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Courser (horse)
A courser is a swift and strong horse, frequently used during the Middle Ages as a Horses in warfare, warhorse. It was ridden by knights and Man-at-arms, men-at-arms. Etymology Coursers are commonly believed to be named for their running gait,Ewart Oakeshott, Oakeshott, Ewart. ''A Knight and his Horse'', Rev. 2nd Ed. USA:Dufour Editions, 1998 (from Old French ''cours'', 'to run'''Oxford English Dictionary'', 10th Ed, 1999). However, the word possibly derived from the Italian ''corsiero'', meaning 'battle horse'.Ann Hyland, Hyland, Ann. ''The Warhorse 1250-1600'', UK: Sutton Publishing, 1998 Coursers in warfare The courser was more common than the destrier,Michael Prestwich, Prestwich, Michael. ''Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience'', New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996, and preferred for Medieval warfare, battle as they were light, fast and strong. They were valuable horses, but less expensive than the highly prized destrier.Christopher Gravett, Gravett ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Prestwich
Michael Charles Prestwich OBE (born 30 January 1943) is an English historian, specialising on the history of medieval England, in particular the reign of Edward I. He is retired, having been Professor of History at Durham University and Head of the Department of History until 2007. Early life Prestwich is the son of two Oxford historians, John Prestwich and Menna Prestwich. His father, "the redoubtable mediaevalist ... who knew so much and published so little", had worked at Bletchley Park during the war, working among other things on the breaking of U-boat codes. Michael was educated at the Dragon School in Oxford, and then went to a well-known public school Charterhouse, before winning a scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford. After being awarded an MA and First in History, he completed his D.Phil. with a thesis entitled ''Edward I's wars and their financing 1294-1307'' at Christ Church, Oxford. Academic career After a year as a lecturer at Christ Church, Michael moved i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Warfare Of The Middle Ages
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular or irregular military forces. Warfare refers to the common activities and characteristics of types of war, or of wars in general. Total war is warfare that is not restricted to purely legitimate military targets, and can result in massive civilian or other non-combatant suffering and casualties. While some war studies scholars consider war a universal and ancestral aspect of human nature, others argue it is a result of specific socio-cultural, economic or ecological circumstances. Etymology The English word ''war'' derives from the 11th-century Old English words ''wyrre'' and ''werre'', from Old French ''werre'' (also ''guerre'' as in modern French), in turn from the Frankish *''werra'', ultimately deriving from the Proto-Germanic *''we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Horses In The Middle Ages
Horses in the Middle Ages differed in size, build and breed from the modern horse, and were, on average, smaller. They were also more central to society than their modern counterparts, being essential for war, agriculture, and transport. Consequently, specific types of horse developed, many of which have no modern equivalent. While an understanding of modern horse breeds and equestrianism is vital for any analysis of the medieval horse, researchers also need to consider documentary (both written and pictorial) and archaeological evidence. Horses in the Middle Ages were rarely differentiated by breed, but rather by use. This led them to be described, for example, as " chargers" (war horses), "palfreys" (riding horses), cart horses or packhorses. Reference is also given to their place of origin, such as "Spanish horses," but whether this referred to one breed or several is unknown. Another difficulty arising during any study of medieval documents or literature is the flexibilit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Medieval Hunting
Throughout Western Europe in the Middle Ages, humans hunted wild animals. While game was at times an important source of food, it was rarely the principal source of nutrition. All classes engaged in hunting, but by the High Middle Ages, the necessity of hunting was transformed into a stylized pastime of the aristocracy. More than a pastime, it was an important arena for social interaction, essential training for war, and a privilege and measurement of nobility. History Hieratic formalized recreational hunting has taken place since Assyrian kings hunted lions from chariots in a demonstration of their royal nature. In Roman law, property included the right to hunt, a concept which continued under the Frankish Merovingian and Carolingian monarchs who considered the entire kingdom to be their property, but who also controlled enormous royal domains as hunting reserves (''forests''). The biography of the Merovingian noble Saint Hubert (died 727/728) recounts how hunting could become a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rouncey
The term rouncey (also spelt rouncy or rounsey) was used during the Middle Ages to refer to an ordinary, all-purpose horse. They were used for riding, but could also be trained for war. It was not unknown for them to be used as pack horses. The horse, which was also referred to as ''runcinus,'' is believed to be a harrowing animal on account of its proportions found in the demesne stock listing before it became an exclusively riding animal. Use in warfare While the destrier is the most well-known warhorse of the Medieval era, it was the least common, and coursers were often preferred for battle. Both were expensive, highly trained horses prized by knights and nobles, while a poorer knight, squire or man-at-arms would use a rouncey for fighting. A wealthy knight would provide rounceys for his retinue. Oakeshott, Ewart. ''A Knight and his Horse'', Rev. 2nd Ed. USA:Dufour Editions, 1998 Gravett, Christopher. ''English Medieval Knight 1300-1400'', Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2002, p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christopher Gravett
