Youtor
Chivalry in Medieval England Part 01 Encyclopedia of Medieval History
>> YOUR LINK HERE: ___ http://youtube.com/watch?v=G6F6gTamp2Y
In medieval aristocratic society, chivalric activity and cultural expectation went hand in hand. The chivalric lifestyle of the aristocracy found its mirror in literature, just as literature found much of its inspiration in chivalry. In the romance writing lapped up by the aristocracy, the themes most commonly dealt with were the performing of brave deeds, the knightly quest for honor and the love of a knight for his lady. These were themes with an immediate appeal to an aristocracy which defined itself as a military elite, but because that aristocracy was also a social elite, they found a wider audience among those influenced by elite tastes. Chivalric culture played a key role in shaping the culture of medieval society as a whole. This was true not only of literature, but also of architecture and the visual arts. The emergence of a distinct chivalric culture can be traced to the early twelfth century. Europe was at this time experiencing an immense intellectual awakening. The most striking manifestation of this was the rediscovery, through Arabic translations, of some of the writings of Greek antiquity. Underlying and informing the new mood, however, was something deeper. European teaching of the early Middle Ages had emphasized the hopelessness of humanity’s prospects on Earth. To early medieval writers, humans were fallen creatures whose fate rested with the Almighty. In the twelfth century that pessimism was gradually laid aside and thinkers invested humankind with a new dignity and a new power. Through the application of reason, it was argued, the individual human could understand the mind and will of God and bring order to his own experience. To such thinkers as Peter Abelard the whole universe appeared intelligible and accessible, with humanity occupying a fitting place in it. At the same time the deity himself was humanized and made more approachable, quite different from the terrifying God of judgement of earlier times. For women a new role model was found in the Virgin Mary, whose cult was encouraged by Saint Bernard and the Cistercians, and who was seen as a mediatrix between humanity and the Almighty. In literature the new outlook of the time found expression in troubadour lyrics, which showed a range of tenderness and emotion altogether unprecedented in the poetry of the earlier Middle Ages. • 00:00 The Origins of English Chivalry • 34:07 Chivalry and Empire, 1066‒1204 • 01:14:46 The Making of Chivalric Culture, 1100‒1250
#############################
