-[suspenseful music]
-[bones crumbling] [narrator] Since they never really died,
they live on today. In movies, in videogames and in festivals. [pigeons cawing] Knights. How did they survive ambushes,
feuds and sieges? -[suspenseful music]
-[soldiers shouting] How did they win in single combat? -[narrator] Or in major battles?
-[soldiers screaming] Why did they fight in tournaments? [screaming] And what made them a legend? [triumphant music] [narrator] Our history of knights
begins not in castles, but in forests and fields,
with free peasants. We know the name of one of them: Heinrich Thangeln, from Tannroda. [thrilling music] [saw slashing] Every summer,
when the campaigning season began, he could expect his king
to summon him to arms. For he was a subject of King Otto. [ominous music] -[tree snapping]
-[horse galloping] [ominous music intensifies] -[horse galloping]
-[tense music] [narrator] Heinrich was neither
a professional warrior nor part of the Saxon nobility,
but in the early Middle Ages all free men
had to follow their kings to war. -[iron rod hammering]
-[indistinct chattering] [narrator] The peasant soldiers, the king's warriors on horseback, had to provide their own armor
and weapons. [inspiring music] [all cheering] [narrator] The first knights were simply
horsemen in helmets and chain mail, armed with swords and lances. [suspenseful music] They were not noblemen,
but ordinary soldiers. In France they were called chevaliers. In Spain, caballeros. In Italy, cavalieri. And in Germany, ritter, or riders. [horses neighing] By nine-fifty-five, the Holy Roman Empire had been raided
many times by bands of Hungarian horsemen. They marauded their way across Germany,
and even cross the Rhine. King Otto called on his subjects
to come to the Lechfeld, near Augsburg, to wage a decisive battle. [military music] [swords clashing] All of Otto's "stand-by warriors"
reached the Lechfeld in just three weeks. Some by riding day and night. For Otto, everything depended
on his "men in iron". [all cheering] [cheering] [narrator] Seven thousand armored horsemen
had answered their king's rallying call. His chosen battleground,
the Lechfeld, was a wide, open field. In all of Europe, no enemy was more feared than the horsemen
from the Hungarian steppes, for they did not seek single combat,
which Otto's warriors preferred. [men shouting] [narrator]
They used mainly long-range weapons and so, Otto held his riders back. [horse gallops] [narrator] He waited until the Hungarians
had advanced far enough for close combat. [narrator] The Hungarians were able
to use their bows, even at the gallop. Shower after shower of arrows
rained down on Otto's men. [thrilling music] [narrator] An experiment can illustrate just what effect
the Hungarians' arrows would have had. André Brennecke is one of a handful
of specialists in Hungarian bows. It took him many weeks to make this bow. [tense music] [narrator] André will loose an arrow
from this high-tech bow at a chain-mail vest. [tense music] [narrator] From a standard fighting range, André draws back the bowstring
and takes aim at the chain mail. Nine-millimeter steel rings
riveted together, backed by a padded vest, the gambeson, versus a razor-sharp
eleven-gram arrowhead. A warrior without chain mail
could never survive a shot like this. But what about a warrior wearing the mail? [narrator] Chain mail was no protection
against a well-aimed arrow. They could only fend them off
with their shields... and wait for the order to attack. [horses neighing] [narrator] For Otto knew that if his men
could bring the Hungarians to bay and use their swords and lances
at close quarters, they would have the advantage. [tense music] [men shouting] -[swords bashing]
-[horses neighing] [narrator] It was through
hand-to-hand combat like this that ordinary horsemen evolved
into noble knights. [swords clashing] [man shouts] [narrator]
Otto's men won the Battle of Lechfeld. Not a Hungarian left the field alive. No prisoners were taken. [tense music intensifies] The victory secured the German border
against the Hungarians once and for all. [cheering] Most of Otto's warriors
were of humble birth, like Heinrich Thangeln. [tranquil music] Even though Heinrich was born a peasant, his service was rewarded with the right
to bear a sword in the king's name. [narrator] He wasn't knighted. The rank of knighthood would not exist
for another century. [metal clanking] [rumbles] [narrator] But future knights
