Medieval Europe: Knights, Kings, and Brutal Survival — Fexingo History

Episodi

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  The Knight's Silent War: How Armor Became a Prison 26.09.2026 7min

  We often romanticize the medieval knight as an invincible warrior, but the reality of wearing plate armor was far more complex and physically demanding than popular culture suggests. In this episode, we explore the hidden physical toll that full harnesses took on men like Jean Le Fèvre and Guillaume de Lalaing, who had to endure extreme heat, limited visibility, and suffocating weight during campaigns. We examine how the evolution of Milanese armories created suits so effective they eventually became literal prisons, trapping their wearers in moments of crisis. Through the writings of Giovanni da Imola and the technical insights of Johannes Schilling, we uncover how knights managed basic needs like eating, drinking, and even relieving themselves while encased in steel. This conversation peels back the shine of chivalry to reveal the brutal, sweaty, and vulnerable human beings beneath the metal, offering a fresh perspective on medieval survival tactics that goes beyond battlefield heroics. #MedievalHistory #PlateArmor #JeanLeFevre #GuillaumeDeLalaing #MilaneseArmory #Chivalry #KnightsOfEurope #GiovanniDaImola #JohannesSchilling #HundertjahrigerKrieg #MedievalWarfare #HistoricalResearch #FexingoHistory #ArmorCraft #KnightLife #MedievalDailyGrind #HistoryPodcast #HumanCost Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Medieval Knight's Hidden Debt Trap 25.09.2026 7min

  We often imagine medieval knights as wealthy warriors, but their survival hinged on a precarious financial system that few discuss. This episode explores the 'billon' coins used for daily wages and the crushing 'gabelle' taxes that forced even nobles into debt. We examine how Jean Le Maingre and Geoffroi de Charny navigated these economic pressures, using letters of marque and strategic marriages to keep their estates solvent. The conversation also looks at the Pipe Rolls, which reveal the true cost of maintaining a household and an armorial wardrobe without going bankrupt. By focusing on the merchant class and the papal bankers who funded these campaigns, we see how chivalry was often just a carefully managed business venture. You will learn about the specific mechanisms of credit in fourteenth-century France and England, and how a single failed raid could erase generations of wealth. #MedievalEconomics #BillonCoins #GabelleTax #JeanLeMaingre #GeoffroiDeCharny #PipeRolls #FourteenthCentury #ChivalryCost #MedievalDebt #NobleBankruptcy #HistoricalFinance #FeudalSystem #MedievalHistory #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #KnightLife #MedievalWarfare #EuropeHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Silent War: How Armor Became a Prison 24.09.2026 9min

  We often romanticize the medieval knight as a symbol of chivalric glory, but by the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, heavy plate armor had become a logistical nightmare. This episode explores how the evolution of full plate harnesses transformed mobility into a struggle, turning warriors into vulnerable targets of heat, exhaustion, and mechanical failure. We examine the lives of Jean Le Fèvre and Guillaume de Lalaing, whose diaries and chronicles reveal the brutal reality of donning fifty pounds of steel in summer campaigns. Through the lens of the maison dieu — those charitable institutions that helped knights mount their horses and manage their gear — we uncover the hidden infrastructure required to keep these armored men alive. From the suffocating heat inside the cuirassier’s helm to the sheer physical toll of daily combat drills, this story strips away the romance of the battlefield to reveal the sweat, strain, and silent suffering behind every joust and charge. #MedievalArmor #PlateArmor #JeanLeFevre #GuillaumeDeLalaing #Chivalry #MaisonDieu #Cuirassier #ChapeauDeFer #MedievalWarfare #KnightlyLife #15thCentury #Burgundy #Feudalism #MilitaryHistory #ArmorSmiths #HorseTransport #CombatExhaustion #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Siegecraft: The Trebuchet's Deadly Physics 23.09.2026 7min

  We explore the brutal engineering behind medieval siege warfare, focusing on the counterweight trebuchet that reshaped castle defenses in the thirteenth century. Lucas and Luna dissect how this machine replaced torsion-based catapults to hurl massive stones with terrifying consistency. We look at the specific contributions of engineer John de Le Riva and the defensive innovations like herringbone masonry designed to withstand such bombardment. From the mechanics of the sling release to the psychological terror it induced inside besieged walls, we uncover the silent war between attacker and defender. This episode moves beyond the romance of chivalry to examine the cold, hard physics of survival, diet, and destruction during sieges like those at Berwick upon Tweed and Stirling Castle. You will learn why armor became a prison and how logistics determined victory long before swords were drawn. #Trebechet #SiegeWarfare #MedievalEngineering #JohnDeLeRiva #HerringboneMasonry #StirlingCastle #BerwickUponTweed #Counterweight #MedievalHistory #Castles #MilitaryTech #EdwardI #RobertDeLuke #Chivalry #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #MedievalEurope #Warfare Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Knights: The Hidden Cost of Chivalry 22.09.2026 5min

