Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Prologue 1
PART 1. ISSUES AND APPROACHES 5
1. The Problem of Public Order and the Knights 11
The High Middle Ages and Order 11
Three Witnesses 12
Context: Socio-Economic and Institutional Change 19
Evidence from Chivalric Literature 22
Conclusion 28
2. Evidence on Chivalry and its Interpretation 30
Did Knights Read Romance? 30
Is Chivalric Literature Hopelessly Romantic? 33
The Framework of Institutions and Ideas 36
PART II. THE LINK WITH CLERGIE 41
3. Knights and Piety 45
Lay Piety, Lay Independence 45
Chivalric Mythology 53
Knights and Hermits 57
4. Clergie, Chevalerie, and Reform 63
Clerical Praise for Knightly Militia 64
Clerical Strictures on Knightly Malitia 73
The Church and Governing Power 81
The Force of Ideas 84
PART III. THE LINK WITH ROYAUTÉ 89
5. Chevalerie and Royauté 93
Royal Stance on War and Violence 93
Capetian Kingship and Chivalry 98
The Balance Sheet 102
6. English Kingship, Chivalry, and Literature 107
Royal Ideology and Enforcement 107
The Evidence of Literature 111
PART IV. THE AMBIVALENT FORCE OF CHIVALRY 121
7. The Privileged Practice of Violence: Worship of the
Demi-god Prowess 129
Identification of Chivalry with Prowess 135
Competition 149
Conclusion 155
8. Knighthood in Action 161
A Delight in War and Tournament 161
The Fact of Fear? Voices for Peace? 165
Conduct of War 169
Looting and Destruction 176
Loyalty 185
9. Social Dominance of Knights 189
Chivalry and Nobility 189
The Role of Largesse 193
The Role of Chivalric Mythology (Revisited) 199
The Role of Formal Manners 205
10. Knights, Ladies, and Love 209
The Variety of Voices 210
Male Bonding 215
The Link with Prowess 219
Sexual Violence 225
11. Chanson de Geste and Reform 231
The Song of Aspremont 232
The Crowning of Louis 237
Raoul de Cambrai 244
12. Quest and Questioning in Romance 253
The Quest of the Holy Grail 253
The Death of King Arthur 261
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Robert the Devil/Sir Gowther 265
13. Chivalric Self-Criticism and Reform 273
The Romance of the Wings 273
The Book of the Order of Chivalry 275
L’Histoire de Guillaume le Maréchal 280
Geoffroi de Charny, Livre de chevalerie 284
Thomas Malory, Morte Darthur 288
EPILOGUE 298
The Essex Rebellion and the Bouteville Affair 299
Dissolving the Fusion of Chivalric Elements 302
Prowess and Honour 304
Prowess and Piety 307
Prowess and Status 308
BIBLIOGRAPHY 311