Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

Outlaws, men like Robin Hood, dressed in tights and little short tunics, living in the forest and fearlessly standing up for justice for the common man. But did a Medieval outlaw like this ever exist, or is it just part of a widely believed myth? Terry Jones travels Britain and Europe in search of the answer to this very question.

Terry Jones investigates the feudal system and the Peasants' Revolt, and discovers the truth about the Medieval Peasant in the process.

The Medieval monk was dedicated to God, and lived a life of prayer, hard work and poverty. But are the things we think we know, really true? Terry Jones travels around Europe in an attempt to reveal the truth about monks in the Middle Ages.

The Medieval damsel is nowadays seen as a beautiful, but helpless woman, forever in need of a knight in shining armor to rescue her. But were damsels really such passive females, or are the stories we think we know about them, simply not true? Terry Jones travels around Europe in search for an answer to that question.

We usually see the minstrel as a jolly and free man, who was popular with the kings and with the ladies. But was it really like that? Terry Jones investigates what we think we know about Medieval life, and finds some unexpected insights.

Terry begins by explaining that the common perception of the knight may in fact be historically inaccurate. William the Bastard (later known as William the Conqueror) conquered England in 1066. His followers, called 'cnihts' gained land and property in exchange for military service. Any group of men chosen for their ability to beat things and not much else tends to have discipline problems, though, so a code of conduct was necessary to set in place. This became known as 'chivalry'. The church stepped in as well. Churches were often the victims of the knights' looting, so they began stating that the code of chivalry should list priorities for the knight; faith, lord, women, widows, and orphans (in that order). Even the king got into the act. King Edward III had the desire of creating a modern Camelot, and wanted to set up a round table consisting of 300 knights. Logically, of course, this wouldn't work out. So he created two tournament teams of 13 knights each, headquartered in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle which still exists today.

Terry Jones examination of Philosophers, their mythic pursuit of a "stone", alchemy and medicine in the Medieval world. Dispelling myths on the fanciful ideas of belief in a flat earth. The ideas of the Franciscan Friar Roger Bacon. Holistic medicine and transmutation. The actual basis of scientific thought and how the Church fomented these pursuits for glory and profit. To the four humours of Medieval health Terry Jones adds his own while he travels to unearth their place in Medieval life.

We think we know who the kings of the Medieval world were. But do we really know them? Terry Jones tries to find out the truth about the powerful men of the age.