Knights and chivalry of three centuries. CH 5. Knights of France. Central and southern areas
and every one has crushed and attacked, putting his weapon in motion.
Whom will the Lord choose, who will send success?
There you could see the stones of mortal years,
A lot of torn mail and dissected armor,
And the way spears and blades both wound and smack.
And the sky in the commotion of arrows was like that
As if the rain drizzled through hundreds of small sieves!
(Song of the Crusade against the Albigensians. Lessa 207. Translated from the Old Asian I. Belavin)
This region includes the entire old kingdom of France south of the Loire River and much of what is now known as Midi-Pyrénées is the largest region of France, covering more than some European countries, such as Denmark, Switzerland or the Netherlands. The area under consideration included a huge duchy of Aquitaine, a smaller duchy of Gascony and many small baronies and marquistes. By the middle of the XI century, its own special culture, its own language (Occitan) and its military traditions were formed here.
A miniature "David and Goliath" from Stephen Harding's Bible, ca. XXUMX-1109. (Library of the Municipality of Dijon)
In the middle of the XII century, almost the entire region, with the exception of the county of Toulouse, fell under the control of the county of Anjou. Heinrich, Count of Anjou, became King Henry II of England, with the result that most of this territory soon became part of the vast Anjou Empire (a term used by some historians, it really was not called that), stretching from Scotland to the Spanish border. It is clear that the French monarchy felt simply obliged to destroy this state in the state, although its majority in the feudal and legal terms theoretically obeyed the French crown. Between 1180 and the beginning of the Hundred Years War in 1337, the kings of France succeeded in reducing the territory of southern France controlled by the English monarchs to the southern part of the county of Sentonges, which belonged to the duchy of Aquitaine, with which it became the possession of England in 1154 and Western Gascony.
Bas-relief depicting fighting horsemen (Church of St. Martin, Vomecourt-sur-Madon, canton of Charm, Epinal district, Vosges, Grand Est, France)
Again, it should be remembered that it was the south of France, and above all the county of Toulouse, that for a long time was the stronghold of the Albigensians, which led to the crusade (1209 - 1229), which in essence was a war of the culturally backward North against the more developed South. The result was the interpenetration of cultures: for example, the work of the troubadours penetrated into the northern regions of France, but in the south there was a significant increase in the military influence of the North.
Milites of Northern France. Fig. Angus McBride
Further, we can say that France was not too lucky in the era of the Middle Ages, because those who did not attack it only at that time. Let's start with the VIII century and ... fingers are not enough to bend to count all who invaded its territory. In 732, the Arabs invaded France and reached Tours. In the 843 year, according to the Treaty of Verdun, the Frankish state was divided into parts: the Middle, Eastern and Western. Paris became the capital of the West Frankish kingdom, and already in 845, it was besieged and then plundered by the Vikings. In 885 — 886, they again laid siege to him. True, this time Paris managed to defend. However, the Vikings, though they left, but only after they were paid 700 silver livres or ... 280 kg! In 911,913,934,954 the central regions were subjected to devastating raids by the Hungarians. In the South of France, they invaded 924 and 935.
That is, the former Carolingian empire was threatened by Vikings from the north, Magyars from the east, and Arabs from the south! That is, the French kingdom before 1050 had to actually develop in the ring of enemies, not to mention the internal wars caused by the phenomenon of feudal fragmentation.
Only knightly cavalry could repel all these blows. And it appeared in France, which is confirmed by the well-known “embroidery from Bayeux”, and numerous miniatures from manuscripts, and, of course, effigii, which in France were no less, if not more, than in neighboring England. But it has already been mentioned here that many of them suffered during the years of the French Revolution. Nevertheless, the fact that one way or another has been preserved to our days is enough to restore the entire course of the changes that the equestrian armament of the knights of France underwent in “our” three centuries.
To begin with, we note that in the thumbnails and 1066 of the year, and 1100 - 1111, that is, about half a century later, the soldiers are depicted almost the same. For example, Goliath from the Harding Bible and the warriors on the bas-relief in the church of St. Martin in the village of Vomecourt-sur-Madon in the Vosges are very similar to each other. The warriors on the bas-relief are almost the same as those depicted in the “embroidery from Bayeux”. They have similar helmets and almond-shaped shields. By the way, they are no different from traditional images of knights of Russia, having exactly the same helmets and almond-shaped or “serpentine” (as they are called in English historiography) shields!