  We often romanticize the medieval knight as a paragon of virtue, but behind the polished armor lay a system built on crushing debt and legal exploitation. This episode examines the economic reality of chivalry through the life of Geoffroi de Charny, author of the influential 'Book of Chivalry,' and the broader financial mechanisms that kept the warrior class afloat despite constant warfare. We explore how the gabelle salt tax in France and the billon coinage crisis forced nobles into cycles of borrowing and forfeiture. By looking at the Pipe Rolls and the memoirs of Jean Le Maingre, we see how knights like Boucicaut navigated a world where honor was expensive and bankruptcy was just a bad harvest away. This is not a story of glorious battles, but of ledgers, loans, and the quiet desperation of maintaining status in a changing economy. #GeoffroiDeCharny #BookOfChivalry #MedievalEconomics #GabelleSaltTax #BillonCoinage #JeanLeMaingre #Boucicaut #FeudalDebt #MedievalKnights #ChivalricCode #France14thCentury #PipeRolls #NoblePoverty #HistoricalFinance #MedievalHistory #FexingoHistory #EuropeanHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Knights: The Hidden Cost of Chivalry 21.09.2026 9min

  We often imagine knights as paragons of honor, but the reality was a crushing economic machine. In this episode, we explore how the chivalric code was less about morality and more about maintaining a status that cost more than most lords could afford. We look at Geoffroi de Charny, author of the 'Book of Chivalry', who wrote his manual while dying from plague wounds, urging other nobles to seek glory even if it meant bankruptcy. We examine the financial mechanisms like the gabelle salt tax and billon coinage that funded these wars, and how Jean Le Maingre, known as Boucicaut, navigated the treacherous waters of mercenary contracts and feudal loyalty. This is the story of how medieval society burned through its wealth to preserve an ideal that was rapidly becoming obsolete. #GeoffroiDeCharny #JeanLeMaingre #Boucicaut #MedievalKnights #Chivalry #HundredYearsWar #FeudalEconomy #Gabelle #Billon #MedievalHistory #EuropeanHistory #MilitaryHistory #14thCentury #15thCentury #Nobility #Warfare #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Knights: The Hidden Cost of Chivalry 20.09.2026 12min

  We often imagine medieval knights as noble warriors in shining armor, but the reality of their daily lives was far more complex and often grim. In this episode, we explore the economic and social pressures that shaped knighthood beyond the battlefield. We look at how knights like Sir Geoffroi de Charny navigated a world where honor was constantly weighed against debt, ransom, and survival. From the rigorous training of young squires to the brutal economics of prisoner ransoms during the Hundred Years' War, we uncover the gritty underbelly of chivalric culture. Lucas and Luna discuss the financial ruin that could strike even the most celebrated heroes, the role of women in managing estates while husbands were away or captive, and the legal frameworks that attempted to regulate violence among the elite. This is not just a story of swords and shields, but of ledgers, loans, and the human cost of maintaining a status that demanded both bravery and wealth. Join us as we peel back the layers of myth to reveal the vulnerable, indebted, and very real men behind the armor. #Knighthood #MedievalHistory #Chivalry #HundredYearsWar #GeoffroiDeCharny #RansomEconomics #FeudalSystem #MedievalArmor #SquireTraining #PrisonerExchange #EuropeanMedieval #WarfareHistory #SocialHistory #Nobility #MedievalLife #BattleOfPoitiers #CaptivityCosts #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Silent War: How Armor Became a Prison 19.09.2026 9min

