time. These people were shown as brave, with traditional virtues, good behavior, refined love and piety. Such a walking stereotype included all possible virtues at once. The basis for the character was the mercenary John Hawkwood from Essex, whom the author personally knew and simply ennobled in his creations. Most famous history is The Knight's Story from The Canterbury Tales. It mixes classic storytelling with lessons in gallantry, talking about the dangers of brotherly dissension or unrequited love. The character of the knight himself, although pleasant, is rather faceless. It is believed that his role in English society is becoming less and less significant, and he himself is more of an ideal character than a real one. The knight of Chaucer's stories traveled extensively and became famous for his use of weapons. But at the end of his career, this warrior became pious, which is why he travels with his fellow travelers to Canterbury in order to bow there to the relics of one of the saints. Although this knight was not a real character, he nevertheless gave many ideas about this class of people.

Gottfried of Bouillon (1060-1100). This French knight became famous for the fact that it was he who led the very first and best crusade. The origin of Gottfried did not imply his future fame. He was only the second son of an insignificant French count. But it was precisely such a low social status that pushed him to the career of a great and illustrious knight, and the crusade only increased his fame. His family was able to give Gottfried the title of Duke of Lower Lorraine, but instead of defending this rich and strategically important region, he gave up his lands. In exchange, he bowed to the Holy Roman Emperor and agreed to exchange his possessions for a smaller territory. Humility and devotion are truly chivalrous virtues, but Gottfried, like many of his colleagues, has chosen an independent course. In 1095, the knight, along with many others, responded to the call of Pope Urban II to liberate Palestine from the Muslims. Thus, despite all his relatives and what the emperor had done for him, Gottfried sold all his lands in order to provide weapons for the army preparing to march. The knight was so charismatic that two of his brothers went on the campaign with him. This did not please the mother. According to ancient chronicles, Gottfried was able to gather an army of 40 thousand people. All of them crusaded from Lorraine through Hungary to Constantinople. Gottfried's fame was brought by the fact that he was one of the first Frankish knights to reach the Holy Land. It was the image of the duke that showed how selfless a real crusader should be. His strength as a knight also consisted in the fact that he possessed not only courage and piety, but also perseverance. While other participants in the campaign complained of hunger, thirst or homesickness, Gottfried himself was adamant in his desire to achieve the goal. The crowning of the knight's career was the assault on Jerusalem under his leadership in 1099. Gottfried was chosen as the first ruler of the kingdom by a crusader on this earth. However, he himself refused the title of king, taking the title of baron and Defender of the Holy Sepulcher. Although the actions of the knight were based on the massacres of the same defenders of the city, this did not affect his reputation as a glorious warrior of that time. By 1100, Gottfried, along with other warriors, conquered most of Palestine. He even ordered that his brother Baldwin be crowned King of Jerusalem in the event of his death. In this way a whole dynasty was founded. So the rejection of Lorraine served well. Outwardly, Gottfried had classic knightly attributes and an ideal form. He was tall, strong, slim and bearded. The glorious knight perished at the siege of Acre.

Sir Galahad (5th century). This Welsh knight, who belonged to the legendary Round Table of King Arthur, is called the holy knight and the anointed of God. Galahad was literally born for greatness, because Lancelot himself is considered his father. They say that his fate was successful largely thanks to Merlin. Although we are talking about fictional people, the Arthurian heroic cycle has become such a rich cultural phenomenon that it dominates all other chivalric ballads, not only in England but also in France. The legendary knights themselves, along with their king, became the basis for the early archetypes of the ideal knight, or even several different knights. Galahad himself appeared at the very end of the cycle, but he was still one of the great knights of the round table and seekers of the Holy Grail. Sir Galahad possessed some of the most valuable knighthoods. He grew up very religious, gallant and with pure thoughts. The young warrior became famous for sitting in the Disastrous Seat, and this place was intended only for the most worthy, whom the Lord protects. As a result, King Arthur proclaimed him as the greatest knight. What prevents Galahad from becoming the best is that he was still a mythological figure. However, his cultural significance was very high, he embodied many of the virtues of a classic medieval knight. Galahad performed mostly tasks that were not entirely chivalrous, such as rescuing ladies in distress or his comrades. This knight, although he was called pious and merciful, could not be reproached for his lack of character. He found himself in right places at the right time, making him the most significant character in the entire Round Table. It seemed that the fate of England was in the hands of Galahad. Together with other knights he had visions of the Holy Grail, in which Joseph of Arimathea collected the blood of Christ. The search for this relic became the goal of that group of knights. Ultimately, Galahad was able to protect and save Arthur himself at the battle of Tintagel Castle, which was important event. After all, Arthur himself was the greatest of all the English kings. According to legend, it was Galahad who was able to find and take the Holy Grail in his hands, after which he ascended to heaven.