Capitalized warrior with the French manuscript Comments to Psalms 1150-1200 (Library of the University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France)
However, already in 1150 - 1200. the French warriors were dressed in chain mail from head to foot, that is, in chain mail hauberg with woven chain mail gauntlets, although at first the arms of chain mail reached only the elbow. "Tapestry from Bayeux" shows us representatives of the nobility who have mail bands on their legs, tied behind the back with laces or straps. The bulk of the warriors of this protection does not have. But now almost all the soldiers in miniatures are shown dressed in Shoss, woven from chain mail. They are wearing surcoats over the chain mail. The drop-like shield in 100 years turned into a triangular with a flat top.
Crusader from the Illustrated Bible - 1190-1200 manuscript. (Royal National Library of the Netherlands, The Hague). Noteworthy is the outdated by this time protection of the feet, which can be seen even in the “embroidery from Bayeux”.
Helmets also changed their shape. There were helmets in the form of a dome with a noseplate, and at the top of the helmets with a tip, they began to be bent forward. However, referring to the drawings "Winchester Bible" (1165-1170), we note that, although the length of the chain mail remained the same as in 1066, the knight's figure visually changed as the fashion came to wear them over long caftans with floors up to ankles, and besides bright colors! That is, progress in armament had a place, of course, but it was very slow.
Warriors of France in the first half of the XII century. Fig. Angus McBride
The mail made by the Penza master A. Davydov from the fragments of chain mail found at Zolotarevsky site of ancient settlement, that is, relating to the 1236 year. At its production went exactly 23300 rings. Outer diameter - 12,5 mm, inner - 8,5 mm, ring thickness - 1,2 mm. Weight chainmail 9,6 kg. All rings are connected by riveting.
Duel between knights. Mural, approx. 1232-1266 (Tower Ferrand, Pern-les-Fontaine, France). Here, as we see, horse blankets are already present, and, most importantly, forged knee pads. Well, of course, it is very well shown that the blow of a spear to the neck, even if protected by a chain mail, was irresistible.
French knights of the Albigensky era and the leader of the northern crusaders, Simon de Montfort, killed by a stone-thrower during the siege of Toulouse. Fig. Angus McBride Painted helmets are striking (paint was applied to protect them from rust), quilted, ready-made clothing and the same knee pads.
The beginning of the XIII century. marked by a number of significant improvements knight armor. Thus, the shields have become even smaller, the coat of mail has now covered the entire body of the warrior, but to protect the knees they begin to use quilted "pipes" with a convex forged "cup". Although, again, not all of them wear them at first. But gradually, the novelty is in widespread use.
Carcassonne effigy. General form.
In the castle of Carcassonne, there is a nameless effigy of the 13th century, brought there from the nearby Abbey of La Grass, and which, despite the damage inflicted on it, very clearly shows us the most typical changes in the armament of the knights of this century. On it we see a surco, and with two coats of arms embroidered on the chest. Moreover, it is not the coat of arms of the Tranquelles family. On it is a fortress with a single tower and border. It is known that from the moment Robert I of Anjou in France “invented” the border, she immediately sold out across Europe, and in a variety of variations, imitations and imitations, and in Spain she was particularly successful. In France, they began to use it for the breeze (modification) of the coat of arms and include third sons in the coat of arms. That is, it is either the coat of arms of some Spanish knight or a French, but the third son, some sufficiently sovereign seigneur. Finding out is important for one simple reason. We know the approximate time of the death of the master of effigia and ... see his armor. He is wearing a mail haberk, but his legs below his knees are covered with anatomical leggings and sabatons characteristic of Spain from plates. At that time, only very wealthy people could wear such armor, as they were not widely distributed. And the effigy itself is very large (see photo), and the no more a sculpture is, the more it is ... more expensive!
Surcoat with coats of arms and a mail hood with a characteristic flap. Castle Carcassonne.
Feet carcassonian effigy. The loops on the leg lattices and the rivets on the sabaton plates are clearly visible.
By the way, about the fact that for some time among the knights there was a fashion for the image of coats of arms on the chest of surco. David Nicole in his book “The French Army in the Hundred Years War” presented a photograph of the effect of the lord of the castle of Bramevac in the first half of the 14th century as a sample of the armor of an outdated sample, which were then kept in remote corners of southern France. On it, we even see three coats of arms at once: big on the chest and two coats of arms on the sleeves.
