What was It Actually Like to Be a Knight in Medieval Times?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 มี.ค. 2020
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In this video:
There are a variety of myths about what it was like to be a knight during medieval times, not just spread by Hollywood, but even by the contemporary legends during medieval times themselves- in both featuring widespread depictions of the chivalric knight rushing to the aid of damsels in distress and generally spending their time being bastions of all that is good and the very definition of “noble”. But what was it actually like to be a knight in medieval times, and what did they actually get up to in their day to day lives?
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Sources:
books.google.com/books?id=dQK...
www.historyguide.org/ancient/l...
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...
unusualhistoricals.blogspot.co...
books.google.com/books?id=-m4...
origins.osu.edu/review/knight...
www.history.com/news/chivalry...
history.howstuffworks.com/his...
www.medieval-life-and-times.in...
www.localhistories.org/middle....
www.medievalry.com/history/kn...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffro...
blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscri...
aleteia.org/2016/06/22/why-di...
www.gotmedieval.com/2009/07/wh...
www.popularmechanics.com/cult...
www.museumreplicas.com/10-int...
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No
only if Simon is the narrator
May I suggest using Modern History TV for researching knights. Just sayin' 😁
@@StoriesbyIrish agreed. Jason's videos are great.
Today I Found Out “the Pope may be French but Jesus is English , you’re on!” A knights tale is one of the greatest movies ever. “The spark of his Life has been covered in shite” lol
What Knight built the Round Table?
Sir Cumference
I’ll show myself out...
...yes, that would be Sir Cumspect.
Was funny fifth time I heard it
JessiSZK lol never gets old 😂
Thank you, Sir Cumcision.
Tis but a scratch.
Monty Python taught me everything there is to know about knights.
Ni!
"I'm INVINCIBLE!"
"SHE'S A WITCH!"
Sir Galahad
WHAT is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
Suggestion:
What Was Life REALLY Like For A Medieval Princess?
You know our Disney Obsessed Culture wants to know.
I tried it...not what it's cracked up to be at all. The mice and birds don't help with the chores and just poop everywhere. My guardians reprimanded me and beat me anytime I tried to sing outside of church. And then, when I was 15, I lost my virginity to some 50 year old creeper to secure a peace deal.
Mostly stench (the general lack of hygiene back then), vermin, boredom, freezing your ass off in winter because even though your own room was one of the rare places with heating it just wasn't enough and then as soon as you'd be biologically able to have children you'd be married off to whoever would be the most beneficial right now to keep the peace or get resources.
What did women do for one week a month also? Have never seen that addressed in any movies before.( this question was for the 2 ex-princesses 👆🏻up there)
Nothing like Disney.
@@therealturdferguson8355 in real life of the times health wasn't particularly good and menstral periods where not as regular. However you were seen as unclean and as underwear didn't exist you just let it flow - free bleeding.
Some cultures used rags to wrap the area as time went on things like suspenders came about to 'hold' rags in the approx area.
Contraceptive means where essentially non-existent and the goal as a princess or royal was to get knocked up and provide strong male offspring ASAP and as many as possible, pregnancy of course also stops periods.
My family had some knights in it, some very old papers written by them made reference to a sort of jealousy between the responsibilities of two of these relatives. One going by the name of Alexander consistently complained about his cousin. Seemingly envious of his adventures; lamenting that he was reduced to guard duty while his cousin was out fighting beasts. (Probably an exaggeration)
His cousin, going by Diedrich, would quip back at his cousin, saying his only excuse he ever used to keep from going into battle in service to his lord and to retain his relatively safe post as a guard, was to consistently complain about the crippling pain in his knee that he claimed was caused by a stray arrow from a recruit in training.
Lol i see you are a man of culture. Before he was assigned guard duty he was an adventurer like his cousin.
Ah the old arrow to the knee excuse..
HOW... DARE YOU MAKE ME READ THAT WITH MINE OWN TWO EYES!?
Arrow in the knee meant you had a child.
@@slaughterthefalsegodempore9274 Wow, i searched the internet and it supposedly meant you got married. I allways thought they meant it litteraly. Thanks for explaining, that makes it even funnier!
I think based on behavior: Knights = Medieval biker gangs
Good comparison. Especially these tournaments where the looser or his stuff would be captured and offered back for a price.
With just a hint of psychopathic war criminal on those special occasions.
but 500% more assholes...
They were wealthy privileged teenagers and young adults equipped with the best training and weaponry of the time. WTF would you expect?
Good comparison, but knights errant would be closers to medieval biker gangs.
In an attempt to defeat his enemy, the knight would de-feet the peasants...