would be recruited from horsemen like him. [sword unsheathes] [narrator]
In the Year of Our Lord nine-sixty-one, Heinrich Thangeln was presented
with a sword in the name of the king. [solemn music] [narrator] The sword meant
that Heinrich had joined the warrior elite of the Holy Roman Empire. It was the last time
he would have to tolerate a blow. -[sword unsheathes]
-[people cheering] [narrator] From then on,
he was permitted to draw his sword to defend his honor to the death. His sword was a sign of his power
and freedom. [upbeat music] In the 11th century,
many ordinary mounted soldiers, men like Heinrich Thangeln, were raised to the status
of noblemen and knights. The ritual blow on the back
and conferring of the sword evolved into the gentler "dubbing",
also known as "the accolade". Only a king could perform an accolade, and the term is still used to mean
"great recognition and honor". [sword sheathes] Ninety per cent of the medieval population
were peasants, who labored to feed the nobility. Knights were the lowest
of the noble ranks. Above them were counts, dukes and princes. At the apex of the social pyramid
was the king. In time of war,
the knights fought for him. From this fire, Stefan Roth forges
authentic fighting swords based on medieval originals. -[fire crackling]
-[metal clacking] [narrator]
When he forges a sword, Stefan says, he breathes life into his materials,
just like the swordsmiths of old. Both the type of steel
and his style of craftsmanship date back to the Middle Ages. [narrator] A blacksmith works
with the four traditional elements: Fire, fed by air.
Earth, which gives the ore. And water, which hardens it. [mystical music] In the Middle Ages, a good sword
was believed to have magical powers. Many had names:
Siegfried's sword was "Balmung", and King Arthur's, "Excalibur". Many swords were inscribed
with the name "Ulfberht". It was not a mythical name,
but the name of a master swordsmith, a guarantee of quality. There were also low-quality imitations. A sword of poor quality could be deadly
to the man who tried to fight with it. -[crawling snake]
-[eerie music] Swords and knights are bound up together. [bones crumbling] In war, swords were their weapons. In peace, their status symbols. [sword unsheathes] [metal chiseling] It takes Stefan Roth two months of hard,
physical work to polish a sword to its final,
perfect sheen. He says that price was no object
in the Middle Ages. A sword made by a master swordsmith
cost a fortune. [mysterious music] [narrator]
How did this high-tech product perform? How did knights use
this most knightly of weapons and protect themselves against it? Andreas Krüger has studied
medieval weapons in depth and has learned to fight with them
like a medieval knight. [thrilling music] [narrator] One thing is obvious: the sword is as sharp
as a Japanese sushi knife. So did chain mail provide any protection? It did, against a sword blow. The sword glances off the mail. [sword slashes] But what about a forceful thrust
with the tip of the sword? [narrator] And this is how the medieval
equivalent of a Kevlar vest was made: Gerald taught himself
how to link chain mail, carefully joining up to 50,000 rings
to make a single suit. The process takes fifteen hundred meters
of expensive steel wire and four weeks of work. It cost a fortune, even in medieval times. A complete suit of chain mail
weighs 20 kilos. Suits like this protected generations
of knights. One suit of chain mail from the time
of the Crusades was used for an incredible seven
hundred years. [men shouting] Fire! [suspenseful music] [narrator] A Madhist rebel wore it
in a charge against British troops at the Battle of Omdurman in 1898. Unfortunately for him, the British had by then
acquired the Maxim gun, an early form of machine gun. [thrilling music] [maxim gun firing] It took the fancy of someone
among the British to stuff the courageous warrior
as a kind of trophy. Today, this very old chain mail
is kept in a wardrobe in a south German castle. It is probably the oldest
and best-preserved medieval chain mail in existence. It was often patched
and was also extended several times. [ominous music] It was American soldiers who, in 1945, finally gave the Mahdist warrior
a dignified burial. The king also
gave Heinrich Thangeln a fiefdom, which had to produce enough to feed him
and pay for his costly weapons, as he was now a professional warrior. He was also given the privilege
