Jeff Bland

The Unwritten Law

I pray you, mighty master, said Gawain to the monarch, Bid me from this
bench to stand there beside you, so that in courtesy I might come from my
queen And that my liege lady shall not mislike it. Let me come and counsel
you here before this court; I think it not seemly nor suitable nor wise, when
such a loutish challenge affronts our chivalry, though you yourself be anxious
and yearning to answer it, to seize the ax so boldly when all these broad
benches are bursting with brave men burning for battle; there are no stancher
fellows where the fight is fiercest. I know I am the weakest both in wit and
warfare and little would the loss of my life be felt; only do I owe to fame that
Arthur is my uncle; proudly my body bears your royal blood. And since this
silly business somewhat is beneath you and I have first bespoke it, pass me
this privilege. And if I strike not sternly a good stout blow, mine be the
blame." 1

Sir Gawain, King Arthur, and many other knights of the round table are
characters from Early English literature that live their lives through an
unwritten law; chivalry. Chivalry was the deciding factor on whether an
English king would be successful or not for many years. Many English kings
took this idea and ran with it. Those kings that adopted chivalry were overall
portrayed as successful, and those kings that were less chivalric did not go
down in history as the best kings. Chivalry was not hard for an Englishman
to accept for they had always expected their kings and leaders to be great
warriors. The part of chivalry not native to England was its religious and
romantic connotation. These factors would be introduced in a number of
fashions by a number of kings and they would be accepted in to English
culture, as shown by such literature as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and
the Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell.
England accepted chivalry very easily, because of some of its early kings.
Alfred the Great is a supreme example of an English king displaying a
chivalric personality even before Chivalry had really been introduced to
England. He did not earn the title the Great for sitting around and doing
1 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 12-13.
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nothing. He was a man of courage and energy, versatile in his interests,

infinitely curious, deeply religious, a lover of books, conscious of the
vexations of power but driven by a profound sense of duty.2 This statement
could double as a definition for chivalry. Alfred was a warrior and a scholar.
He led his men personally to battle against the Vikings as they ravaged
through England. He had repulsed the Vikings at Edington to help, and
would later take London to secure his home territory of Wessex . At times of
peace he facilitated education and religion. There is not much more one
could ask of Alfreds chivalry.
It is important to understand that chivalry originated as a knightly code of
honor, and the idea of a knight was not always an English staple. The idea
of a heavily armed and armored mounted warrior was introduced with
conquest of William the Conqueror. When King Harold and William met for
battle their forces were different in look and function.3 Harolds force was
made up of predominately soldiers on foot armed for close combat; although
some had ridden to battle on a horse they usually fought on foot. Williams
force was primarily cavalry and archers. The two armies could not fight the
same way. Harold had his force form an immovable wall of shields to repel
the arrows and the cavalry, whereas the Norman army was constantly
moving as to find a weakness in its enemy. After the battle William won out,
and the English way of warfare would never be the same. With the conquest
the image of chivalry is defined. It would be a knight who was mounted on a
horse, armed with a sword, shield, and lance, all the while being protected

2 Clayton Roberts, A History of England 45

3 Raymond Rudorff, Knights and the Age of Chivalry 13-14
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by a heavy suit of armor. This image would be a focal point for many more
kings.
With its image defined, chivalry needed a system in which it could proliferate
easily throughout England. This system also came with the Conquest;
Feudalism. But Chivalry ... was of later date, and seems to have sprung
immediately out of the Feudal Constitution.4 Feudalism guided the way of
chivalry much like the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan spread Bushido, the
way of the samurai. In the Tokugawa Shogunate, there were specific warrior
clans or families whose sole purpose was raising and training samurai.
Tokugawa also knew that he just could not have these rogue families training
soldiers, so he instituted bushido, or the way of the warrior. Essentially,
bushido was just a set of codes to put limits and control this warrior class.5
Much like Shogunate Japan, feudalism in England created a need for a
warrior class. Becoming a knight was not something anyone could do. It
was only passed down through Knightly families, like the warrior clans of
Japan. These knights had to be controlled though. During Williams reign he
knew that the English had a reputation of being King Killers, so instituting
new laws to control knights would be a little hypocritical, especially after
promising to uphold all the previous laws Edward the Confessor.6 It was just
convenient for him that chivalry was there to put some barriers to the
knights.

