Customer Reviews

The Book of Chivalry of Geoffroi de Charny: Text, Context, and Translation (The Middle Ages Series)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A very good dual-text copy of the writings of Geoffroi De Charny (the Knight that kept the oriflamme, a symbol of France, and the first famous possessor of the Shroud of Turin) into what Chivalry is, and what Knighthood should be, and the differences between that and what it really seemed to be.

The prose is well done, giving good insight into the mind of the Knight of that era. Examples of the problems of lust versus courtly love, the appropriateness of staying just a little hungry, and a comparison of the Orders of Grace (priesthood) with the Orders of Knighthood all work together to give the reader a sense of the noble and knightly duties in the pre Republic days of Europe. This is a good starting point (along with Ramon Lull's _The Book of the Order of Chivalry_) for the novice to learn how social Chivalry developed from the military form to the current socio-political. The parallels in current day knighthood can easily be seen once an understanding is gained of the past, and this book brings the past into focus in an amazing way.

Do be advised -- the French and English are interleaved, so you'll either be reading on the right (english) or left (french) once you get past the introduction!

This book is a quintessential must-read for those interested in knights, chivalry, and the culture of the Middle Ages. The translators provide an excellent introduction illuminating the life of Geoffroi de Charny. As one of the premier knights of France during the Hundred Years' War, Charny was in a good position to know the ins-and-outs of knighthood. He was captured by the English during his unsuccessful attempt to retake the city of Calais; his captors ferried him across the English Channel and held him for ransom for over a year. This period of imprisonment gave him ample exposure to the English brand of chivalry, and some think that it was during this time that he composed the Book of Chivalry. When Charny was ransomed, he returned to France to fight in one of the greatest set pieces of the Middle Ages, the Battle of Poitiers. He had the distinguished honor of carrying the Oriflamme, the royal standard of France. Sadly, the battle went against the French, and Charny perished on the field. One interesting side note to Charny's biography: he is the first recorded owner of the Shroud of Turin, a relic which many venerate as the actual shroud in which Jesus Christ's body was wrapped before his resurrection.

The text of the work itself appears in both the original Medieval French and in an English translation. The translators have done a superb job of keeping the feel of Charny's long, polished prose and making it accessible to a modern audience. In the first part of the book, Charny deals with what kinds of knights there are, comparing and contrasting the lower men-at-arms with those of higher quality. In the middle part of the book, he states what duties are most honorable for a knight to undertake and identifies the greatest knight who ever lived as Judas Maccabee. In the concluding sections, Charny shows that knights can serve God just as well as men of the cloth can, claiming that the practice of knighthood, "which can well be performed according to God's will, is very dangerous and perilous, and its practice makes greater physical and spiritual demands than those required of any of the men who are ordained to serve Our Lord in the Holy Church." This last section is especially interesting. In a world where the clergy saw their own calling as a better path to God, Charny speaks out and says that God can be served through every calling, even and especially in the pursuit of arms.

--Review by Rosanne Lortz, author of "I Serve: A Novel of the Black Prince"

exactly what I was looking for really, this book is full of what one would expect from the proverbial knight of our childhood fantasies. Well worth the read, just to take a brief look into the philosophies that men have all but forgotten.

Those who are members of mideval Recreation will find this book great insight to how the Knights of the day thought, felt, and acted about thier role and the betterment of thier Order. This book gives the reader a chance to view the concepts of chivalry through the eyes of one of the greatest Knights of France.

It was a privilege to read the writings of this 14th Century Knight and Champion of Chivalric Values. I highly recommend it to anyone who seeks to study the Ideals of Chivalry as well as to anyone seeking to live by its Standards.

I am at your service,
Sir Blackwolf

The original author, Geffroi de Charny, probably did not write this book -- like many busy leaders, he probably dictated it. Kennedy's translation lets you hear him speak. If you think you'd like to hear what a serious, practical, yet idealistic knight thought about chivalry, this is the book for you.

This is a great book, even if you're into escapist roleplaying, and pretending you're a knight, this will teach you what real chivalry was.
Bigger and more concise than the hagakure, it should be required reading for anyone who aspires to be a good person.