of building a castle. [birds chirping] [horses galloping] Castles were still very basic
motte-and-bailey structures on raised earthworks,
like the Werla Castle in Saxony. A palisade enclosed the servants' quarters
and animal pens, granaries, and the lord's home. [tranquil music] The donjon, or keep, doubled as a watch-tower
and the last bastion of defense. Castles were built mainly as refuges
from war or feuds. [horse neighs] A knight's life was no grand affair
in Heinrich's time. A contemporary complained:
"Knights too hear the sheep bleating. Cows, cattle, and people in wooden clogs
everywhere you look, and nothing but worry and hard work,
day in, day out." [tranquil music] For centuries, that was what daily life
was like for many knights. They had to pitch in, and often had both feet firmly
planted in muck. Castle life revolved around ensuring
self-sufficiency, and a knight's main duty
was to manage his estate. [sheep baas] A man like Heinrich Thangeln
would have reminisced quite fondly about the adventures
and challenges of times of war. He was a warrior, after all. [swords clashing] [screaming] [sheep baaing] [narrator] And the noble lady? [woman groans] [narrator] She was born to give birth. [narrator] The primary purpose
of medieval marriage was reproduction. [woman groans] [midwife speaking German] [narrator] Without children, above all
a son and heir to keep the dynasty alive, all the effort would be in vain. [baby crying] [baby crying] [narrator] People lived by the tenet, "It's not love that leads to marriage,
but marriage that leads to love." [baby crying] [narrator]
Knightly families were mainly interested in increasing their power,
wealth and social standing. A marriage was an alliance
between two families. [upbeat music] Neither the bride nor the groom
might have much say in it. Today, some medieval marriages
would even be called "forced marriages". A knight was the guardian of his wife
and was obliged to protect her. After the wedding night,
she received her morning gifts: a manor, cattle, servants, furniture,
clothes, jewelry and shoes. These were to provide for her
in case she was widowed, which was not unlikely
if her husband went to war. Her duty was to the home and family, above all,
supervising the making of cloth. And as long as her husband was living,
she remained under his authority. [tranquil music] [narrator]
The great thing was one's ancestry. The castle of the princely
von Bentheim dynasty houses one of Europe's
longest family trees. It reaches back into the Middle Ages. In 1230, a royal decree laid down
that henceforth a noble pedigree would be required to become a knight. [narrator] Some family trees were polished
a little in order to avert that fate. That is why signed and sealed evidence
was required for every ancestor. [horse galloping] Heinrich Thangeln of Tannroda
was promoted into the warrior elite solely on his merits. He was not required
to prove noble ancestry. In the eyes of the established nobility,
that made him an upstart, "pulled out of the gutter,
raised from the dirt." -[horse neighing]
-[tense music] Nobody could guess that he would be
the founder of a noble dynasty that ran for thirty generations,
or more than 800 years. By then, the von Thangelns
were ancient nobility. By contrast, Reinbold von Rappoltstein
was born a knight. He had inherited everything
that made a knight a knight: a title, a horse, armor and weapons. But a knight still had to prove himself. [crow cawing] [eerie music] [man shouting] [narrator] Reinbold von Rappoltstein
and that really was his name, was on a quest for aventure. [upbeat music] [narrator] A knight like Reinbold could prove himself
on the tournament field. Early tournament fields were not
purpose-built or lavishly decorated. Rather, knights would agree to meet
in an actual field, or in a forest clearing. [cheerful music] [narrator] Knights did not fight
only for honor and fame, but for helmets and swords and to win ransoms. [soldiers cheering] [narrator] There was not much difference
between a tournament and an actual battle. [crowd cheering] Tournaments were war games
with real fighters and real weapons. [crowd cheering] Fighting was prohibited
only in corners of the field where wounded men could seek refuge. Otherwise, there were few rules. [clapping] -[swords clashing]
-[people shouting] [narrrator]
The wounded were treated by barbers. The loss of a limb
was always a possibility. [man grumbling] [screaming] [narrator] Lucky those who survived