Jean le Maingre Boucicault (1366-1421). This French and Breton knight was able to make a dizzying career, becoming famous for his military abilities. From a very early age, this nobleman began to take part in various military campaigns. At 18, he went to Prussia to help the Teutonic Order, then he fought against the Moors in Spain, and eventually became one of the prominent participants Hundred Years War with England. During the truce in 1390, Boucicaut chose the most efficient and impressive path to become a famous knight. He performed at the tournament and defeated everyone there. Le Mengre not only earned big prize money, but also made a name for himself, which became a good step for his future career. Then, in true chivalrous style, Busico left everything he had and began to travel. He even began to write poems about his exploits, which was natural for a noble warrior of those times. The glory of the pious knight was so great that when he returned to his homeland, King Philip VI made him Marshal of France. This was the highest peak in a knight's career, not counting the direct seizure of the throne. Le Maingre became famous for his skill, experience and courage in battle. He was considered a great leader. Busico was anointed to his post in the main cathedral of the country, which meant a special sacred aura of this warrior. This knight has always been in the very center of battles. In the Battle of Nikopol in 1396, he was captured by the Turks, but escaped execution and was ransomed. After this, Boucicaut founded a special order of chivalry, inspired by the ideals of courtly love. At the famous Battle of Agincourt, Le Mengre was taken prisoner again and died in England six years later. This knight left a significant mark in history. He was at the very pinnacle of power, the king's anointed fought against the infidels, contributed to court culture and became famous for his good deeds.

Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199). The English king-knight was known as a zealous defender of the faith. Although there should not have been kings on the list initially, if you choose a real knight from all of them, then Richard I of England is the best suited for this role. He showed all the virtues of a medieval knight in the best possible way. In addition, Richard spent more time in this role than ruling the state. The king was respected by friends and enemies, he fought for his ideals, and not just for the usual conquest of money and land. From his earliest youth, Richard was already in the saddle, defeating the warriors of various countries and nations, instilling love and devotion in his subjects. This king is one of the few who received a loud nickname - the Lionheart. It reflects his skill and passion as a knight, not justice or majesty as a king. But to some extent, his origin speaks against Richard. Unlike some other knights, he received his high and great status simply by the right of his birth. After all, Richard was the offspring of the famous couple - Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Nevertheless, the young prince rebelled against his father, also appearing in the form of a knight-errant. But it was a rather bad act from the point of view of morality. Subsequently, Richard consciously adopted and practiced most of the values ​​of chivalry. He wrote poetry and behaved gallantly. In addition, the prince was attractive and physically well built. They say that Richard was 193 centimeters tall, blue-eyed and fair-haired. The future king spent most of his life in France, in the very center of medieval chivalry. It was from there that he rebelled against his father, asked for forgiveness and accepted the knighthood of the French king Louis VII, which only irritated his English relatives. Richard gained fame as a skilled military leader during the dispersal of the rebellion of the French barons. But such activities and constant fear of his father were not to the taste of the prince. He left all his titles and privileges and decided to take part in the Third Crusade. Richard spent a lot of money raising an army of crusaders. This was a clear expression of the knightly defense of the faith. Together with the knights, Richard occupied the kingdom of Sicily in order to restore his sister's rights to the local throne. The chronicles of the time make it clear that Richard pursued victory rather than conquest and was generally a bad king. He conquered Cyprus in 1191 to protect his own army from this side, but then gave the island to the Knights Templar. This proved his chivalrous, and not at all royal, spirit, but made him famous. Richard defeated the Muslims in Accra, but then quarreled with his allies, King Philip of France and Duke Leopold of Austria. Then the knight defeated the best Muslim leader Saladin, but he did not dare to storm Jerusalem in 1192. But due to his arrogance and recklessness, Richard, on his way back home, was captured by Leopold, whom he had previously insulted. Only a rich ransom allowed the knight-king to finally return home. But the restless warrior did not know peace and during the next battle he was mortally wounded. Richard's military exploits made him one of the most famous characters medieval history. There are many legends about him, his poems remain.

