Chivalry Today Podcast

Conversation with Ken Mondschein

Whatever else you may say about our current state of affairs, this is undoubtedly the golden age of binge watching. And for those with any sort of interest in knights and armor and epic adventures, one of the binge-worthy series of choice is certainly Game of Thrones. Whether you’ve seen the series a dozen times since its first season aired on HBO in 2011, or you’ve used your self isolation practice as an excuse to finally see what all the nerd-culture fuss is about, George R.R. Martin’s heroic fantasy is a great story – and it is unarguably the defining icon of medievalism (that is, the pop culture perception of medieval history) of the current moment. But how closely does Game of Thrones mirror real events and personalities of the Middle Ages? Why are we, as Americans in particular, so fascinated with a period of Western history that (in many ways) is the polar opposite of American ideals? And what can the novels and the television series of GoT tell us about our own understanding, or rejection, of the code of chivalry? Ken Mondschein is a medieval researcher, historical fencing practitioner and instructor, and avid Game of Thrones fan. He is a long-time participant in medieval reenactment activities with groups like the Society for Creative Anachronism, and is a certified fencing instructor (specializing in historical fencing) with the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association. He received his Ph.D. in history from Fordham University and has taught inter alia at University of Massachusetts, Boston University, and Westfield State University on topics ranging from the history of time and science, to imperialism and global interconnectedness, to (of course) the history of jousting, armor, and courtly culture. He has been widely published in both academic and popular online and print publications. His books include “Fencing: A Renaissance Treatise,” “On Time: A History of Western Timekeeping,” and “The Knightly Art of Battle.”  One of Ken’s most recent books is “Game of Thrones and the Art of Medieval War,” from McFarland Books. Ken joined host Scott Farrell to discuss the parallels between the world of Westeros and the European Middle Ages, and how the universe of Game of Thrones provides a mirror for us to consider our own perceptions of ambition, duty, and chivalry in the modern world.

Conversation With Dr. Tobias Capwell Part 2

Hard to believe that it was just three months ago, in October of 2019, that the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art opened a truly remarkable exhibition called During its four-month run, The Last Knight exhibition drew visitors from all over the world to see 180 examples of medieval and Renaissance artwork, on loan from collections and galleries throughout North America, Europe, and the Middle East, to create a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Last Knight – the Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximillian I. Hard to believe, because as we record this episode of our podcast, the exhibition is in its final week of opening to the public. The exhibition has caused a lot of excitement in the world of medieval enthusiasts – and well beyond. At the opening of the gallery, host Scott Farrell talked with Dr. Tobias Capwell, curator of arms and armor at the Wallace Collection, as they had discovered that they were both planning trips to New York to see the exhibition, and realized that, by sheer misfortune, they were going to miss each other at the museum by literally just a few hours. But since the two weren’t going to have a chance to meet up at the gallery itself, they thought it would be fun to compare notes before, and after visiting the gallery in a two-part podcast episode that everyone could share – whether you’ve been to the Met during the run of this exhibition or not. In our first episode, Dr. Capwell spoke about the biography and cultural importance of Emperor Maximillian in our perception of knightly culture, and the ideals of chivalry. Now, after both having had the privilege of enjoying the gallery in person, Dr. Capwell joins Scott again for a sort of post-game analysis on their respective visits to the museum, and the success of this gallery in expanding the understanding of chivalry, knighthood, and the armor makers’ art in the 15th and 16th century. Watch Dr. Capwell’s talk Building Medieval Plate Armor: An Operator’s Guide (given as part of a 2014 speaking tour in Southern California, arranged by Chivalry Today) on our YouTube page.

Conversation With Christian Tobler

It seems among the world of medieval history enthusiasts as well as serious students of the historical fighting arts, the New York Metropolitan Museum’s temporary exhibition The Last Knight: The Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximillian I, has become something of a pilgrimage for the devout – at least to judge from the number of friends and colleagues seen on social media posing for “selfies” in front of the 15th century Helmschmid armor that greets visitors to the gallery. As we learned from our last episode, a conversation with Wallace Collection curator Toby Capwell, this exhibition was more than three years in the making, it includes some 180 items on loan from museums and collections all over the world, and it isn’t hyperbole to say that it represents a level of experience and scholarship that most of us aren’t likely to see again in our lifetimes. So, as a team of “armor geeks” from Chivalry Today was coordinating an excursion from San Diego to New York to see the gallery, we were delighted to discover that Christian Tobler, a trailblazer in the field of fighting-manual translation and fellow practitioner of the art of the German longsword, was going to be there on the same day. We subsequently made plans to meet Christian at the Met and use the opportunity to spend the day admiring (which is to say “obsessing over”) this extraordinary exhibition together. After a long day of peering through glass at armor and swords, we sat down for coffee and started discussing what we’d seen, and decided that this was a conversation that really needed to be shared with others. Scott Farrell, left, and author Christian Tobler examine pieces of armor on display at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. (See the entire gallery of images from Scott and Christian’s visit by following the link to the Facebook photo album.) Thus, Christian Tobler, author of books like In Service To The Duke and Fighting With the German Longsword joins host Scott Farrell to talk about their shared experience in the Met’s The Last Knight gallery. To see images of Scott and Christian touring the gallery and viewing the items discussed in the podcast episode, visit the photo album on the Chivalry Today Facebook Page.

