“Courtesy is in origin an instrument of the urge to civilizing, of the forces in which that process originates, and not an outgrowth of the process  itself” (9). Jaeger believes that chivalry is part of the civilizing process in the medieval west, as the government allied itself with a system of education. He draws on the classic myth of Prometheus and the bringing of fire to man to exemplify what would happen without civilization and courtesy. The aim prominent in Jaeger's book is to support his definition of civilization, which is the creation of a social order of warrior and intellectual classes who are dedicated to the cause of society and serve it willingly. “Civilizations arise when culture willingly serves society” (12).
     Jaeger identifies three main sources that must combine for civilization to occur: the statesman, warrior and artist. All three combined will lead the civilized world effectively. The romance genre and the blossoming of courtly literature were a result of the proceeding process of civilization. Jaeger believes it was a necessary vehicle to put forward the ideal model of the civilized warrior. Courtly romance was especially a powerful factor in the transmission of ideals of courtesy to all levels of society. Court satire was important for regulation and criticism at court (Jaeger here emphasizes the court of Henry II of England), especially since many authors compared the reality to the ideal in an attempt at reform. Chivalric narratives, he stresses, represent courtliness as a “sublime ethical code” (242).
     These chivalric tales, such as those of Arthurian romance, contain lessons in the ways to be courtly and chivalrous, what a knight should act like. They are found throughout the medieval world and serve an educative function. Jaeger believes that Church reform gradually destroyed the institutional basis of this civilizing wave and all of its educative and civilizing elements; his main premise to this point is that the bishopric was taken out of the hands of the king. Church controlled by state, he feels, is important for the prevalence of courtliness and these ideals.
     Jaeger’s theories surrounding the development of chivalry and the importance of romance are intriguing; yet, they seem based on classical mythology and views of the world. Certainly court satire and romance were important in the shaping of courtly culture, however. The thought that the change in religious control contributed to the downfall of the chivalric system is interesting to note, especially considering the incidence of romance literature did not decline after the thirteenth century.

Editor's Note: I concur that this is a useful companion to Maurice Keen's CHIVALRY, especially for those looking for a scholarly treatment of development with respect to the courtly ideals of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The book is exceptionally well documented and approaches a subject generally ignored in other sources, the transitional development of "civilizing" movments that paved the way for the later developments in chivalric culture. --BP.

Jaeger, C. Stephen
THE ORIGINS OF COURTLINESS: CIVILIZING TRENDS AND THE FORMATION OF COURTLY IDEALS, 939- 1210.
University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia
Paperback, 1985 (reprint 1990)
ISBN 0812213076
$19.95

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