the crude surgery. [screaming] -[soldiers shouting]
-[swords clashing] [narrator] The Church was strictly against what it considered to be
a vile and violent pastime. It placed a ban on it. [men shouting] But hardly any knights heeded the ban. And their ladies? -[swords clashing]
-[men shouting] As a poet put it, they looked on "with reddened eyes
and chilled hearts" as their men fought. They always had to reckon
with losing them. [dramatic music] Whether in jousts or in battle,
knights were ultimately thrill-seekers, looking to prove their boldness
and courage. -[man shouts]
-[man grumble] [tense music] [narrator] Their motto was, "Go for it." Regardless of whether some of their number
were left on the field injured, maimed, or even dead. [crowd cheering and clapping] [man shouting] [narrator]
"Peace" was the word that ended a joust. The opposing knight had to honor it. -[triumphant music]
-[people clapping] [narrator] Tournaments could be fought
by 20 men against 20, or 50 against 50. [upbeat music] Sometimes even a hundred men
battled another hundred, as if in a war. All knights from different countries
would meet in a swordfight. [men shouting] [swords clashing] [narrator] The culture of the knight
was a culture of violence, whether in attack or defense. Some knights seem to have been driven
by a sheer love of violence. But, as the exemplars of their society, they were meant to fight
for fame and honor, and to win their lady's favor. And to practice the laws of chivalry
on the tournament field. [solemn music] [crows cawing] [narrator] A tournament
often ended only at nightfall. Quite a few limbs might be left on
the so-called "field of honor and fame". -[crows cawing]
-[eerie music] And plenty of dead,
who left behind widows and orphans. For, no matter how famous he might be,
a knight still had only one life. [cheering] [narrator] After a tournament,
prizes were awarded to the winners, and the spoils were divided. [narrator] A wife could recover
her husband... for a price. [people cheering] [narrator] The knights would feast
as ferociously as they had fought. Although some had to be prized
out of their armor first. [troubadour music] [all laughing] [narrator] The spoils and any ransoms
were shared out. [narrator] For many, though not for all,
the motto was "easy come, easy go". But if a knight wanted
to be well regarded, he had to be generous. [screams] [owl howling] [narrator] Medieval literature recounts
many heroic deeds of knighthood. Poets wrote these epic tales, and traveling bards
spread them far and wide. [narrator]
Knights' tales of the early Middle Ages were what splatter movies
are for us today. Their gory details sent
a shiver down the spine even as the audience luxuriated
in the safety of the fireside. But they were also
a form of mental preparation. Knight had to be able to endure
the horrors of the battlefield and to kill without mercy. [swords clashing] [triumphant music] [narrator] Knights' castles
offered shelter in peacetime and protection in time of war,
for themselves and for their vassals. But castles were, above all, symbols of the power and prestige
of the nobility, visible from afar. In the 13th century,
the heyday of chivalric culture, there were 13,000 castles
in the Holy Roman Empire alone. How were these castles built? They were often built
on top of steep hills, entirely without modern machinery. We can see how it was done
at Guédelon, near Paris. Guédelon is an experimental
archaeological construction site, a kind of open-air laboratory, where medieval building techniques
are being rediscovered for surprisingly little is known
about the practical aspects of building a castle. Everything is done by hand
and by learning on the job. About 50 people have been working
on this unique project since it began in 1997. The stonemasons, judging by experience,
work with the utmost precision to ensure that the building-blocks
are a perfect fit. -[hammer pounding]
-[inspiring music] There are masons, blacksmiths,
brick makers, a dozen different trades. In the Middle Ages, they all worked
together without an architect. [narrator]
Medieval castles were regional buildings. Everything had to be sourced locally: the timber, the stone, the clay for tiles
and bricks, for transport was expensive. [speaking French] [narrator] The modern world would call it
"environmental best practice." And castle building was also
a sustainable source of employment, even if some of the labor