El Cid, Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar (1043-1099). This Spanish knight became famous for the battles for the independence of his country. The very nickname "El Cid" in literal translation means "my master." This man was known as a real knight for both Muslims and Christians. Which is not surprising, given that he fought against both Christian and Mauritanian tyrants. Although El Cid was not a virtuous knight, he more than made up for it with superior combat skills. As a result, even his own king forgave him for constantly changing sides. One of the nicknames was "Champion", he was the main field commander of the most powerful of the many Christian Spanish kingdoms. Modern history hails El Cid as the epitome of Spanish chivalry. Minstrels composed ballads about him, telling about his exploits in battles in defense of the Church. El Cid became a real folk hero, which was quite unusual for a nobleman. Indeed, in those days, noble people mercilessly exploited the peasants, forcing them to perform all the work on the estate. Rodrigo met his youth, being of humble origin. His family was related to the court in Castile, but mostly it was about working with documents. But the young man himself was able to make a good impression - he defeated the Aragonese knight in a one-on-one duel in front of his peers. Starting to serve, El Cid took part in several battles with the Moors who ruled in southern Spain. There he showed excellent military skills, which he also constantly improved. AT best traditions chivalry, El Cid began to show arrogance, fighting with anyone and of his own free will. For this, King Alfonso stripped him of all his titles and sent him into exile. But does the "master" have to ask for forgiveness and beg for mercy? Rodrigo became a knight for hire! Although his name was synonymous with victory over the Moors, it was to them that El Cid offered his services, leading the army in Zaragoza. After several years of successful struggle with Christians, Berbers and other Moors, the Castilian king needed Rodrigo. After all, he was an excellent military leader. It would seem that the very request of the king to return to the exile should be the greatest favor for him. But El Cid actually replied that he did not need it, since he could create his own kingdom. And he does not need respect and favors in exchange for loyalty. In 1094, El Cid, along with other hired knights, captured Valencia and became its de facto ruler. The Moors asked for the return of the city and laid siege to it. According to legend, Rodrigo was wounded by a poisoned arrow, and his smart wife realized that even after death, the legendary El Cid is able to inspire and command his army. She dressed her husband's body in armor and put it on a horse, placing it on the fortress walls. El Cid also had other necessary attributes of a knight: a horse and a sword. The war horse, nicknamed Babieka, is itself covered in legends, and the steel Cordovan sword of Tizon became famous for its durability. The knight himself was far from stupid. He read quite a lot about the war, including the works of Roman and Greek authors. His wife was a beautiful and graceful woman, and his daughters became members of the Spanish royal family.

William Marshal (1146-1219). The glory of this English knight was brought by his victories in numerous tournaments. Many contemporaries consider him the greatest knight of the Middle Ages. Despite the difficult situation around, William was able to retain all the virtues of chivalry. He skillfully wielded all types of weapons, was faithful to his master, defended his faith, and earned the favor of a great woman. Marshal was respected for his diplomacy and mercy. Then the tournaments were not one-on-one fights at all, but wars in miniatures between associations of knights. For sixteen years, Marshal spent in tournaments, sometimes participating in real wars. William developed his own tactics in these competitions. He grabbed the opponent's horse by the bridle and dragged him to his friends. There he forced the enemy to surrender and pay a ransom. If the victim jumped off and ran away, then the horse remained as a reward, which was also a valuable reward. The marshal was able to improve his skills over the years, and with the money he won, he could acquire land and the best weapons for himself. According to the customs of that time, the young Marshal was sent to study in France. There he quickly mastered those military skills that were necessary for a knight of the Middle Ages. His reputation improved, and he eventually found favor with Eleanor of Aquitaine. After that, the Marshal began to serve the English king Henry II as a companion of his son, Henry Jr. After that, there were numerous tournaments, wars with the rebellious vassals of the king, a crusade ... As a result, the Marshal was rewarded for his service with large estates in England. All this aroused knightly pride, he created his own army, to the envy of the king himself. But even despite this bold and reckless move, William was able to maintain his position. The Marshal was even able to successfully marry, at the age of 43, the 17-year-old daughter of the Earl of Pembroke. The marshal served gloriously for King Richard the Lionheart as marshal and regent during his long absence from the country. He not only increased his possessions, but also improved them. The only flaw in Marshal's biography is associated with King John, whom he served and opposed the famous Robin Hood. However, the monarch hated the popular servant, as a result, William was forced to flee to Ireland. But then, like a true knight, the Marshal returned to England and, during the uprising of the barons, remained loyal to the king, only strengthening his power and wealth. The Archbishop of Canterbury called the Marshal the greatest knight of all time, which had a basis. After the death of King John, Marshal became regent for the infant king Henry III. Even at the age of 70, this noble knight had moral and physical forces to lead the royal army in the war against France and then dictate peace terms. The signature of the knight is on the Magna Carta as a guarantor of its observance. With the suppression of the barony, the Marshal was able to organize a successful regency and pass on his estates to his sons. The knight supported the prestige of the king and his right to the throne. It was one of the few knights whose biography was published immediately after his death. In 1219, a poem entitled "The History of William Marshal" was published.