Ahh, that's funny, but I hope it wasn't a common occurrence for medieval peasants! It would suck to have to farm your plot while walking on your shin-stumps! 😭
@@HighlanderNorth1 it happen pretty often. The thing about great battles, they weren't that great. Often times it is spread out in to tactical skirmishes. Most of that skirmishing was aimed at peasants and their farmland. Peasants were treated as natural resources. Gaining ground often meant you would gain control of the land and or the peasants to. As time went on, new strategies such as scaring your own peasants to flee or run if the land gets taken. Wars lasted months to years, mostly soldiers walking around and camping. They need food and resources, so often times they would use surrounding resources. Even their supply lines from far away, were not as far away as you think. Maybe 30-50 miles away only. That would take a few days to a week to transport. You ever try walking 10 miles. Take you all day, worse so if your bringing along tons of supplies, even with pack mules and horses. So yeah Attacking farmland and peasants were far more effective. You stopped the enemy from having the resource, and you gain some. They didn't call the, "pillaging" but "battles". LOL but we now days just call it barbaric.
So the peasants would know the agony of de-feet?
Jokes aside, that is pretty damn horrible. Reminds me of the Congo Free State business.
I actually snorted laughing just now. Thank you.
There's a channel called "Modern History" where a modern knight (he has the title for something in the tech industry, I believe), who enjoys playing the part as well, discusses the typical food, training, etc of knights hundreds of years ago. Interesting channel.
Great channel. I go to Metatron from my classical history, too, and of course Lindybeige.
"Kill all those peasants!"
"But sire, they are huddled around a cross."
"Oh, well then don't kill them."
Such honor. Much wow.
"But sire we already killed them and raped their women."
"Just tear down the cross, these were pagans."
Gets home brags about nearly dying to barbarians.
Dennis: You can't expect to wield supreme executive power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Arthur: Shut up!
Dennis: I mean, if I went 'round saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!
Arthur: Shut up! Will you shut up?!
Dennis: Ah, now we see the violence inherent in the system!
Arthur: Shut up!
Dennis: Oh! Come and see the violence inherent in the system! HELP, HELP, I'M BEING REPRESSED!
Arthur: BLOODY PEASANT!!
“We’re not peasants! We’re members of an Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune!”
_quietly picks teeth w/ bone sliver fm Robyn's minstrel_
Did you see that? You saw that didn't you? He tried to repress me!
"Watery tart" . . . ?
This is real history.
Woman: "Chivalry is dead."
Me:"Madam! You insulted my honor! We duel at dawn!!!" *dawns crusader helm*
Z
When a knight won his spurs etc etc
Dons a nasal bascinet, boy
Black Smith to Knight, " are you all right? you seem all bent out of shape".
Don't forget to throw the gauntlet at her!
"Finally, he would be dubbed via a light blow and a kiss"
Ah, date night with the misses.
Ha.
@Valkyrie
The coincidence here is that the word "valkyrie" means 'fallopian tube' in Hungarian! Seriously....
Man trying to figure out what a warrior on horses that work for the king should be called:
His wife: “honey, it’s so late, when are you coming to bed?”
Him: “Leave me alone, I’m trying to figure out something”
His wife: “K. Night. “
Him: “That’s it!”
Metatron, skallagrim, shadiversity, and Lindy beige are where I get most of my information on this type of content.
Blue Sap same
Scholagladiatoria
I see you're a man of culture as well.
Pre much, historical cooking as well
The history nerds of the round table! 🍻
13:40 Hehe, you said "whacked off their horses."
It's the little things ;-) -Daven
Well, if Jack helped you off the horse...
That hit the 12 yo boy part of my brain. 🤣🤣🤣
@@sk83r_b0i9
That's exactly what I meant. Unfortunately every time I wrote it I was deleted by "Big Brother". So I just left it to the reader's intelligence.😂
@@hashtag415 Why would me an jack kill a horse?
During war, and there was a lot of it, in a battle the aim was usually to catch a nobleman rather than kill him as a live one could be ransomed, peasants serving as archers etc were simply hacked down.
The English were very unpopular with the French in the 14th and 15th centuries as the English archers were peasants, and very effective at kiling knights, and the French thought it was not very nice being killed by lower class riff raff.
Giving this a like purely for the A Knight's Tale reference. RIP Heath
I was about to mention that (the "We Will Rock You" bit)... 😅
You caught the reference in the thumbnail too. Wat kills me. Lol.
This movie holds a special place for me. I saw it in theaters to kill time before my HS graduation. Loved the movie. I must've seen it like 50 times by now.
I just watched that movie again the other day for the first time in years, hoping for an uplifting nostalgia boost, but I just got sad seeing a young Heath. :(
Who started that White Knight / Black..Knight stuff??.
I was hoping someone mentioned this... I've seen that movie so many times. Holy shit is it legitimately fucking hilarious...
"You have desecrated THE HOUSE OF GOD!"
7:36 I'd also like to add that in some cultures (Poland, england) according to some sources that "someone to manage things" would usually be wife, at least in case of middle of the road nobility. Funnily enough in some cases it would devolve completely into a situation in which wife had more power and loyalty (or fear) of the subjects than the actual lord (although the only sources about that I can recall are from slightly later periods)
10:20 de-feeting encounter, that deserves a badabombom chiss and simon hitting the script
I seen the thumbnail and the first thing that crossed my mind was "Woopsie daisies, my insides have become outsides"
tis but a flesh wound
You must be from the Midwest.
None shall pass!
"My Lord's... My Ladies....
And everyone else here not sitting on a cushion!"
As a U.S. Army veteran everything he describe is relatable to the military experience 😂.
Knight: Spends your whole life trainning and fighting to be the best warrior in the land.
Musketeer: *hold my Ale*
Moonshield23 They also trained for a lifetime.
Moonshield23 Native American LongBow wants to have a word..
@Honudes Gai I mean they had horses, they just ate them all.
Peasant with the firearm won every time...Knights might have become nobler later in the middle ages but were simply bigger and tougher at first.....the firearm evened things out ..lol
@Honudes Gai
I feel like you should have directed that @The Muckler
So brave, so noble. -sass.
Side angle side side?
Josh Clark 🤮 burn it
Knights during peace: "We're soldiers, not bodyguards!"
Knights during wartime: "We're keepers of the peace. Not soldiers."
I mean, c'mon. I imagine a fair few were more into the 'pillaging peasants' than the 'charging the french/english lines'
Knights weren't just French or English m8.
You taffer!
Of course, but there also must have been fair number of knights who took their duties seriously. For example it was common in the war times when you captured a knight to release him and make him swear on the bible that after the war ends he will let himself be captured again so the party that captured him can then ask for a ransome. Captured prisoner was a burden and this was a way you could have many avaluable prisoners without actually taking care of them and the war at the same time.
The point is they did it. Nothing was forcing the captured knight to go back to their enemies after the war ended escept the oath and yet they still did it. This in my opinion proves there must have been at least some level of honor and respect for the rules among the knights and nobles. Of course those rules weren't always in favour of the pesantry.
I don't know, I think they were pretty gung-ho fighters.
As far as I have understood, in the battle of agincourt for example, the richest and most powerful french where very much in the front lines very wilingly attacking the english. Afterwards a lot of the french nobles ended up captured and later very exceptionally executed. There was a lot more french in that battle. If they wanted to be far from the fight they could have just sit in the backrows and ride a horse away once it seemed to get spicy. The french probably expected to win that fight but a lot of them with assumably the power to be elsewhere where there. I guess it pobably does increase your confidence if you are encased in weapon proof plate armor and nobles usually just get captured and ransomed. But I'm not an expert so go find out for yourselves.
None of them ever had to deal with Trogdor the Burninator.
He would buninate them anyway.
id of bumed him back 😉
TROGDOOOOOOR!
They never got to see the beefy arm sticking out of the back of his neck, or his consummate v teeth, either. XD
BURRGHHNNINATING THE COUNTRYSIIIIDE BURRGHNINATING ALL THUHPEEASAAAAANTS
...they never knew what time it was because people kept saying 'good day good knight' to them
Love the line from "A Knights Tale" in the thumbnail. A good, entertaining movie. Just the kind of stuff I like.
Didn’t your videos post at 6pm in the states before? Well especially right now I love the noon posts! Thank you for being the only guy on TH-cam who isn’t freaking or stressing me out.
Love the Knight's Tale reference! Great video as always!
Any chance at a Biographics episode about one such knight who was also a musician, translator, and one of the greatest poets of the 14th-15th Century, Herr Oswald von Wolkenstein? He's well worth looking into: he was extremely witty, had a wry sense of humour, loved wine, women, and wild parties, witnessed first hand the terrifying power of the Hussite army, attended the Council of Constance, was imprisoned and tortured by a former lover, and after all that, was done in by a heat wave. As a bonus: several portraits of him survive, as do parts of his skeleton.
Seriously, you are getting close to your 10,000 hours. Your shows are getting more entertaining, informational, and humorous. Keep it up, can't wait to see you beyond the tipping point.
Stay safe Simon and all the people who help you on all your channels during this horrible pandemic.
loved this video, it was really my subject and up my street.
13:00 “Started to resemble what is often depicted today, albeit with less ‘We Will Rock You.’”
Edit: I loved that movie so much.
Just watches it again recently hoping for an uplifting nostalgia boost but it just made me sad seeing a young Heath.
For anyone interested in a work of historical fiction set amongst the lives of medeival knights, I'd highly recommend the _Brethren_ trilogy by Robyn Young. The trilogy follows a lad from his youth and training through his initiation into the Templars and then his campaigns, set around the time of Henry III. Featuring many real-life characters and events, the knowledge I gained about the time period was immense, despite it being a fictional story. It's awash with scenarios, from rural life in Britain to the Royal Court of France, the campaigns of Baibars and the rivalry between the Templars and Hospitallers.
I checked out a lot of the historical details in the books and it appears that they are relatively accurate for the most part, so well worth a look for those interested in knowing more about the life of knights through the medium of a story. Maybe an idea for those trying the Audible link.
Noted! Thank you!
10:20 - "...de- _feet_ ing encounter..." I see what youdid there. Well done.
Soon as i read your title i thought of Hannable hanging that detective out of the window after he disemboweled him..one of the most memorable scenes ive ever seen!
Thank you for continuing to create content. It is awesome and I appreciate the candour and process you make. Plus you have a very S"Mexy Voice! Hugs from Halifax
Entertaining as usual. I love this guy. Very serious and amusing when appropriate.
"It's CALLED a laaance. Helloooo." ;)
" A Quest, a. quest!, I must find a quest. " " Does anybody have a Quest?".
My step-dad used to listen to Jimmy Buffet before he died. One of the songs speaks of knights and "Gypsies in the Palace". I somehow still have the opening speaking part memorized. "In days of old, when knights were bold, and journeyed from their castle. Trusted men were left behind, knights needed not the hassle. They'd help themselves to pig and meade and drank from King's own chalice. Ohhh it was a stirring sight, these... gypsies in the palace." Apokogies to anyone who doesn't like that term. I know it isn't thought of as the nicest term but I mean no offense.
I was drinking something and almost choked on it when you did the Knights Tail reference lol
Knight school.
Knight games.
Knight court.
What a difference a "k" makes!
Lady of the knight.
Knight light (50% less chivalry, same great taste).
@John Barber Tryin to make some crusade riding news
The 3 Ks of knight hood
K
Awesome quote btw, Simon! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE A Knights Tale!
Love the reference to Knights Tale.One of Ledgers best in my opinion except for the,i agree,the We will Rock You thing they had going lol
One of my favourite movies. It's just feel good and fun. After watching it you feel you've made 4 friends ❤
The main issue with that movie is the blacksmith was a thousand times more awesome a woman and just as beautiful to boot as the main love interest. How he, a knight no less, picked the bratty spoiled rich girl over the blacksmith is beyond me. ;-) -Daven
@@TodayIFoundOut You left out sadistic.
@@TodayIFoundOut Totally agree :)
@@TodayIFoundOut I'm Sorry, you "lost me" with your movie plot description. Medieval Knights in movies I'm familiar with are like the movie where Sean Connery plays King Arthur. 👨🏫⚔️🤺🎯 🗓️🎭👑
Super interesting video... thanks.
I subbed to this channel only a few days ago. No regret, much knowledge.
Nothing about removable pommels and ending your opponent rightly.
'Twas an accident. Pommel slipped right off.
Js at one point I was dying because of your wording when "they whacked off their horses" 😆
Dropped a like just for the "A Knight's Tale" quote in the thumbnail.
Your latest Brainfood podcast episode is the only reason I know how to pronounce Charlemagne
Except his name was Charles Magnus and this 'Charlemagne' business is for the peasants.
That title-quote is so funny because 10 days ago I had emergency, life-saving surgery and my intestines were indeed my out-testines for an hour or so 😊
12:58 Nice "A Knight's Tale" call back there. :)
I loved the thumbnail quote. Fun movie from childhood.
Thank you!
I found the best thing to draw to if I dont want to listen to music. It's these awesome videos
there's an amazing book series called Protector of the Small by Tamora Peirce. It's about the journey a girl in a magical world takes on her way to knighthood.
The Lioness Quartet also very good! Same author, just before Protector of the Small. Tbh, ALL of her books are amazing.
Definitely all worth a read, I just liked Kel's journey as a comparison because she doesn't have the Gift.
I read them in order the first time :)
Read these books to my daughters when they were young. We loved them! Tried to find them for my niece, but they appear to be out of print. Will have to buy a used set.
@@arielholmes4081 oh yes, I love all her books. There's an entire shelf on my bookcase dedicated to her :)
Dear Simon, I watch top tenz, brainfood, today I found out, and business blaze. Thanks so much for all the facts and all the fun. If you are still in Prague, my friend Tom who is an American audiophile lives there too. I don't know how to put you two in touch, but I think you and he would be fast friends.
You got me with the knights tale quote
Ha! This time I can make am educated guess that BB was the last video filmed that day... based off Blazer and button ups in other videos
Day ? Of being stuck in my house and I may have lost it
I have tried unsuccessfully to spot the order, if there was one, from his others shows based on clothes. Lol. Well done.
@@Arazmithin he replied once to look for how wrinkled the shirt is. Lol
"I WILL FONG YOU." I love that movie.
My DM homebrewed a setting based loosely upon medieval Britain. In the setting, there was a festival with a grand melee and jousting competitions.
Apparently he was very accurate!
"The spark of his life is smothered in shite. His spirit is gone but his stench remains. Does that answer your question?"
I clicked for the Knights Tale quote on the thumbnail tbh
Thumbs up for reference on the thumb nail.
Thank you .
Once a king always a king once a queen always a Queen Once a knight is enough
Love the title knight tale throwback
Your channels are fuckin great dude, thank you for putting out all this great content
Hi, I’ve been watching you for a couple years and love what you do can you please cover the presidents apparent book of secrets..
Recommend Toby Cantwell - Curator of the Warwick Collection. Actually fights in armour in Tournaments.
I caught that quote from "A Knight's Tale". Better make sure you win, or there will be pain.
Medieval Times is also fun dinner show!
"My lord, we have been defeeted!"
"But they haven't even struck the army"
"Listen here you noble shit"
About your sponsor, my hearing is good; so if it is audible I am sure I heard.
Legends of knights that came before them. Well that speaks on many levels...
The absolute pinnacle of man to man melee combat. True legends...
The real reason nobles send adventurers out on quests- to keep them from causing havoc locally.
Can you do a specific video on the duties and life of a squire? Thankyou
13:40 Simon I'm sorry but you said whacked off their horses and I can't stop myself from giggling. I hope it makes you laugh too. (:
Mckmnstr I used to work for horse vets. You use a warm water filled “flesh-mate” to collect horse semen. They are called AV’s, aka “artificial vaginas.” A cup at the end collects the baby batter.
💫The More You Know...
@@dafttool they also make artificial horse asses or just intercept before penetration. Horse whacking is pretty interesting. I live in montana and may of not unseen a thing or two.
We Will Rock You~Queen reference😄
You should have mention William Marshal, considered the greatest knight in history. at age 70 he led an amry into battle, he is that awesome!
Brave brave brave Sir Robin
A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchmann is a brilliant study of a 100-year period during the Middle Ages. A great, informative read.
I don't often laugh out loud at these videos, but the "de-feated" peasant got me
Don Quixote brought me here! The most illustrious and chivalrous knight that heaven's rays ever illuminated in those times knights errant were most needed!
Now I'm gonna watch A Knight's Tale, and laugh my ass off.
I love it when it is just under 20 min
The Defeeting encounter. I see what you did there. Lol
The idea of a knight in shining armor saving damsels in distress and all that always did sound too good to be true.
Damsons in distress
People by nature like to idealize things
Love the "A knights tale " reference haha
In talking about the Melee you should have mentioned William Marshall. He started out poor and used his ransoms to become wealthy. Later he was one of the richest, biggest estate owner and regent. Also he was seen as the most respected, admired and loved knights in Europe. The King of France (his enemy as Marshall was English) mourned him like a brother.
Simon can you please do a video on Chigoe flea/Tunga penetrans???? They are the things of nightmares!!!!!
I'm getting a galaxy brain with this channel
You should do a video about a few of the bigger tournaments! You talked about them in general but didn't really go into it. Was jousting typically the only contest? What were some of the biggest prizes up? I know I could just ask ChatGPT but that's no where near as fun or as interesting as a video of you talking about it!
There's gotta to be way for TH-cam to make a click-able link that is on screen, so that (male) hosts are not pointing down at their "Ahem", when they say "Click the link down below" while finger pointing towards/at their "Ahem".
=)))))))
Would you share the link you make reference to in this video about the knight saving the damsel?
“...But if you stay, you win eternal glory.”
_This is the way._
Hi Team! Where did the phrase 'When Pigs Fly' come from?
With the description video itself, I expected you to explain how they went to the bathroom, how they removed their armor and such. This does seem to be a recurring problem.
I like the ‘A KnightsTale’ reference.