Effigiya seignor Bramevaka. One of the tombs of the cloister of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Saint-Bertrand de Comenge, Haute-Garonne, France.
An exceptionally valuable illuminated source of information on military affairs of the 13th century is the Bible of Macieus (or the Bible of the Crusader), commissioned by the French King Louis IX Saint somewhere in 1240-1250. Her miniatures depict knights and infantry, armed precisely in the characteristic for this time armor for France, belonging to the royal domain. After all, the one who illustrated it simply could not be somewhere far away from the king, her customer. And apparently he was very well versed in all the subtleties of military craft. However, in her miniatures there are no horsemen in the plate. From this it is permissible to conclude that they were already in the South of France, but not yet in its North!
Scene from the Bible of Macieusky (Library and Museum of Morgan, New York). The central figure attracts attention. It is difficult to say which biblical story formed the basis of this miniature, but it is significant that he holds his “big helmet” in his hand. Apparently it is not very convenient for him. The wounds depicted on the miniature are characteristic - a half severed arm, a helmet cut by a sword and a dagger wound in the face.
At the same time, if we look at a number of effigy of the early 14th century, including the effect of Robert II the Noble, Count d'Artois (1250 —1302), who fell in the battle of Courtray, it is not difficult to see that he had legs on his feet are present. That is, at the beginning of the XIV century, they entered into the use of knighthood everywhere, not only in the South, but also in the North.
Effigiya Robert II Noble, Count d'Artois. (Basilica Saint-Denis, Paris)
Another effect with plate covers of the legs and sabatons of chain mail. (Cathedral Corbeil-Esson, Esson, France)
On the same effigia, chainmail gauntlets are well preserved. Obviously, they were tied directly to the sleeves. However, slits were made on the palms, allowing them to be removed. That's just interesting, they were tightened with some laces or not, because otherwise in the heat of battle such a glove could slip off the hand at the most inopportune moment.
The hands of effigii from the cathedral in Corbeil-Esson. Photo close up.
A curious document was preserved that was written shortly before the beginning of the Hundred Years War and where the process of dressing a French knight in armor was successively described. So, first the knight should have put on a free shirt and ... comb her hair.
Then came the turn of stockings and leather shoes. Then he had to put on his leggings and knee-pads made of iron or of “boiled leather”, a quilted jacket-aketon and mail with a hood. Over it was put on the shell, similar to the poncho of metal plates sewn onto the fabric and covering the throat plate collar. All this was hidden by a surcoat caftan with a knight's coat of arms embroidered on it. On the hands should wear plate gauntlets made from plates of whalebone, and over the shoulder is a sling for the sword. Only after that did he finally put on a heavy helmet or a lighter seat with or without a visor. The shield at that time was used quite rarely.
The original helmet of the cap of overlapping metal bands, we see in the "Chronicle of Baduan d'Avesna", c.1275-1299. (Municipal Media Library Arras, France). Knights hardly wore such ersatzes, but for the city militia this helmet was just right.
The weapons and armor of the city militia differed greatly in their quality. Moreover, since weapon Militiamen often bought the city magistrate, then it was often used not even by one, but by several generations of warriors. Weapons were most often purchased, but wooden shields were usually made on site, it was not too difficult. As a rule, the crossbowmen had more complete armor than the archers, because during the siege of a castle or a city, they were the ones who participated in exchanges of fire with their defenders, who also fired from crossbows. For example, the list of equipment that a crossbowman named Geran Quesnel from the Clos de Galé arsenal in Rouen received in 1340 has been preserved. According to him, Zheran was given a shell, a corset, most likely a chain mail shirt, which had to be worn under the shell, bracers and, in addition, a plate collar.
The same arsenal of Clos de Gale in Rouen produced armor, siege engines, ships, although the best in quality crossbows did come from Toulouse. By the beginning of the Hundred Years War, this city could produce silk-covered and cloth-lined gambesons, lamellar armor for warriors and their horses, bascinetts, cappella helmets with margins, handguards and various shields (either white or painted in the colors of the French coat of arms and decorated with images golden lilies). It produced daggers, spears, darts-dards, Norman axes, known in England as Danish axes, crossbows and trigger crossbows, and to them in large quantities crossbow bolts, which were stacked in batches in metal upholstered boxes. By the way, the first mention of testing armor in France was also found in a document from Rouen relating to 1340.
