The Medieval Knight: Geoffroi de Charny’s Life, Chivalry & Legacy
What did it mean to be a medieval knight? Explore the life of Geoffroi de Charny, a fourteenth-century French warrior whose Book of Chivalry reveals the ideals and harsh realities of knighthood.
Born around 1300, Charny earned a reputation for courage, loyalty, and honour during the Hundred Years’ War. He served the French crown, joined military campaigns and crusading ventures, and was entrusted with carrying the Oriflamme, the sacred battle standard of the kings of France. In 1356, he died at the Battle of Poitiers defending King John II of France.
Drawing on a lifetime of experience, Charny presented chivalry as far more than courtly manners or romantic adventure. His Book of Chivalry describes a demanding way of life shaped by hardship, reputation, religious devotion, and the pursuit of honour.
Discover how this remarkable text exposes the tension between the noble ideals of medieval knighthood and the violence of a warrior’s profession.
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