  We often imagine medieval knights as agile warriors in gleaming plate, but the reality was far heavier and more complex. In this episode, we explore the physiological and tactical constraints of full harness armor during the late Middle Ages. Lucas and Luna discuss how the weight distribution of Milanese plate armor actually improved mobility compared to earlier mail, yet created new vulnerabilities in close quarters. We examine the role of the valet de chambre, the specialized servants who maintained this expensive equipment, and the tragic cases where knights were trapped by their own gear during battles like Agincourt. This story moves beyond the battlefield to look at the daily grind of maintenance, the economics of armories, and the human cost of technological evolution in warfare. #MedievalArmor #MilanesePlate #Agincourt #KnightlyLife #WarfareHistory #JeanLeFevre #GuillaumeDeLalaing #ChivalricCode #BlackDeathAftermath #HundredYearsWar #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #MedievalStudies #MilitaryTech #PlateMail #ValetDeChambre #CastleLife #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight Who Starved: Medieval Survival Tactics 18.09.2026 6min

  We look at the logistical nightmare of medieval warfare, focusing on Thomas Erpingham and Henry IV's campaign. We explore how pipe rolls reveal the true cost of a chevauchée, contrasting the romantic image of chivalry with the grim reality of rationing, supply lines, and the strategic burning of villages to deny resources to enemies. This episode examines the administrative backbone that allowed knights to fight, using primary sources like those recorded by Jean Froissart to understand the daily grind of survival. #ThomasErpingham #HenryIV #Chevauchee #PipeRolls #JeanFroissart #MedievalWarfare #SupplyLines #Logistics #Chivalry #England #France #15thCentury #MilitaryHistory #Feudalism #Rationing #BurningVillages #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight Who Starved: Medieval Survival Tactics 17.09.2026 6min

  We often imagine medieval knights as invincible warriors in shining armor, but their reality was a constant battle against hunger, disease, and logistical failure. In this episode, we explore the hidden mechanics of survival on campaign, focusing on the brutal winter of 1385 when Henry IV’s forces faced not just the Scots, but starvation itself. We look at the life of Sir Thomas Erpingham, who managed supply lines with military precision, and the grim diet of hardtack, salted pork, and weak ale that sustained them. We also examine the controversial decision to burn villages for resources, a tactic that broke chivalric codes but ensured survival. Through the eyes of chroniclers like Jean Froissart and administrative records from the Pipe Rolls, we see how logistics, not swords, decided many conflicts. Join us as we uncover the unglamorous truth behind the romanticized image of knighthood. #MedievalHistory #KnightsOfEngland #HenryIVOfEngland #ThomasErpingham #LogisticsInWar #MedievalDiet #Hardtack #SaltedPork #Chevauchee #ScottishBorders #1385Campaign #PipeRolls #JeanFroissart #MedievalSupplyLines #ChivalryCode #Ravaging #CastleSiege #HistoryPodcast #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Knights and the Art of Feigned Flight 16.09.2026 11min

  We often picture medieval knights as rigid, honorable warriors charging headlong into battle, but this episode reveals a more complex reality: the strategic use of feigned retreats. We explore how commanders like Genghis Khan’s generals and European nobles employed deception to break enemy lines, turning what looked like cowardice into a lethal tactical trap. Through the lens of battles at Płowce and Yassa, we examine the psychological warfare that defined medieval combat. You will learn about the boyars who panicked, the disciplined formations that held firm, and the cultural clash between rigid chivalric codes and flexible battlefield tactics. This is not just about swords and armor; it is about the mind games played in the dust and chaos of war. Discover how a simple turn of the horse could save an army or doom one, and why historians have long underestimated the sophistication of medieval military strategy. #MedievalWarfare #FeignedRetreat #Knights #MilitaryStrategy #Płowce #Yassa #GenghisKhan #Boyars #Chivalry #Deception #BattlefieldTactics #MedievalHistory #HorseArchers #HeavyCavalry #PsychologicalWarfare #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #WarHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Knights and the Art of Feigned Flight 15.09.2026 7min

  We often imagine medieval knights as stoic, unyielding forces of nature, charging headlong into battle with unwavering discipline. But this episode peels back that romanticized layer to reveal a more complex reality: the strategic use of feigned retreat. By examining specific campaigns from the late thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, we explore how commanders like Gediminas and later figures used disordered withdrawals to lure overconfident pursuers into kill zones. We look at the tactical risks involved, the psychological warfare required to make the ruse believable, and why this maneuver, while effective, was not a universal solution to the problems of armored warfare. You will hear about specific engagements where this tactic succeeded or failed, the cultural perceptions of cowardice versus cunning, and how the evolution of infantry formations eventually neutralized the advantage of the mounted retreat. #FeignedRetreat #MedievalTactics #KnightsHistory #Gediminas #BattleOfPłowce #MongolInvasion #CavalryWarfare #MedievalEurope #MilitaryStrategy #ChivalryCode #PolishHistory #LithuanianGrandDuchy #HussiteWars #ArmoredCombat #PsychologicalWarfare #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #MedievalLife Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Silent War: How Armor Became a Prison 14.09.2026 6min

