Author and Context
Geoffroi de Charny was intensely involved in the first phase of the Anglo-French conflict known as the Hundred Years War. The first record of his campaigns against the English appear in 1337, and despite being captured twice, Charny grew in prestige from a minor member of the nobility to one of the most respected knights in France, especially under the kingship of Jean II of France. Jean created the Company of the Star in 1352, intending the chivalric order to outshine that of his rival, Edward III of England, who had shortly before created the Order of the Garter. Charny was promply made a member of the Company of the Star, and it is believed that he wrote his Book of Chivalry in this context. However, the Company began to lose members immediately due to losses on the battlefield, both in civil wars and against the English. In 1356, Jean II was captured during the Battle of Poitiers, leading to the complete breakdown of the order. It was in this same battle that Charny, along with many other French knights, died exemplifying the chivalric ethos that he described in his treatise.
Read more about this topic: Book Of Chivalry
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