Famous names of knights of the Middle Ages: list, history and interesting facts

The names of knights of the Middle Ages forever entered our history. They are imbued with the spirit of early Christianity, poetic courage, honor and nobility. Of course, the romantic image of the knights is not entirely true, but they, without a doubt, made a significant contribution to the development of history.

The knightly traditions were so strong that even after the disappearance of this class, an honorary title remained. In some countries, there is still a knight initiation.

General information

Knighthood was born in the ninth century of our era. The emergence of new soldiers was due to changes in the social and economic life of Europe. Prior to this, the kings used the people's militia for the war. The role of a professional army was carried out by the feudal lyceum suite. However, with the development of new methods of warfare, it became necessary to create cavalry detachments. The horsemen had a huge advantage over the infantry. One rider was counted as ten foot. The first names of knights of the Middle Ages are related to the kingdom of the Franks. Karl Martell was the king of the Franks during the Arab invasion. It was he who first decided to create new detachments of equestrian warriors from the nobility. To do this, they are given land under a quitrent or without it. For this feudal lords undertake to serve in the army as elite soldiers.

Warriors of Christ

The names of knights of the Middle Ages abound in subjects of France. The reason lies in the history of the first crusades. By the twelfth century chivalry had become widespread in Europe. The big feudal lords had many children. However, all property passed only to the eldest son. The rest received weapons and became knights. A huge number of trained soldiers caused concern among the rulers.

These fears became one of the reasons that led to the beginning of the crusade. Gottfried de Bouillon is one of the most famous knights of the time. He led a huge army and led him to Jerusalem.

After the landing in Byzantium, negotiations began with the king of Constantinople. Gottfried managed to persuade him to let the army pass to the east. Knights, monks, peasants, the poor, counts and barons - all went to the Holy Land to find themselves. But on the way to the cherished goal stood an impregnable barrier - the fortress of Antioch. The crusaders besieged the city and began to wait. However, it was not possible to feed a huge army. Soldiers plundered the local land, but it still was not enough.

Storming the fortress

Soon a terrible famine began. As follows from the chronicles of the time, there were even cases of cannibalism. The year of the siege gave nothing. In the city there was a relatively normal situation with provisions and water. Another famous knight Raymund of Toulouse proposed to take Antioch by storm. But Gottfried refused and decided to go to the trick. With the help of Boehmund of Tarentum, he managed to negotiate with the city armorer. He for unknown reasons agreed to open the gates to the enemy.

The storming of Antioch and subsequent events have become one of the most epic acts of the Crusaders.

The most famous knights of Europe fought side by side. The German feudal lord Robert Flanders burst into the city one of the first. After the bloody battles, the knights won. However, at this time a hundred-thousand-strong army of Saracens was already moving towards the fortress. Robert of Normandy, an English knight, suggested leaving the city. But the Franks and Livonians decided to fight to the end. Four days later, the first assault began.

Emir Kerbogi outnumbered Europeans by more than three times. On the morning of the twenty-eighth of June, 1098, the army of Christ left the city. The first was the Count of Knight Robert of Flanders. He dismounted and began to pray on his knees to the Lord. Then the troops formed, ahead went Raymond Azhilsky. The day before, he had allegedly found in the fortress wall a spear that pierced Jesus. Having carried the relic to the soldiers, he delivered a fiery speech. Then the most famous knights of the Middle Ages rushed into battle. The names of the fallen in that battle entered the holy bull of Pope Urban II. Encouraged crusaders broke three times the number of superior enemy and won the battle. Knight Bohemond of Tarentes became a new earl of the defeated city.

Known knights of the Middle Ages: names and exploits

Many knights, after gaining wealth and influence, became good politicians. However, only those who showed themselves on the battlefield remembered the story. Special notoriety was acquired by the martyrs who fell in battle, played a deliberately losing campaign and so on. Sacrifice was quite in the spirit of medieval Christianity.

One of these heroes was Balian the second Ibelin. The French crusader lived in Jerusalem and was engaged in expansion of possessions in the west. However, the peaceful life in the Promised Land was interrupted when the knight Rene de Chatillon decided to attack the Egyptian lands. After this, the Muslims began to collect a huge army to repulse the city.

The destruction of the troops

On the fourth of July they marched to the city, and the crusaders met them at Hattin's. Guy de Lusignan intended to defeat the Arabs with one powerful blow, but the wily Salah-ad-Din constantly retreated, exhausting the soldiers. The names of knights of the Middle Ages, surviving to this day, are fanned not only by glory, but also by shame. Raymond Buck and Laoditsius de Tiberias were cowardly and fled to the Muslims.

In many ways, thanks to this betrayal, the crusaders suffered a crushing defeat.

Defender of the Kingdom of Heaven

Ballyan Ibelin managed to escape captivity and return to Jerusalem. After that, the troops of Salah ad-Din approached the city. A siege began, and Balian led the garrison. At that time, there were only fourteen knights in Jerusalem.

To raise morale, Baron Ibelin gathered the townspeople and ordered all the squires to kneel and consecrated them all to knights. The names of knights of the Middle Ages, the list of which increased to sixty, forever went down in history. The next six days of the Saracens stormed the city, but without success. Despite the overwhelming majority, they failed to take the city, the Christians were able to surrender it on favorable terms. All interested persons were granted the right to leave the city. The grave of the Lord remained under the personal protection of Salah ad-Din.