Reading in the time of Richard

De Re Militari and books on campaign

[This is the second digression from my learnings at the Boston Public Library; I promise to return to that shortly. If you want to start at the beginning it’s here.]

Richard the Lionheart is usually thought of as the Warrior King, impetuous and a man of action. But he also reportedly took a copy of De Re Militari by Flavius Vegetius Renatus with him on any campaign he undertook. (It’s possible this story is apocryphal). He was well educated, spoke French, Latin, and Occitan (the language of southern France at the time). Growing up at court in France in the time of Chretien de Troyes, he was undoubtedly schooled in Chivalry and the Arthurian literary traditions that embodied it.

De Re Militari is a military strategy book whose oldest text dates from the 5th century. Vegetius was a Roman, but not a soldier. The book focused on the military practices of the Roman Empire, but became the most influential military strategy guide for over a thousand years. It included quotes which resonate even today, such as "The nature of the ground is often of more consequence than courage." or "He, therefore, who aspires to peace should prepare for war." Perhaps not until Clausewitz would a military strategy book have more influence.

I was curious about the nature of books and reading in Richard’s era. Carrying a pile of fragile illuminated manuscripts around in one’s backpack for a few years in wartime doesn’t sound very durable.

I decided to consult experts. Sandra Hindman, Ph.d., CEO and founder of www.lesenluminures.com (a gallery specializing in medieval manuscripts), and Professor Emerita of Art History at Northwestern University, together with her colleague Laura Light, Director and Senior Specialist of Text Manuscripts and expert on medieval bibles, were kind enough to answer a few questions (any following errors are my own).

I was curious about a few things. First, I was curious about book construction methods during this era. Richard was King of course, and could afford anything money could buy. What form would his book take? Paper? Vellum? Parchment? How would it be bound? On a roll? Between boards? In a manilla folder? On a USB stick? (haha just kidding).

The Crusades would result in many new products being introduced to Europe, like lemons, limes, velvet, and many spices. At this point in time, paper was in definite use in the Islamic world, having made its way from China. Paper would also make its way to Europe, coming through Spain where there was a strong Moorish/Islamic culture. But yet - not in Richard’s time.

According to Dr. Hindman, Richard’s copy would likely have been written on parchment, the stretched and prepared skin of an animal. Parchment is more durable than most paper, and there are extant copies of De Re Militari dating to Richard’s time. Ms. Light was kind enough to point me to this wonderful example in the British Library.

Dr. Hindman continued that the book would likely have been bound between boards, and likely encased in leather, making the book an artifact that would not look entirely out of place in a modern library, until one opened it!

In that era Latin was the language of learning, and she and Laura Light agree that Richard’s book would likely have been written in Latin (although of course it’s impossible to know for sure).

I was also curious the extent to which books would have been available to simple knights, or even commoners. Would they have seen a book outside a church, or at all? Would it be an article of wonder, or something nearly commonplace?

Dr. Hindman remarked that this area (~1200), was right at the time of transition between books produced in monasteries by monks, and books produced by artisans in towns, for use by lay people. It was also the height of the chivalric tradition, Chrétien de Troyes, and the Arthurian myths transformed into courtly poetry, romance, and the knightly codes of conduct. Richard would likely have been drenched in all of this, growing up in a French court. I just finished re-reading Chrétien de Troyes Knight of the Lion, no relation to Richard Lionheart 😊, which is good fun and an easy read. You can read it for free in Bookship. And if you are interested in this topic, let me recommend Dr. Hindman’s book Sealed in Parchment, an excellent study of how this literature influenced medieval society.

Richard was a lover of song and poetry, in the troubadour tradition. He even composed a song himself, Ja Nus Hons Pris, about (and during) his imprisonment for ransom after the third Crusade. So it’s tempting to envision him traveling with a collection of Chivalric tales as well, although we don’t have any evidence for that. Chrétien de Troyes actually served in the court of Marie of France, Richard’s half sister, so even more intriguing is the idea that Richard and Chrétien may have met in person!

But his possession of De Re Militari implies he was far more than just a great warrior. His ability to mount a crusade to the Holy Lands, an incredible logistical feat, together with the fact that he was never defeated in direct conflict, show an educated man who studied, learned, and applied his learning to his situations. As Steven Pressfield wrote in Gates of Fire, “War is work, not mystery”, and Richard was a professional.