Many legends are associated with medieval knights, they became the personification of military prowess, nobility, devotion to the lady of the heart. Because of her, the heroes in historical films and novels fearlessly entered into fights and were ready to give their lives to defend the honor of a woman. Where is truth and where is fiction? What was the life of the knights of the Middle Ages in reality?

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They considered themselves to be such in everything: position in society, behavior, manners, martial arts, and even in love stories. Warriors in armor often perceived ordinary citizens as dorks, treated them condescendingly, even with contempt.

What can we say about the townspeople, if such an attitude slipped even to the priests. Representatives of the estate considered beautiful and necessary only that which directly concerned their lives.

Origin

The reasons for the arrogant-condescending attitude, the protrusion of one's own significance must be sought in the 6th-7th centuries. This period dates from the origin of chivalry.

The conquest of new lands in that era seriously strengthened the authority and power of the king. Together with him, the soldiers who were part of his squads also rose. Initially, the way of life of knights in the Middle Ages was not much different from the life of their fellow tribesmen, but gradually the nobility seized land allotments, erected castles on them.

History knows hundreds of cases when lands were taken by force from their own neighbors. This state of affairs persisted despite the fact that the number of knights in Europe was negligible - no more than 3% of the total population. The exceptions were Spain and Poland, where they were about 10%.

The enormous influence of chivalry on the internal and foreign policy, etiquette, diplomacy and almost all spheres of life, historians explain the period when the truth was behind the force. And the power was concentrated in the hands of men with armor.

Gradually, a new type of culture was formed in medieval Europe - the ideals of chivalry. They partly reached contemporaries - hence the idealization of warriors in armor and with a sword.

dedication

A story about the life of knights in the Middle Ages would be incomplete without a rite of passage. By the age of 15, the boys, who dreamed of fame and fortune, became squires. The squires followed the master like a silent shadow, watered, fed, changed horses, cleaned weapons, carried a shield, and in battles gave the master a spare weapon.

After 4-5 years of service, the page already thoroughly knew the customs, lifestyle, principles of the knightly brotherhood and he himself claimed membership in it. Before the initiation, he fervently prayed all night, and in the morning he confessed and performed the ritual of washing.

Then the neophyte in festive white robes swore an oath to the brotherhood. As soon as he pronounced it, the father or one of the initiates touched his shoulder three times with a sword. The dedication took place. As a gift, the convert received his own sword, with which he never parted.

Wars and tournaments

War is a matter of a lifetime, to which members of the royal squad devoted all their free time. She fed the warriors and their families - some made fortunes on looting, which would be enough for a comfortable existence until old age. Others behaved more modestly, but tried to get a jackpot to compensate for the years spent in the war.

Heroes in armor and in tournaments earned. Speaking against each other, they sought to knock the opponent out of the saddle. This had to be done with the blunt end of the spear so that it fell to the ground.

According to the terms of the tournament, the loser had to give the horse and armor to the winner. But according to the knightly charter, the loss of armor and a horse was considered a shame, so the loser bought them from the winner for serious money. The return of personal property cost him the same amount as a herd of 50 cows.