  We often imagine medieval knights as agile warriors in gleaming plate, but by the late 14th century, a strange transformation was occurring. As armor evolved from flexible mail to solid, custom-fitted plate, it offered unprecedented protection but at a terrible cost: mobility and breathability. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the physical reality of wearing forty kilograms of steel in summer heat, the development of specialized ventilation holes like 'arrowslits' in breastplates, and the emergence of the 'armorer' as a distinct, highly skilled trade guild in cities like Milan and Augsburg. We look at how the very technology that saved knights' lives also began to turn them into static targets, changing the nature of combat forever. #MedievalArmor #PlateArmor #MilaneseArmory #BlacksmithHistory #KnightLife #FeudalWarfare #GunpowderTransition #ArmorVentilation #HundredYearsWar #ChivalryCulture #MetalworkCraft #BurgundianCourt #HeavyCavalry #ThermalStress #HistoricalTech #EuropeMedieval #WeaponryEvolution #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knights Who Never Fought: Medieval Logistics 13.09.2026 7min

  We often imagine medieval knights as relentless warriors, but the truth was far more bureaucratic. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the hidden machinery of chivalry: the daily grind of logistics, supply chains, and the economics of survival on campaign. We look at how a knight’s diet evolved from heavy pottage to imported spices, how armor maintenance dictated battle readiness, and why most 'wars' were actually expensive sieges or raids rather than pitched battles. You’ll meet chroniclers like Jean Le Fèvre who recorded these mundane details, revealing that a knight’s greatest enemy wasn’t always the opposing army, but rust, hunger, and the king’s empty treasury. From the weight of a mail hauberk to the cost of a single horse, we uncover the brutal arithmetic of feudal power. #MedievalHistory #Knighthood #Chivalry #MedievalLogistics #Feudalism #JeanLeFevre #GuillaumeDeLalaing #ArmorMaintenance #MedievalDiet #MilitaryHistory #CastleLife #SupplyChains #HorseCare #MailArmor #PlateArmor #SiegeWarfare #EconomicHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Warfare: The Longbow and the Death of Chivalry 12.09.2026 11min

  While previous episodes have covered the heavy cavalry charges of Hastings, Crécy, and Agincourt, this episode zooms in on the mechanical reality behind those victories. We explore how the English longbow became the great equalizer of the Hundred Years' War, shattering the myth that knightly armor was invincible. Lucas and Luna discuss the legal mandates forcing commoners to practice archery, the terrifying velocity of war arrows piercing plate, and the psychological warfare employed by commanders like Edward III and Henry V. You will learn about the specific yew wood imports from Spain, the training drills that turned villagers into lethal units, and how the social hierarchy of medieval Europe was permanently altered when a peasant could kill a duke with a skill learned in Sunday games. This is not just about weapons; it is about the democratization of death in the Middle Ages. #Longbow #HundredYearsWar #EdwardIII #HenryV #Agincourt #Crécy #EnglishArcher #YewWood #PlateArmor #Chivalry #MedievalTactics #BattleOfPoitiers #StatuteOfArchery #Commoner #Knight #Ballistics #FexingoHistory #History #MedievalEurope Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Siege Engines: The Ballista and Trebuchet 11.09.2026 6min

  We often picture knights in shining armor charging across fields, but medieval warfare was dominated by the silent, terrifying work of siege engines. This episode explores the engineering behind the trebuchet and the ballista, machines that dictated the fate of castles from the 12th to the 15th centuries. We look at how engineers like those serving Edward I calculated tension and leverage to hurl massive stones at walls in England and Scotland. You will hear about the specific mechanics of the counterweight trebuchet versus the torsion-powered ballista, and how these machines changed the defensive strategies of castle builders. It is a story of physics, patience, and brutal efficiency, showing that winning a war often meant sitting outside a wall for months rather than fighting inside it. #MedievalSiege #Trebuchet #Ballista #EdwardIEngland #CastleEngineering #MedievalWarfare #Fortification #Counterweight #SiegeOfStirling #MedievalHistory #MilitaryTech #Castles #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #MedievalEngineers #StoneThrowing #ScottishWars #MedievalLife Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Daily Grind: Armor, Diet, and Survival 10.09.2026 7min

