|
Question #3: How important is prowess to the character of a modern knight? Compare this to our medieval predecessors...
The two qualities central to the period and modern medieval recreationist knight are chivalrous behavior (defined for my purposes here as all the knightly virtues, save for prowess, descibed by Lull and others) and prowess on the field. In my young day in teh Society as a newly-authorized combatant, the knights were regarded as unstoppably killing machines, who slaughtered you with amazing good grace and sportsmanship. There was never any approbium attached to defeat by a knight- 'yes, I lost that one, but by God, I worried him for a little bit, didn't I?' Of course, as one gained in skill, the awe of the Chivalry's fighting ability diminished, to be replaced with increased rescpect for the manner in which they handled themselves on and off the field, but that initial feeling of awe never entirely left. Even now, as a knight myself, when facing another knight on the field, I have the feeling that this fight will be something special, requiring that extra effort on my part to prevail. After all- I'm fighting a knight, aren't I? Perhaps I was lucky in my formative years as a combatant. In my kingdom (the West) there were multitudes of knights nearby that fit the model and gave inspiration by example, and I very likely turned a blind eye to those who didn't meet my expectations, but I really don't remember all that many around who failed in this. The long and short of this is that the 'genetic memory' of what a knight ought to be, which I had brought with me into the Society as an inheritance of European culture and education, demanded these two qualities of chivalry and prowess, and the heirs of the tradition that I was meeting on the field were all seemingly making a mighty effort to maintain that legacy.
Given this inheritance, there is no way to divorce prowess from knighthood, without radically altering the office into a completely different form, which I daresay few will independently think of as 'Knight.' --Michael Plotts
Geoffrey de Charnay and The Black Prince (page 26) Brian R. Price
An exploration of knighthood, chivalry and warface in England and France during the 14th century. Both Geoffrey de Charnay, a French knight, and England's Edward of Wales, also known as the Black Prince, serve as examples of the changing knightly ideals and attitudes toward chivalry and war.
"Nearly forgotten to the history books, Geoffrey de Charnay could well stand in for the template upon which French knights of the 14th century were struck. Proud, impetuous, courageous to a fault, yet literate, Geoffrey's renown would have been lost save for three works that remain available as yet only in French and which are known only to a small group of scholars. He died at Poitiers in 1356, carrying the Oriflamme to his last breath. The heyday of French chivalry died with him, and though the behemoth took some time to die; it took Agincourt to finally shudder and collapse.
"Across the channel was another knight, one who personifies the English view of chivalry during the 14th century. Edward of Wales, debbed during the 16th century the Black Prince, made his military fortune campaigning in France and in Spain, taking the new tactics developed by his father and using them to great effect against the conservative French chivalry. Edward's way was the new way of the late 14th century, a world growing in distance from the chivalric roundtables of his father and the French knights he opposed. Edward was perhaps one of the first modern soldiers, a fascinating transitional figure who stood astride the chivalric world and the new one borne of professinoal soldiers."
Les Demands Pour La Joute, Le Tournoi, Et La Guerre (page 42) Geoffrey de Charnay
What could be more interesting than real questions powed for the Knights of the Star, composed by a premier member of their Company that they better understand the ideals of chivalry? Fortunately, Geoffrey de Charnay left us with more than one hundred such questions, translated here for the first time into English by Daryle Pompeo; AKA SCA Sir Severin of Trimaris.
The Bascinet (page 53) Doug Strong
The bascinet was one of the most popular helmets of the 14th century. This essay offers a good look at the development of the bascinet from a metal skull cap (cervelliere) to the helmet that would replace the great helm.
"By the 1330's the first of the true bascinets had evolved. It had longer sides than the earlier form, which now covered the ears and top of the neck. By the 1350's this had developed into the 'international' form which is that most commonly found in museums today (Plate 1), with a long back and sides which covered the head down to the base of the neck and the cheeks. This seems to have remained the most popular form until the 1420's when it was replaced by the great basinet (Plate 14), although the international form continued to be used long after this point. (A 'pig faced' basinet is illustrated in the 1510 woodcut Christ taken captive from The Large Passion by Albrecht Durrer.)"
Knights of the Lion Rampant (page 60) Damien Fegan
The Lion Rampant is an interesting Australian band who uses performance as their primary vehicle for chivalric expression. In this article, Damien Fegan, a founder of the order explains his companies unique re-enactment style.
"The Knights Order of The Lion Rampant was formed in 1992 with the purpose of staging recreations of tournaments at public festivals.
"During these festivals members of our company depict ladies, knights, squires, heralds and their attendants.
"We strive to combine martial, historical and acting skills to provide an entertaining and informative re-enactment of a pas d'armes during the 1370's.
"We are not an S.C.A. group; all combats are conducted with steel using equiment that is as authentic as we can obtain. Though we are a threatrical group, we don't fall into the knitted mail, choreographed fair ground troupe category either!"
|
|