Conversation With Dr. Tobias Capwell

On October 7 of 2019, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art opened an exhibition called The Last Knight: The Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximillian I. This display is an ambitious undertaking, featuring more than 180 pieces from museums and collections throughout America, Europe and the Middle East. Maximillian’s passion for the trappings of knighthood and chivalry were expressed not just in the armor-maker’s art, but also in painting, stained glass, manuscripts, and even in the new (for the time) artistic medium of the printing press. The exhibition will run through January 5, 2020. Dr. Tobias Capwell, arms and armor curator at London’s Wallace Collection, will be visiting New York in November of 2019 to visit the Met. While it is on display, this collection will certainly attract enthusiasts and experts from all over the world – and one of them is Dr. Tobias Capwell, arms and armor curator at the Wallace Collection. Although he hasn’t visited the Maximillian gallery yet, he’ll be traveling to New York in just a few days to do so … and by happy coincidence, a team of folks from Chivalry Today, including podcast host Scott Farrell, will also be in New York to visit the exhibition later this month. So, before our respective visits, we thought it would be interesting to compare notes to get a sense of what to expect in this exhibition, why Maximillian had such a profound influence on the image of knighthood and chivalry, and how an acclaimed exhibition like this looks from the perspective of an art historian and curatorial expert. Dr. Capwell joins host Scott Farrell to share some pre-visit thoughts on the Maximilian exhibit, to help all of us understand the significance of this gallery, and to give some context on how a German Renaissance prince helped shape our image of knighthood and chivalry in the 21st century. Visit The Last Knight multimedia experience at the Met’s website; Learn more about the galleries at The Wallace Collection

Conversation with Jason Kingsley OBE

Jason Kingsley OBE is CEO of Rebellion Video Games, and a lifetime enthusiast of the equestrian arts and medieval history. One of the challenges of studying history is to avoid looking into the past with a myopic view – to think that people of times past were somehow more simplistic, predictable, or uniform than we are today. When we study a historical period like the Middle Ages, we should strive to appreciate the depth and complexity of individuals who lived in that world, to recognize that people in the past pursued various (sometimes even bewildering or contradictory) interests, ideals, and vocations throughout their lives – just as we do today. A single, hour-long historical documentary, no matter how well researched and presented it is, risks giving that sort of tunnel-vision image of the medieval world, and (particularly) knights who lived in it. How many TV shows have you seen that give you the impression that each and every man of knightly status in the medieval world wore armor, went jousting, and was constantly preparing for battle? For another approach to understanding the life of a Late Medieval knight, you might want to check out a documentary series called “The Knight” on the YouTube channel Modern History TV. This series of 32 episodes (plus lots of behind the scenes “Knight Extra” shorts) strives to present a well-rounded, very human image of the medieval knight in a way that – perhaps – no other documentary project before has done, exploring armor, swords, jousting, and war horses, yes … but also cuisine, fashion, hobbies, society – and the ideals of chivalry that were interwoven through the culture of the period, even as the role of the knight as a figure of military dominance was on the wane. Just what does this video series have to tell us about the world of the Late Medieval knight that’s different from anything you can find in a history book? Can exploring the professions, material, and culture that surrounded medieval knights give us more understanding about the people who wore armor and rode to battle in the Middle Ages? And is there a lesson to be learned about the relevance of chivalry today by following along on this one-man journey through the exploration of “modern history”? Jason Kingsley is CEO of Rebellion Video Games, and it was under his guidance and creative vision that the company’s Rebellion Production division produced the “Modern History” documentary series. Fulfilling the job of host and narrator, Jason accompanies viewers through the world of the medieval knight as he sees it – with curiosity and enthusiasm, but also with objectivity and clear eyes, as he looks not just at the elements that created the iconic image of the “knight in shining armor” but also how military tactics, sports equipment, fashion, and even business practices today are still, to a degree, affected by medieval history. Jason joins host Scott Farrell in this episode to talk about his quest to explore the ideals of chivalry in both his personal and professional endeavours.