Monday, March 9, 2009

Introduction to Chivalry 101

I quote Sharon Kay Penman, in "Devil's Brood", pp 144-5: (William Marshal)

"Will firmly believed that the world would descend into chaos and hellish turmoil if men did not obey those laws meant to govern their behavior and tame their more shameful impulses, laws set forth by the
Holy Church, by the Crown, and now by the chivalric canons. Chivalry was the foundation stone of his life, offering more than a code of conduct, offering a map which would enable men of good faith to avoid those sinful temptations that might jeopardize their chances of salvation".

This book, along with being engaging, is turning out to be my fictive return to the age of chivalry. Definitively not a concept thought that very much about in the Wars of the Roses. The application was going, going, gone, goodbye. The Knights Templar, Crusades, Teutonic dudes, tournaments - like any code, perhaps, clarified in the breach. Thank you, Ms. Penman, for re-opening my eyes to the world of chivalric intent. Also to see what glory was lost.

(pictured 14th century tournament melee)

5 comments:

Passages to the Past said...

That book was soooo good - and very much worth the wait!

Nice post.

Steven said...

I still have yet to read Sharon Kay Penman. I hear good things about Devil's Brood. Have you read Here Be Dragons by her? That's the book everyone keeps mentioning that I should read.

Now is Devil's Brood purely non-fiction, or is it historical fiction? I know a lot of her other works are historical fiction, but I saw Devil's Brood in the history section of my local bookstore.

Steven Till
http://steventill.com

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Judy said...

Steven - Sharon Kay Penman is a treat if you like High Middle Ages - Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine and their sons - it is historical fiction, but she writes so well you'd think it a true narrative.

Steven said...

She's certainly on my TBR pile.