was hardly voluntary. [upbeat music] [narrator] The tread wheel
is a major attraction at Guédelon. This magna rota
was built according to medieval plans. A wheel, an axle, a rope... That's all it took to build
the medieval version of a crane. One man can work the wheel and lift stone weighing several tones
to any height. Guédelon illustrates every aspect
of how a medieval castle was built. It will be 15 years before the castle
is ready to face a siege by a medieval army,
or more likely, by tourists. [orchestral music] [narrator] For many centuries, a castle was the ideal refuge
from an attack or a siege. Only a handful of knights and men-at-arms were needed to defend
a well-fortified castle. [solemn music] Castles usually had one only entrance: the gate. This was the weak point in any attack. [ominous music] A drawbridge spanning a wide moat
helped keep unwanted visitors out. The gates were usually guarded
by a crenellated gatehouse to give early warning. And even if attackers managed
to get through the gate, they met further obstacles. [suspenseful music] From the murder-hole, stones would rain down upon them. Then they had to fight their way
across the courtyard. -[orchestral music]
-[rats squeaking] Towers and heavy walls protected
the knight's home and the work areas. This is where the richest loot
could be found. But an attacker would be met
not only by armed knights, but also by blacksmiths
and peasants with their hammers, scythes and pitchforks. The castle's last bastion
was the towering keep, or donjon. [eerie music] If necessary, the castle's defenders
could destroy the timber stairs to the keep and use another murder-hole
to defend the entrance. But if the attackers managed
to break open the door, all was lost. There was no retreat, except upward. To finish the defenders off,
the attackers could resort to fire. [music intensifies] But knights were worth
more alive than dead. Alive, they would fetch a ransom, and few attackers would wish
to take possession of a ruin. The alternative was to fight
one's way up the stairs. But in reality,
not many attackers got that far. Before the invention
of heavy siege equipment, castles like this one
were virtually unassailable. After all, deterrence is the best defense. So castles remained
the symbol of power for centuries. [birds chirping] Historians estimate
that a castle would suffer a siege only once in three generations, meaning that peace would reign in them
for about 75 years at a time. Yeah. [narrator]
There are plenty of myths about castles. [speaking German] [narrator] Researchers such as
Joachim Zeune are quick to dismiss them. [narrator] But during emergencies,
the symbol of peace was also a last refuge for the desperate. Reinbold von Rappoltstein's duties
included the protection of his vassals. [battle music] He had to be prepared for any contingency. The castle itself
might not be easy prey for raiders, but the villages around it were. [man shouting] [tense music] [people screaming] [narrator] Landless knights
who marauded the countryside were known as raptores,
Latin for "plunderers". [men shouting] The villagers' refuge
in case of attack was their lord's castle. [tense music] Lords such as Reinbold were duty-bound
to take their people in. [shouting] That was part of the division of labor
between the social estates. The peasants fed him and he had
to protect them, in his own interest. [suspenseful music] [dramatic music] [narrator] Knights fought against knights. Feuds and border disputes
were the order of the day. [soldiers shouting] Even churches and monasteries
were not spared. They too suffered the depredations
of marauding knights. [priest speaking German] [narrator] That is why the Church
decreed the "peace and truce of God," which banned feuding and marauding,
at least from Thursday to Sunday. [speaking German] [narrator] But how to enforce this truce? By threatening the knights
with the eternal torments of Hell. If they feared God,
they would comply with His truce. [narrator]
Once the "truce of God" was past, knights could return to private warfare, with the tacit approval of the Church. [suspenseful music] [chain mail clanks] "Might is right," that was
the knight's understanding of law. [men shouting] [man screams] [tense music] [narrator] In fact,
the knight's code of honor obliged him to settle a serious dispute
in life-and-death single combat. [triumphant music] [narrator]
The ideal of the Christian knight was still a long way off. [epic music]
