The ethic of chivalry had its origins in the military revolution which made the mounted knight the spearhead of medieval armies. It was not only a cohesive force among the European knightly class, but also a major influence inspiring some of the finest writing, art and architecture of the Middle Ages. In this collection of essays, based on the Royal Academy"s Age of Chivalry exhibition in 1987, medieval historians appreciate the artefacts of the chivalric age and explore the nature of the society in which they were produced, the patrons who commissioned them and the ideals, both secular and religious, which inspired them.