A Knight's Own Book of Chivalry

This book by Geoffry de Charny has left its mark on history. Indeed, shortly after writing it, de Charny showed his own chivalry, sacrificing himself for country and king in the Battle of Poitiers, when he fell slain while fighting with his king's standard in his hands. This book, written by the French knight during the Hundred Years' War, covers what it was to be chivalrous at the time, and elaborates on the beliefs of a knight of the era. The reality is that the Hundred Years' War was not a time of knights in shining armor doing great deeds. It was a time of pillaging the countryside, English archers killing en masse and being tortured when they were caught, French raiders defiling the English coasts, and the survivors being raped, robbed, and ruined. In such a time as this, the idea of a code of goodness seems nigh impossible to grasp, and in the words of Geoffry's own king, Jean the Good, "The Christian faith has withered and commerce has perished and so many other wickednesses and horrid things have followed from these wars that they cannot be spoken, numbered, or written down." Yet, de Charny speaks of a form of goodness all its own, the pursuit of greatness. As he explains, the pursuit of greatness is the pursuit of goodness, and so the pursuit of men-at-arms is the pursuit goodness, because one is attempting great feats in battle. Simply put, but trying to do great things in combat, one proves their greatness in the eyes of God. de Charny then goes on to try and categorize these different forms of greatness which a knight might pursue, in the ascending scale. Eventually, things become broken into different types and it ceases to notably rise, but in the words of this knight who gave his life for his country, one gathers that he speaks with earnesty and passion, and I at least felt compelled to believe in this greatness and goodness of knights, even though as a scholar I remember the fighting of men in the Hundred Years War as a bloody and wicked mess where women were dishonored and men left to cry like babes. And de Charny does not shy away from these realities, mentioning plunder, or murder, or hostage-taking. Yet, he also has a way of making everything seem good on some level, save death, which clearly is un-chivalrous as one has no chance to ever gain honor again if they're killed. He also has some statements which might pass for tongue-in-cheek humor, such as when he says how men who are wounded in battle perform a great act of chivalry by sacrificing for their country and cause, whether they mean to do this or not. Yet, knights serving their ladies, valorous crusades, local feuding, tournament jousts, and even the different ways to die or survive in defeat are accounted for. This text is excellent for anyone interested in chivalry of the ideals (if not reality) of kngiths during the Hundred Years War.

Written by one of the truest exponents of this martial philosophy, this book stands out amongst others in its clarity. Geoffroi De Charny was a veteran of the Hundred Years War, he died in battle at Poitier. Although a tragic end, De Charny most certainly perceived this the idealized conclusion to a life in arms. To his contemporaries, De Charny was the embodiment of the code of conduct upon which he expounded so thoroughly in these pages. In this manual of Chivalry, De Charny begins by defining a "scale of valor", a standard for prowess in battle. We receive an insight into the Medieval perception of what combat experiences warranted the greatest honor, beginning with demonstation of one's skill at Tournament, in local wars, in wars abroad, and ultimately in search of the most honorable course of action. Divided into a succession of brief articles on various subjects of morality, good and bad virtues, and responsible conduct, this text is not only an historical insight into Medieval ideals, but a worthy guideline for our own age. A serious student of military history realizes that not all warriors adhered to the commonly held idealized higher standards of their profession, for their time and place. Real people are more complex than that. Some did indeed make such achievement. Some sincerely tried, ...but failed. Comparing the known record of deeds long ago, with more recent events, we will always find examples where our ancestors surpassed us, ...and where we have surpassed our ancestors. We need a revival of Chivalric conduct in our own time. A fighting-man without honor is often capable of any action, ...except the right action.

I am currently reading this book for a Graduate seminar in gender and sexuality in the middle ages. The topic bores me to death, yet, this source is entertaining in a variety of ways. First, its a primary source so it is not riddled with feminist/activist arguments. It is simply a handbook from a medieval knight on how a perfect knight or men-at-arms should act. Though several pieces have insight into gender issues in the middle ages, it certainly gives the modern audience of what medieval (at least 1) knights viewed as proper behavior. Charny also speaks on how a ruler (king, lord, etc) should work within society. If your interested in medieval thought this is certainly a good book to read. If your into medieval military history this source may be helpful, yet I will warn you that it is nothing like The Art of War by Machiavelli. Your not going to find pages of military thought and strategic theories. However, if you are interested in the subject I advise you to read it, if anything you will grasp a little understanding of the individual knight or warrior through De Charny's eyes.