4 Richard Hurd, Letters on Chivalry and Romance 7.

5 James L. McClain, Japan: A Modern History 78-83.
6 Clayton Roberts, A History of England 73.
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William was a pillar of chivalric ideals. I do not believe it proper that my

men and his should die in a quarrel in which they are in no way involved.7
This is what William said about his struggle with King Harold (at the time) for
the throne. William was thinking not only of his soldiers lives, but the lives
of his enemies soldiers as well. This is chivalry at its best. William gathers
his army of Normans with all intentions of using them to conquer England
and have them die at his side in battle, yet he gives Harold the option of
fighting him one on one so no one has to die. This is why, in my mind,
William should go down in history as the Conqueror instead of the
Bastard. When King Harold rejects this idea William leads his forces at the
forefront.
Lastly, it was Williams chivalric duty to set up the church in his newly
acquired territory. He brought in a bunch of his Norman friends to reform the
religion of England. Their ultimate goal of this religious reformation was to
evangelize everyone. Bans are placed on simony and ability of a priest to
marry is taken away. Just to solidify Englands new Christian status all local
saints are removed and many more churches are built . Williams attributes
of chivalry would make me want to follow him, and it is a reason why he was
able to tame England and become one of the Englands most successful
kings.
Another king whose chivalric were enough to rule England was Richard
the Lion Hearted. Richard was tall, perhaps 6ft 5in He could be kind,
charming, and generous, and alternatively ruthlessly cruel.8 A giant of the
time, Richards presence alone demanded respect. He was barely English
7 Lacey Baldwin Smith and Jean Reeder Smith, The Past Speaks 23.
8 Birth of Richard the Lionheart: September 8th, 1157.
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and he spent very little time in England, yet England was still better off
under him rather than his predecessor Henry II. People liked him because he
was in good favor with the church; because he was off fighting in the
Crusades, and he was chivalrous. This went a long way because it gave him
a good reputation. He was someone that every Englishman could look up to
and aspire to be like. Richard was very Arthurian in presence and character.
During the third crusade, Richard endures as the archetype of the
valiant crusader.9 Richard had fought for the cross as best he could. The
Third Crusade was an uphill battle for the Christians. They were in a foreign
land fighting in a climate they were completely unfamiliar with. Richard and
his men knew this, but yet they pressed on. In open combat the Richards
crusader army was almost unbeatable, but Saladins army soon resorted to
raids and guerilla tactics. The wear and tear of the war and the climate soon
plagued Richard and his army, as did the lack of supplies. Soon the crusader
army was holding its position in a castle at Jaffa (Palestine). Saladin had
Richard and his crusaders outnumbered and basically surrounded , yet this is
where Richards chivalric instinct kicks in. During the heat of battle he rides
out on a tired horse alone and challenges any Saracen to single combat ; to
which none accept.10 This cannot be written any better. Richards bravery
and chivalry is impressive, so much so that the enemy Saladin sends him a
better horse with a message saying It is not proper that a King should have
to fight on so wretched a mount. Even though Richard is unsuccessful
during the crusades he will go down in history as one of Englands greatest
kings for these acts of chivalry alone.
9 Mark L. Evans, Battle of Arsuf: Climactic Clash of Cross and Crescent.
10 Mark L. Evans
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Another King who has a reputation of not having the greatest reign, but was
chivalric enough to get him portrayed in good favor was Edward I. He was
the knight in shining armor compared to his puppet of a predecessor .
Edward I is Richard I esque. He was also very tall and commands a lot of
respect with just his presence alone.11 On his tomb the phrases the best
lance in the world and keep your word are etched. This alone shows that
Long Shanks was a firm follower of the chivalric code. Edward Is chivalry
shines through in more ways than just battle. It is true that he did fight wars
against Wales, Scotland, and Gascony, and these wars were freakishly
expensive. This in turn brings about the parliament having some power of
the purse. Edward I is willing to somewhat compromise with that because
his reign is all about trying to salvage the powers that Henry III had lost
during his own reign. Chivalric literature openly endorses this royal role in
law and justice.12 It is the kings chivalric duty to keep peace and order in
the kingdom, and this is why Edward I is the way he is. He is trying his best
to get the powers of the king back that he thought were necessary to do the
job of peace keeping.
Much like Edward I, Edward III is also a throwback to Richard III and also
preceded a very limp wristed king. Edward III is the last king in real chivalry
for under him chivalrys end starts with the Battle of Crecy in the Hundred
Years War. In a sense Edward III is still a warrior king, because he does lead
his armies at distinct battles, especially Crecy, but he was no William or
Richard. He oversaw the battle from the back of the battle field while his son

11 Marc Morris, Edward: Best of Kings, Worst of Kings?

12 Richard W. Kaeuper, Chivalry and Violence in Medieval Europe 93-94
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the Black Prince was on the front lines.13 That is only one reason why
chivalry starts in end here; the other is because of the English Longbow. The
longbow could fire fast and knock out a knight, horse, or both. It single
handedly made the use of a heavily armed and armored mounted knight
obsolete, and the French learned this quickly at the Battles of Crecy Poiters.
They lost about 15,000 knights; almost half their army.
Although it may not seem that Edward III was one of the most chivalrous of
kings, he did try one idea that may put him ahead all of the others previously
mentioned. During the Hundred Years War, he was actually planning to
revive the Round Table as it had been in the courts of Arthur. His efforts
were not to be equal with all who sat at this table with him though. This
offer of a seat was to attract people into becoming allies of his to keep his
wars going. People could win a seat from the tournament at the Windsor
festival. It is unknown if the actual building which housed Edwards round
table was ever built or even started. The only circular building which
offered an immediate parallel for something on this scale was Edward IIIs
fort at Queenborough, which has sadly left very little trace except for a
drawing.14
Now between this span of kings they were some who were not exactly pillars
of chivalry. Even though some of these less chivalric monarchs did some
good things, they will always be known for a blemish on their record. Take
Henry II for example. On paper he seems like a great king. Because of
Henry II there are many Reforms in court and justice system that brings
some more order to England. He sets up The Court of the Kings Bench, the
13 The Battle of Crecy, http://www.britishbattles.com/100-years-war/crecy.htm
14 Richard Barber, Edward IIIs Round Table
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Exchequer Courts, and the Courts of Common Pleas. Yet these successes of
Henrys pale in comparison to his dealings with the church. In chivalry , The
approbation of God appears time and again.15 With his passing of The
Constitution of Clarendon of 1164, Henry does some not very churchly things
and manages to disgruntle his friend Thomas Becket. Eventually this
situation would turn Becket into a martyr. To make up for this Henry must
run the metaphoric gauntlet and repent publically for his wrongs against the
church. These un-chivalric lead to a public embarrassment, but they also
show some weakness in Henry and crisis ensues. His 3 sons rebel against
him. They each gain support from local baron, Scotland, and France.16
Although through the disorder England is granted one of its greatest kings in
Richard the Lion-Hearted.
Richard is followed by another king whose lack of chivalry hurt him in the
long run is Henry III. I like comparing and contrasting Henry III to the king
that follows him; Edward I. They both spent a horrendous amount of money
on foreign wars, and they both had a loud mouth extrapolated by an
explosive temper. It just seems that people did not like Henry. He spent too
much money trying to get his son in as the king of Sicily and eventually fall
into debt to the Pope. I honestly believe his reasons for failure were because
of his trouble with church and his lack of an aura of commanding respect.
With these two aspects Henry III basically turned his back on anything
chivalric. Real meaning infused the widespread idea that the king of
England was responsible for order and justice in his realm; from an early
date this royalist ideal appeared regularly in documents by which officials
15 Richard Kaeuper, Chivalry and Violence in Medieval Europe 48
16 Nicholas Vincent, Henry II
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remembered and acted.17 During Henry IIIs reign he was essentially losing
the ability to regulate order and justice. This is why there are the Provisions
of Oxford and also why Simon de Montfort revolts.
Along with this loss of control during Henry IIIs reign it is easy to see that the
binding agreement between chivalry and kingship is starting to loosen. It is
the rise of parliament that shows this. The king is no longer able to rule
completely on his own. Now Henry IIIs predecessor Edward does an
excellent job of tightening the grip again with statute law.
Every ounce of chivalry that Edward Long Shanks brought back to
the throne was soon squandered by his own son Edward II. Chivalric
literature, then, does not establish a single ideological position , some
uniform and elaborated code, but, rather, shows intense concern with the
issue of relations between males and females.18 This is Edward IIs biggest
down fall. He is more concerned with frivolous things like farming and horse
breeding. His lack of knightly qualities commanded no respect. Also, a big
aspect of chivalry is the idealization of women. Unfortunately for England,
Edward II could not stop idealizing men. His personality is properly depicted
in the film Braveheart, but the movie did get one thing wrong.19 He was no
scrawny whelp; he was pretty big just like his father. Edwards severe lack
of chivalry led him into what could be classified as abusive relationships, by
todays standards. The first of these relationships is with Pier Gaveston and
it sends England into civil war again. This time it is the Lancaster family
17 Richard Kaeuper, Chivalry and Violence in Europe 107
18 Richard Kaeuper, Chivalry and Violence in Medieval Europe 211-213
19 Braveheart
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leading the rebellion. Once Edward II gets that calmed down he goes and
repeats the same error he just committed with Hugh Despenser, and yet
another rebellion occurs. Needless to say if Edward were more chivalrous
things would have been different.
No matter what it is easy to see that England just needed kings that were
chivalrous to be successful. Even if a king was not completely qualified to be
King such as Alfred, William, or even Richard I; he could be a great ruler of
England just by embodying the unwritten law of chivalry. The times when
England was in turmoil and chaos were times when a king who did not
display the correct chivalric standards. I look upon Chivalry, as on some
mighty River, which the fablings of the poets have made immortal. It may
have sprung up amidst rude rocks, and blind deserts. But the noise and
rapidity of its course, the extent of country adorns, and the towns and
palaces it ennobles, may lead a traveler out of his way and invite him to take
a view of those dark caverns.20

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