I was listening to these Diana Waring history tapes (I’m loosely using her curriculum for my history studies, mainly focussing on Church history) about the knights of the medieval period in Europe, and found some funny facts about knights at war! 
The main attraction in a Knight’s life was fighting and hunting; after all, they were military professionals, fighting was their life-long job, and they built a reputation for being warmongers. However, their armour was so good that battles were pretty safe for knights.
In the battle of Lincoln in 1217, where about 500 knights on either side fought, only 1 knight was killed and every one felt rather bad about that! Of course, poorer men were not as well armoured or valued as knights and more of them were killed then knights.
In another battle I read of, only four men were killed, one of them from blowing a horn too vigorously!
Another particularly funny story is that of the poor foot soldier whom his lord hanged because the foot soldier had killed an enemy knight in a battle!
Part of the reason so few knights were killed (normally) was that the victors didn’t want to kill the knight, they wanted to capture him so he could pay a ransom to buy his freedom. Of course, the captured knight probably preferred that idea too!
The Church tried to limit the damage done in the wars between Lords, Barons, and Counts etc. by making the Truce of God and the Peace Of God, which were strict rules about when and how you could fight. Part of the terms of the Truce of God was that no one could fight between Wednesday night and Monday morning! The Church also banned crossbows, because they were too dangerous!
One reason the Crusades were launched was so that the Knights could be given someone else other than Christians to fight :)
Also, at one stage, a lord or baron had to go and ask other nobles if they wanted a fight. If not, he wasn’t allowed to attack them!
Very funny!
Comments
Apr. 30, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Dot
Wow, that was pretty interesting.
Now, answering your question about the alligator at the park. We have never seen them feed them. If it is alive they probably feed them before anyone gets there.lol
And as for the weather here, we are in the center of the states and usually it is nice enough that we can be swimming a little bit. But this year it is wet and chilly still. It is just spring for us right now.
May. 1, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by OutLoud
Thank you for the comment!
You're right.
It's kind of interesting.
But connotations can be deceitful.
When I was younger,
I used the word 'flamboyant' to describe buoyancy.
And buoyancy sounds like bouncy if you say it in a weird accent.
Jacqueline
May. 2, 2008 - lol
Posted by Rachsters
Verry cool!
Would u like to be blog friends?
~Eowyn
May. 3, 2008 - Knights
Posted by Fingolfin
That was very funny! thats one of the reasons I think MTW does not have defensive formations, The knights armour was defensive enough!
Hope you like Chapter 4!
Fingolfin