In the popular imagination, knights tend to resemble Heath Ledger in Brian Helgeland's 2001 theatrical hit A Knight's Tale: i.e., a handsome armored hunk who divides his time equally between wooing beautiful aristocratic ladies and wailing on other knights or opponents with lance, mace, sword, or ax. As this excellent entry in the witty, informative, and smartly shot Life in the Middle Ages series points out, however, the knight's origins are rather more humble. The man in the iron mask initially was no more than a guy on a horse (the "S.U.V. of the Middle Ages" we're humorously informed) who wore chain mail (i.e., a metal shirt made out of interlocking rings) and fought various battles for his lord. Following the Battle of Hastings in 1066 (immortalized in the Bayeux Tapestry), where the crossbow made a pointed impression on the English ranks, the knight began to pile on the plate armor to the tune of about 75 extra pounds by the time we reach Chaucer's and Heath Ledger's day. Combining wry narration, humorous visuals, relevant vocabulary and solid history, The Knight looks at the evolution of the knight, the real nature of the tournaments, the knight's role in the Crusades, the origin of the coat of arms (the first "team uniform"), and the life of noted knight William Marshall. Entertaining and knowledgeable, this is highly recommended, along with the other titles in the series: The Doctor, The Merchant, The Monk, The Noble, The Serf, A History of the Middle Ages and Social Structure of the Middle Ages. Aud: I, J, P. (R. Pitman)
Life in the Middle Ages: The Knight
(2002) 23 min. $39.95 (study guide included). Schlessinger Media (dist. by Library Video Company). PPR. Color cover. Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-57225-467-X. Volume 17, Issue 3
Life in the Middle Ages: The Knight
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