During the Hundred Years War, the assortment of armor, which were produced in Clos de Galé, replenished samples of armor, borrowed from countries. For example, the production of Genoese shells covered with canvas and bascinet, as well as plate collars, mentioned in the document 1347, was established here. The coat at that time gradually lost its gauntlets and hood, and its sleeves and hem were shortened all the time until it turned into short haubergon. Early versions of the cuirass, as it is now believed, were made of “boiled leather”, and also, judging by some effigiyami - strips of metal, setting one on another. Many of the armor had a fabric cover, although, for example, the French 1337 document reported a shell without a fabric cover, but it had a leather lining. That is, in the knightly at that time there were such!
Richard de Jocort - Effigy 1340 of the Year - (Abbey of Saint-Saint-l'Abbe, Côte d'Or, France)
Initially, protective arms for the arms and legs were made of strips of hard leather and metal. So, in 1340, in Clau de Gale, plate bracers are mentioned. The bevor's chin, which strengthened the chain mail barmitsa, descending to the shoulders of bascinet, became widespread in the 1330's, and one of the first French mentions concerning the plate collar refers to the 1337 year. Great helmets, made in this arsenal, for some reason listed among ... ship equipment. Well, the first bascinet, which was made here, was released in 1336 year, and it could be simple hemispherical helmet liner helmets (worn together with a “big helmet”) and helmets that have a movable visor, which could be removed if necessary. Also, the study of French effigy shows that all-metal sabatons appeared here much earlier than in other European countries, namely, by the year 1340!
The drawing of Angus McBride depicts a knight in such equipment.
The question of recognition by knights of each other on a hollow battle, apparently, was already of great importance at that time. And here we clearly see at least two "experiments" in this area. At first, the coats of arms were embroidered (or sewn on clothes), but in the first quarter of the XIV century they began to be depicted on the ellets - shoulder plates made of cardboard, “boiled leather” or plywood, trimmed with colored fabric. Obviously, the rigid base allowed for a better look at the coat of arms, and it could have been poured with blood less than if it was embroidered on a coat on a chest. And they could be round and square, and even in the shape of ... hearts!
French knights in miniature from Ovid's Morals, 1330 (National Library of France, Paris)
Thus, we can conclude that the southern and central regions of France played an important role in the development of knightly weapons from 1050 to 1350. Many innovations were tested here and introduced into the practice of mass use. However, even in the years of the Hundred Years War, the French knighthood still wore chain mail, which did not really protect them from arrows of bows and crossbows, only their legs were covered with anatomical leggings and knee pads, but such an improvement did not affect security in battle . It was precisely because of the lack of security of their riders that the French lost both the Battle of Crecy in 1346, and the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 ...
Использованная литература:
1. Nicolle, D. French medieval armies 1000-1300. L .: Osprey Publishing (Men-at-arms series No. 231), 1991.
2. Verbruggen, JF, The Art of War of Europe on the Middle Ages from the Eight Century to 1340. Amsterdam - NY Oxford, 1977.
3. DeVries, K. Infantry Warfare in the Early Fourteenth Century. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press, 1996.
4. Curry, A. The Hundred Years' War 1337-1453. Oxford, Osprey Publishing (Essential Histories 19), 2002.
5. Nicolle, D. Crecy, 1346: Triumph of the Black Prince, Osprey Publishing (Campaign No. XXUMX), 71.
6. Nicolle, D. Poitiers 1356: The King of Osprey Publishing (Campaign No. XXUMX), 138.
7. Nicoll, D. The French Army in the Hundred Years War / Trans. from English N.A.Phenogenov. M .: LLC “Publisher AST; Astrel Publishing LLC, 2004.
To be continued ...
- Vyacheslav Shpakovsky
- Knights and chivalry of three centuries. Knights of Ireland (part 4)
Knights and chivalry of three centuries. Knights of Scotland (part 3)
Knights and chivalry of three centuries. Knighthood and knights of England and Wales. Part of 2
Knights and chivalry of three centuries. Knighthood and knights of northern France. Part of 1
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