  We usually think of knights as larger-than-life warriors in shining armor, but the reality was far more mundane and physically demanding. In this episode, we explore the daily life of a medieval knight through the lens of Jean Le Fèvre and Guillaume de Lalaing. We examine how heavy their armor actually was, what they ate to sustain such physical labor, and the surprising role that institutions like the maison dieu played in supporting them. From the chapeau de fer to the logistics of feeding a warhorse, we strip away the romance to reveal the brutal survival mechanics behind the noble facade. #MedievalHistory #KnightsOfEurope #JeanLeFevre #GuillaumedeLalaing #Chivalry #ArmorAndWeapons #MedievalDiet #MaisonDieu #ChapeauDeFer #Cuirassier #FeudalLife #MedievalWarfare #HorseCare #15thCentury #HistoricalDailyLife #FexingoHistory #MedievalResearch #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Daily Grind: Armor, Diet, and Survival 09.09.2026 10min

  We often picture the medieval knight as a static statue of steel, but the reality was a exhausting cycle of maintenance, injury, and survival. This episode strips away the romance to examine the physical toll of chivalry. We follow the journey of a young squire in 14th-century France, tracing his path through the grueling process of armor forging by master smiths in Paris. We explore the specific dietary needs required to fuel a man wearing forty pounds of plate, and the common infections that plagued those who survived the battlefield. From the smell of hot oil to the ache of rusted joints, we uncover the mundane, brutal details of daily life for Europe’s warrior elite. #MedievalKnights #PlateArmor #Chivalry #14thCenturyEurope #BlackDeathSurvivors #SquireLife #ArmorerGuilds #ParisSmiths #Heraldry #JoustingInjuries #FeudalDiet #WoundCare #IronLung #NobleBirth #MercenarySkills #EuropeanHistory #WarfareTech #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Black Death's Unseen Architects: The Papal Physicians 08.09.2026 12min

  While the Statute of Laborers and the Peasants' Revolt dominate discussions of medieval crisis, the medical response to the Black Death remains a shadowy chapter. This episode explores the desperate, often futile efforts of the papal physicians in Avignon during the height of the plague in 1348. We examine the bizarre treatments prescribed by the College of Medicine of Paris, including the boiling of aromatic woods and the use of precious stones, alongside the more pragmatic quarantine measures adopted by Italian city-states like Ragusa and Venice. Through the letters of Giovanni Boccaccio and the administrative records of Pope Clement VI, we reconstruct the terrifying atmosphere of the papal court as it tried to protect its own while Europe burned. Lucas and Luna discuss the clash between Galenic humoral theory and emerging empirical observation, revealing how these early failures laid the groundwork for modern epidemiology. #BlackDeath #PlagueOf1348 #PapalCourt #Avignon #PopeClementVI #GiovanniBoccaccio #CollegeOfMedicine #QuarantineHistory #Ragusa #Venice #GalenicMedicine #HumoralTheory #MedievalEpidemiology #HistoricalMedicine #14thCenturyEurope #MedicalHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight Who Lost Everything: A Medieval Defeat 07.09.2026 9min

  In 1356, the Black Prince’s chevauchée left a trail of ash across France, but it was the Battle of Poitiers that truly shattered the French military hierarchy. This episode explores the capture of King John II by the Gascon knight Jean de Clisson and the broader crisis of chivalric identity when a king becomes a prisoner. We examine how the ransom demands for monarchs reshaped feudal economics, turning kings into commodities and forcing England to negotiate from a position of precarious strength. The conversation details the tactical blunders at Poitiers, the role of the English longbow in breaking heavy cavalry charges, and the political fallout that led to the Treaty of Brétigny. Listeners will discover the human cost behind the romanticized image of medieval knighthood, where honor was often measured in gold florins rather than battlefield glory. We also look at the subsequent Jacquerie peasant revolt in France, a brutal response to the nobility’s failure to protect the realm. By tracing the aftermath of this single day in September, we uncover how the Hundred Years’ War evolved from a dynastic dispute into a total war of attrition that redefined sovereignty in late medieval Europe. #BattleOfPoitiers #JeanDeClisson #KingJohnII #BlackPrince #Chevauchee #MedievalKnights #HundredYearsWar #TreatyOfBreteigny #Gascony #FeudalRansom #Jacquerie #EnglishLongbow #Chivalry #14thCentury #FrenchMonarchy #EdwardIII #MedievalEconomics #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo