Nobles, Knights and Men-at-Arms in the Middle Ages

by Maurice Keen

The literature of chivalry and of courtly love has left an indelible impression on western ideas. What is less clear is how far the contemporary warrior aristocracy took this literature to heart and how far its ideals had influence in practice, especially in war. These are questions that Maurice Keen is uniquely qualified to answer. This book is a collection of Maurice Keen's articles and deals with both the ideas of chivalry and the reality of warfare. He discusses brotherhood-in-arms, courtly love, crusades, heraldry, knighthood, the law of arms, tournaments and the nature of nobility, as well as describing the actual brutality of medieval warfare and the lure of plunder. While the standards set by chivalric codes undoubtedly had a real, if intangible, influence on the behaviour of contemporaries, chivalry's idealisation of the knight errant also enhanced the attraction of war, endorsing its horrors with a veneer of acceptability.

Genres: History, Medieval History

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Maurice Hugh Keen OBE (30 October 1933 – 11 September 2012) was a British historian specializing in the Middle Ages. His father had been the Oxford University head of finance ('Keeper of the University Chest') and a Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, and after schooling at Winchester College, Maurice became an undergraduate there in 1954. He was a contemporary and lifelong friend of Tom Bingham, later the Senior Law Lord, as well as of the military historian, Sir John Keegan, whose sister Mary he married.

Keen's first success came with the writing of The Outlaws of Medieval Legend while still a Junior Research Fellow at The Queen's College, Oxford, 1957–1961. He was elected a tutorial Fellow of Balliol in 1961, retaining his fellowship until his retirement in 2000, when he was elected a Fellow Emeritus. He also served as Junior Dean (1963–68), Tutor for Admissions (1974–1978), and Vice-Master (1980–83).

In 1984, Keen won the Wolfson History Prize for his book Chivalry. The book redefined in several ways the concept of chivalry, underlining the military aspect of it.

Keen was elected a Fellow of the British Academy, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

Also known as M.H. Keen

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great addition to other reading of the period. Might help to get a bit of perspective before hitting this book because it is a collection of articles which are specific and purpose and assume a knowledge (or a least a rudimentary knowledge as I have) of the period. It is also concerned with a specific frame of time of about 1320's-1470's and tied around the region of England and France most especially of the Hundred Years War. Is great supplemental reading to works like Canterbury Tales, Roman de la Rose or even Piers Plowman which is what I am using it for. It gives perspective and context to the times and picked up useful info about the problems of military culture, The Companies, and how chivalry was used to give a bit of control over the warring class. Also some great reading about the Court of Chivalry which tried the cases of men-at-arms (never heard of it before this book) and a few cases, one of which even Chaucer testified at. A good knowledge building read of this time period even if one's interest is not chivalry or the warring class. Touches on less well known crusades of this time and touches on Wars of the Roses only in that it sets a good preliminary stage to begin reading on that series of conflicts.