Housing

The books say that their houses were real impregnable castles, but where did the knights of the Middle Ages actually live? Not always in castles, because the warrior needed a lot of money to build them.

Most were content with modest estates in the villages and did not dream of more. The houses usually consisted of two rooms: a bedroom and a dining room. From furniture - the most necessary: ​​tables, beds, benches, chests.

Hunting

Hunting is one of the types of entertainment for the knights of the Middle Ages. They staged performances out of it, engaging in martial arts with game. Predators, driven by dogs, were furious - any wrong move, any oversight of a person could lead to his death.

The stories of knights loyal to the king, a beautiful lady and military duty have been inspiring men to exploits for many centuries, and people of art to creativity.

Ulrich von Liechtenstein (1200-1278)

Ulrich von Liechtenstein did not storm Jerusalem, did not fight the Moors, did not participate in the Reconquista. He became famous as a knight-poet. In 1227 and 1240 he traveled, which he described in the courtly novel The Service of the Ladies.

According to him, he went from Venice to Vienna, challenging every knight he met to fight in the name of Venus. He also created The Ladies' Book, a theoretical essay on love poetry.

Lichtenstein's "Serving the Ladies" is a textbook example of a courtly novel. It tells about how the knight sought the location of a beautiful lady. To do this, he had to amputate his little finger and half of his upper lip, defeat three hundred opponents in tournaments, but the lady remained adamant. Already at the end of the novel, Lichtenstein concludes "that only a fool can serve indefinitely where there is nothing to count on and a reward."

Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199)

Richard the Lionheart is the only Knight King on our list. In addition to the well-known and heroic nickname, Richard also had a second one - "Yes and no." It was invented by another knight, Bertrand de Born, who dubbed the young prince so for his indecision.

Already being king, Richard did not manage England at all. In the memory of his descendants, he remained a fearless warrior who cared about personal glory more than about the well-being of his possessions. Almost the entire time of his reign, Richard spent abroad.

He took part in the Third Crusade, conquered Sicily and Cyprus, besieged and took Acre, but the English king did not dare to storm Jerusalem. On the way back, Richard was captured by Duke Leopold of Austria. Only a rich ransom allowed him to return home.

After returning to England, Richard fought for another five years with the French king Philip II Augustus. Richard's only major victory in this war was the capture of Gisors near Paris in 1197.

Raymond VI (1156-1222)

Count Raymond VI of Toulouse was an atypical knight. He became famous for his opposition to the Vatican. One of the largest feudal lords of Languedoc in Southern France, he patronized the Cathars, whose religion was practiced during his reign by the majority of the population of Languedoc.

Pope Innocent II excommunicated Raimund twice for refusing to obey, and in 1208 he called for a campaign against his lands, which went down in history as the Albigensian Crusade. Raymond offered no resistance and in 1209 publicly repented.

However, too cruel, in his opinion, the demands on Toulouse led to another discord with the Catholic Church. For two years, from 1211 to 1213, he managed to hold Toulouse, but after the defeat of the crusaders in the Battle of Muret, Raymond IV fled to England, to the court of John Landless.

In 1214, he again officially submitted to the pope. In 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council, which he attended, stripped him of his rights to all lands, leaving only the marquisate of Provence to his son, the future Raymond VII.

William Marshal (1146-1219)

William Marshal was one of the few knights whose biography was published almost immediately after his death. In 1219, a poem entitled "The History of William Marshal" was published.

The marshal became famous not because of his feats of arms in wars (although he also participated in them), but thanks to his victories in knightly tournaments. He gave them sixteen years of his life.

The Archbishop of Canterbury called the Marshal the greatest knight of all time.

Already at the age of 70, Marshal led the royal army on a campaign against France. His signature is on the Magna Carta as a guarantor of its observance.

Edward the Black Prince (1330-1376)

Eldest son of King Edward III, Prince of Wales. He received his nickname either because of his difficult character, or because of the origin of his mother, or because of the color of the armor.

The "Black Prince" gained his fame in battles. He won two classic battles of the Middle Ages - at Cressy and at Poitiers.

For this, his father especially noted him, making him the first knight of the new Order of the Garter. His marriage to a cousin, Joanna of Kent, also added to Edward's knighthood. This couple was one of the brightest in Europe.

On June 8, 1376, a year before his father's death, Prince Edward died and was buried in Canterbury Cathedral. The English crown was inherited by his son Richard II.

The Black Prince has left a mark on culture. He is one of the heroes of Arthur Conan Doyle's dilogy about the Hundred Years' War, a character in Dumas' novel The Bastard de Moleon.

Bertrand de Born (1140-1215)

The knight and troubadour Bertrand de Born was the ruler of Perigord, the owner of the castle of Hautefort. Dante Alighieri portrayed Bertrand de Born in his "Divine Comedy": the troubadour is in Hell, and holds his severed head in his hand as punishment for the fact that in life he fanned quarrels between people and loved wars.

And, according to Dante, Bertrand de Born sang only to sow discord.

De Born, meanwhile, became famous for his courtly poetry. In his poems, he glorified, for example, the Duchess Matilda, the eldest daughter of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. De Born was acquainted with many troubadours of his time, such as Guillem de Bergedan, Arnaut Daniel, Folke de Marseilla, Gaucelm Faydit and even the French trouveur Conon of Bethune. Toward the end of his life, Bertrand de Born retired to the Cistercian abbey of Dalon, where he died in 1215.

Gottfried of Bouillon (1060-1100)

To become one of the leaders of the First Crusade, Gottfried of Bouillon sold everything he had and gave up his lands. The pinnacle of his military career was the assault on Jerusalem.

Gottfried of Bouillon was elected the first king of the crusader kingdom in the Holy Land, but refused such a title, preferring to him the title of baron and Defender of the Holy Sepulcher.

He left an order to crown his brother Baldwin king of Jerusalem if Gottfried himself died - so a whole dynasty was founded.

As a ruler, Gottfried took care of expanding the boundaries of the state, imposed taxes on the emissaries of Caesarea, Ptolemais, Ascalon, and subjugated the Arabians on the left side of the Jordan to his power. On his initiative, a statute was introduced, which was called the Jerusalem Assisi.

He died, according to Ibn al-Qalanisi, during the siege of Acre. According to another version, he died of cholera.

Jacques de Molay (1244-1314)

De Molay was the last Master of the Knights Templar. In 1291, after the fall of Acre, the Templars moved their headquarters to Cyprus.

Jacques de Molay set himself two ambitious goals: he wanted to reform the order and convince the pope and European monarchs to equip a new crusade to the Holy Land.

The Knights Templar were the richest organization in the history of medieval Europe, and their economic ambitions were beginning to get in the way of European monarchs.

On October 13, 1307, by order of the King of France, Philip IV the Handsome, all the French Templars were arrested. The order was officially banned.

The last master of the Templars has remained in history, including thanks to the legend of the so-called "curse of de Molay". According to Geoffroy of Paris, on March 18, 1314, Jacques de Molay, ascending the fire, summoned the French king Philip IV, his adviser Guillaume de Nogaret and Pope Clement V to God's judgment. Already shrouded in clouds of smoke, he promised the king, adviser and pope that they outlive it by no more than a year. He also cursed the royal family to the thirteenth generation.

In addition, there is a legend that Jacques de Molay, before his death, founded the first Masonic lodges, in which the forbidden order of the Templars was supposed to remain underground.

Jean le Maingre Boucicault (1366-1421)

Boucicault was one of the most famous French knights. At the age of 18 he went to Prussia to help the Teutonic Order, then he fought against the Moors in Spain and became one of the heroes of the Hundred Years War. During the truce in 1390, Boucicault entered the jousting tournament and took first place in it.

Busiko was a knight-errant and wrote poems about his prowess.

His was so great that King Philip VI made him Marshal of France.

In the famous Battle of Agincourt, Boucicault was captured and died in England six years later.

Cid Campeador (1041(1057)-1099)

The real name of this illustrious knight was Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. He was a Castilian nobleman, military and political figure, the national hero of Spain, the hero of Spanish folk tales, poems, romances and dramas, as well as the famous tragedy of Corneille.

The Arabs called the knight the Sid. Translated from folk Arabic, "sit" means "my lord." In addition to the nickname "Sid", Rodrigo also earned another nickname - Campeador, which translates as "winner".