Christopher Gravett is an assistant curator of armour at the Tower Armouries specialising in the arms and armour of the medieval world. Gravett has written a number of books and acts as an advisor for film and television projects. Selected works * (1985) ''German Medieval Armies, 1300-1500'', Osprey Publishing, * (1993) ''The Norman Knight, 950-1204 AD'', Osprey Publishing, * (1997) ''Medieval German Armies, 1000-1300'', Osprey Publishing, * (1999) ''Bosworth 1485: Last Charge of the Plantagenets'', Osprey Publishing, * (2000) ''Hastings 1066'', Osprey Publishing, * (2001) ''The History of Castles: Fortifications Around the World'', Lyons Press, * (2002) ''English Medieval Knight 1300-1400'', Osprey Publishing, * (2002) ''English Medieval Knight 1200-1300'', Osprey Publishing, * (2003) ''Towton 1461: England's Bloodiest Battle'', Osprey Publishing, * (2003) ''Tewkesbury 1471: The Last Yorkist Victory'', Osprey Publishing, * (2003) ''Norman Stone Castles: British Isles 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Medieval Warfare
Medieval warfare is the warfare of the Middle Ages. Technological, cultural, and social advancements had forced a severe transformation in the character of warfare from antiquity, changing military tactics and the role of cavalry and artillery (see military history). In terms of fortification, the Middle Ages saw the emergence of the castle in Europe, which then spread to the Holy Land (modern day Israel and Palestine). Strategy and tactics ''De re militari'' Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus wrote ''De re militari (Concerning Military Matters)'' possibly in the late 4th century. Described by historian Walter Goffart as "the bible of warfare throughout the Middle Ages", ''De re militari'' was widely distributed through the Latin West. While Western Europe relied on a single text for the basis of its military knowledge, the Byzantine Empire in Southeastern Europe had a succession of military writers. Though Vegetius had no military experience and ''De re militari'' was deriv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Destrier
Mounted on a destrier, Richard Marshal unseats an opponent during a skirmish. The destrier is the best-known war horse of the Middle Ages. It carried knights in battles, tournaments, and jousts. It was described by contemporary sources as the ''Great Horse'', due to its significance. While highly prized by knights and men-at-arms, the destrier was not very common. Most knights and mounted men-at-arms rode other war horses, such as coursers and rounceys. Etymology The word is first attested in Middle English around 1330, as ''destrer''. It was borrowed into Middle English from Anglo-Norman ''destrer'', whose Old French counterpart was ''destrier'' (from which the Modern English spelling derives). The word is also found in medieval Provençal (as ''destrier'') and Italian (as ''destriere'', ''destriero''). These forms themselves derived from the Vulgar Latin ''equus dextrarius'', meaning "right-sided horse" (from ''dextra'', "right hand", the same root as ''dextrous'' and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages. Population decline, counterurbanisation, the collapse of centralized authority, invasions, and mass migrations of tribes, which had begun in late antiquity, continued into the Early Middle Ages. The large-scale movements of the Migration Period, including various Germanic peoples, formed new kingdoms in what remained of the Western Roman Empire. In the 7th century, North Africa and the Middle East—most recently part of the Eastern Ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ann Hyland
Ann Hyland is a writer and historian who specialises in equestrianism and the development of horses. She is also a consultant for the Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a co ....StaffConsultants, advisers, and contributors Oxford English Dictionary Ann Hyland trains horses as well as being a freelance lecturer on equestrian topics.StaffAbout Ann Hyland Greenwood Publishing Select bibliography * ''Beginner's Guide to Western Riding'' (1971)World CatBooks by Ann Hyland World Cat * ''Foal to Five Years'' (1980) * ''The Endurance Horse'' (1988) * ''Riding Long Distance'' (1988) * ''Equus: The Horse in the Roman World'' (1990) * ''The Appaloosa'' (1990) * ''Training the Roman Cavalry'' (1993) * ''The Medieval Warhorse: From Byzantium to the Crusades' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ewart Oakeshott
Ronald Ewart Oakeshott (25 May 1916 – 30 September 2002) was a British illustrator, collector, and amateur historian who wrote prodigiously on medieval arms and armour. He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, a Founder Member of the Arms and Armour Society, and the Founder of the Oakeshott Institute. He created a classification system of the medieval sword, the Oakeshott typology, a systematic organization of medieval weaponry. Biography Ronald Ewart Oakeshott was born in 1916. His uncle Jeffery Farnol wrote romance novels and swashbucklers and also had a collection of antique swords, through which the young Oakeshott became interested in swords. After leaving Dulwich College, Oakeshott studied at the Central School of Art in London. He worked at Carlton Studios and at A.E. Johnson Ltd as a commercial artist, while still being interested in collecting arms and armour. During the 1930s and 1940s, antique swords could still be acquired relatively cheaply and Oakeshott be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
