This application suggests, that the high-born were considered as the kindred and peers of royalty, and exercised greater authority than the mere freemen. Thus, the Cherusci petitioned the emperor Claudius to restore to them, as their leader, the last survivor of their nobles. What was the nature of those prerogatives among the Germans cannot be clearly determined but we learn from a statement of Tacitus, that the chieftains of their tribes were elected from the higher ranks. Nobility in all instances, is invested with characteristic prerogative. ¹ We thus obtain from various independent testimonies, the convincing proof, that the institution of nobility was inherent in the national economy of the early Germans. In the Edda, (the mythological traditions of the Scandinavians) a line of demarcation is drawn between the noble and the ignoble. Among the Goths are noticed the Amali and the Balti among the Franks, the Merovingians among the Lombards, the Gungici among the Bavarians, the Agilolfingi, &c. In historical works, there are also allusions to noble families that belonged to various German tribes. In the ancient laws, the weregild, or fine paid by the murderer to the relations of the slain, was rated higher, if the victim was of noble origin. Later records, legal and historical, of German tribes settled in the provinces of the western empire, treat likewise of aristocracy as a class distinct from that of mere freemen. They are mentioned by Tacitus in various places, under the designation of nobiles, or principes, in contradistinction to the plebeian orders. It is undoubted that these privileged classes existed among the Germans before the invasion of the Roman empire. They will prove valuable additions to the history of a bygone state of society, and help to present chivalry in a variety of interesting aspects.ĬHIVALRY and its military duties originated in the institution of aristocracy, and exhibited during the middle ages, those social and political relations of the nobility, which, in a greater or smaller extent, distinguished the privileged classes of all Germanic nations. The numerous references to Grimm relate to his Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer, or Antiquities of Germanic Law.
Such well-known authors as Du Cange, Meyrick, and others are, in most instances, mentioned without reiterating the titles of their works. He has also placed the references to the authorities at the end of the work, where they will satisfy the claims of the critical student, without inconveniencing the majority of readers, who take no interest in the enumeration of the original sources.
The Translator, without interfering with the original plan of the Author, has endeavoured to improve the practical character of the work by the addition of marginal annotations, a few foot-notes, a list of the illustrations, and an alphabetical index. The pictorial illustrations are divided into two equal portions, the first of which represents ancient and mediæval weapons, with the various pieces of armour and the other, combatants engaged in the achievements and the trials of the joust. In the present work, Chivalry is described with regard to its feudal origin, its usages and ceremonies, arms, sports, and judicial combats. The richly decorated equipment used in warfare and jousting shine brightly in this treasury, accompanied by authentic literature from poets and troubadors of the age. Revel in meticulously rendered lances, spears, and spiked clubs, as well as incredibly engineered mobile siege towers and muskets. Enjoy breathtaking shields, helmets, and horse coverings. Reproduced from a rare nineteenth-century masterpiece, here are the origins, codes, and practices of knighthood, alongside magnificent hand-colored engravings of armour, weapons, and the men who bore them. The trials and jousts of the tournament became more than just a stage for combat as the weaponry itself evolved into a stunning art form.Ī visual and literary feast, The History of Chivalry and Armour is a study of medieval knights in all their grandeur, fully displaying their instruments of siege, ornaments, and entertainments. As improvements in defensive armour and weaponry were made, the elaborate decoration of arms also flourished. Competing in tournaments honed the skills of knights and squires alike, and provided a keen development of military prowess beyond the dangers of the battlefield. From his earliest years and throughout his training as squire, a young knight was rigorously instructed in the use of arms.
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