The glory of Rodrigo was forged under King Alfonso. Under him, El Cid became the commander-in-chief of the Castilian army. In 1094, Cid captured Valencia and became its ruler. All attempts by the Almorravids to recapture Valencia ended in their defeats at the battles of Kuart (in 1094) and Bairen (in 1097). After his death in 1099, Sid turned into a folk hero, sung in poems and songs.

It is believed that before the last battle with the Moors, El Cid was mortally wounded by a poisoned arrow. His wife dressed Compeador's body in armor and put him on a horse so that his army would maintain morale.

In 1919, the remains of Cid and his wife, Doña Jimena, were buried in Burgos Cathedral. Since 2007, Tisona, a sword that allegedly belonged to Sid, has been located here.

William Wallace (c. 1272-1305)

William Wallace is a national hero of Scotland, one of the most important figures in her wars of independence from 1296-1328. His image was embodied by Mel Gibson in the movie "Braveheart".

In 1297, Wallace killed the English sheriff of Lanark and soon established himself as one of the leaders of the Scottish rebellion against the English. On September 11 of the same year, Wallace's small army defeated the 10,000th English army on Stirling Bridge. Most of the country was liberated. Wallace was knighted and declared Guardian of the Realm, ruling in Balliol's name.

A year later, the English king Edward I again invaded Scotland. On July 22, 1298, the Battle of Falkirk took place. Wallace's forces were defeated and he was forced into hiding. However, a letter from the French king to his ambassadors in Rome, dated November 7, 1300, survives, in which he demands that they support Wallace.

In Scotland, guerrilla warfare continued at this time, and Wallace returned to his homeland in 1304 and took part in several clashes. However, on August 5, 1305, he was captured in the vicinity of Glasgow by English soldiers.

Wallace rejected the accusations of treason at the trial, saying: "I cannot be a traitor to Edward, because I have never been his subject."

On August 23, 1305, William Wallace was executed in London. His body was decapitated and cut into pieces, his head hung on the Great London Bridge, and body parts are on display in the largest cities in Scotland - Newcastle, Berwick, Stirling and Perth.

Henry Percy (1364-1403)

For his character, Henry Percy was nicknamed "hotspur" (hot spur). Percy is one of the heroes of Shakespeare's historical chronicles. Already at the age of fourteen, under the command of his father, he participated in the siege and capture of Berik, ten years later he himself commanded two raids on Boulogne. In the same year, 1388, he was knighted in the garter by King Edward III of England, and took an active part in the war with France.

For his support of the future King Henry IV, Percy became constable of the castles of Flint, Conwy, Chester, Caernarvon and Denbigh, and was also appointed Justiciar of North Wales. At the Battle of Homildon Hill, Hotspur captured Earl Archibald Douglas, who was in command of the Scots.

The outstanding commander of the Hundred Years War, Bertrand Deguquelin, in childhood, did not look much like the future famous knight.

According to the troubadour Cuvelier of Tournai, who compiled the biography of Dugueclin, Bertrand was "the ugliest child in Rennes and Dinan" - with short legs, too broad shoulders and long arms, an ugly round head and swarthy "boar" skin.

Deguquelin entered the first tournament in 1337, at the age of 17, and later chose a military career - as researcher Jean Favier writes, he made war his craft "as much out of necessity as out of spiritual inclination."

Most of all, Bertrand Du Guesclin became famous for his ability to take well-fortified castles by storm. His small detachment, supported by archery and crossbowmen, stormed the walls with ladders. Most castles, which had insignificant garrisons, could not resist such tactics.

After the death of Dugueclin during the siege of the city of Châteauneuf-de-Randon, he was given the highest posthumous honor: he was buried in the tomb of the French kings in the church of Saint-Denis at the feet of Charles V.

John Hawkwood (c. 1320-1323 -1394)

The English condottiere John Hawkwood was the most famous leader of the "White Company" - a detachment of Italian mercenaries of the XIV century, which served as a prototype for the heroes of Conan Doyle's novel "The White Company".

Together with Hawkwood, English archers and footmen at arms appeared in Italy. Hawkwood for his military merits received the nickname l'acuto, "cool", which later became his name - Giovanni Acuto.

The glory of Hawkwood was so great that the English King Richard II asked the Florentines for permission to bury him in his homeland in Hedingham. The Florentines returned the ashes of the great condottiere to their homeland, but ordered a tombstone and a fresco for his empty grave in the Florentine Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.