1043-1099) Rodrigo Díaz, more popularly known by his title, El Cid, is best-remembered as a hero of the Spanish Reconquista, leading Christian forces to victory over Muslim rulers in Spain. For example, his account of the Battle of Hastings-a triumph of mounted knights against an Anglo-Saxon army made up mostly of infantry-is based largely on eyewitness accounts from soldiers who fought there, providing one of the most important sources for modern historians. The priest didn’t hesitate to flatter his king in his writing, describing his charge into battle with gleaming shield and lance as “a sight both delightful and terrible to see.” But, despite his biases, William of Poitiers worked hard to get his facts right. Later, he provided a well-known account of the king’s life and the conquest. When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, William of Poitiers was his chaplain. Trained as a knight in his youth, William went on to become a priest and scholar. One of the earliest and most significant victories for knights in the Middle Ages was the Norman conquest of England, and a lot of what we know about that fight comes from William of Poitiers (c. Some were writers of history and poetry, helping to craft the image of the knight that we still know today. Many held important religious positions as well as military ones. But they also made history in other ways. Naturally, as leaders of armies, knights were responsible for winning-and losing-some of the most important battles of the Middle Ages. READ MORE: Medieval Weapons That Maimed and Killed Most knights came from noble families, and success in battle might lead to a royal grant of additional land and titles. The resources needed for horses, armor and weaponry meant that knighthood was generally a job for the rich. Accounts from the Middle Ages describe the well-trained, heavily-armed warriors trampling through enemy forces while chopping off limbs and heads. But knights were far more than romantic figures-they were a triumph of military technology. There’s no more iconic symbol of medieval Europe than the knight: clad in shining armor, jousting with his rivals, wearing a token of his lady love.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |