The Effects of the Medieval Concept of Chivalry on the Hundred Years War
Abstract:
This project investigates the complicated relationship between the medieval concept of chivalry and the Hundred Years War (1337-1453). Medieval chivalry was a nebulous concept. It constantly changed and adapted to meet changes in society, warfare, and culture as the war progressed. I examine the role chivalry played in how battles were fought, how peace was made, and how it determined the outcome of interactions between the highest members of both soldiery and society. Ultimately I prove that chivalry had an impact during the war as it affected the outcome of certain battles and, conceptually, was deeply embedded into almost every level of medieval aristocratic society during the period of war. In order to prove this, I analyze the ever-present but constantly various and inconsistent definitions of chivalry throughout the broader medieval period and how they relate to the war. I will also investigate the life and contemporary chivalric biography of the French Marshal Jean II Le Mangrie, so that I can understand how personal chivalry functions both at an individual level, and to form a more ground up approach, using one of the most important and high ranking individuals from the war. Lastly, I will investigate how the concept of chivalry was deeply embedded in aristocratic life during the period of war. I will do this both by studying the famous romantic literature from the day, and how the inspired the actions of individuals, and by studying the celebrations, reactions and criticisms that contemporary authors and writers put forth in response to the concepts of chivalry.