Episode list

Welcome to Modern History. In this first episode, Jason introduces us to the concept behind Modern History and in particular our first series, "The Knight". Jason has been fascinated by history his whole life, in particular the medieval period and the life of knights. But how much of what we see and hear on TV and in film is accurate? Reading history books can only tell us so much. In Modern History, join Jason as he explores the myths and legends and attempts to discover what the life of a knight might actually have been like.

Where did the concept of "knights" come from? What does the word itself mean? How did knights promote themselves, in the eyes of their vassals, their peers, their lords? How does that kind of promotion relate to our modern world?

Rags-to-riches, the classic hero's journey. But how did a boy truly become a knight? What hardships and responsibilities did he face? Could just anyone become a knight and if so, how did he prove his worth?

In romantic tradition, knights fought in wars and in tournaments, for honour, recognition and great acclaim. In reality, what else did they do? When war wasn't troubling their lord's lands, what duties would a knight be expected to perform? What was "the life of a knight"?

In our festive special, witness one knight's desperate quest to track down his missing Christmas presents. Happy holidays from the Modern History team.

A knight and his horse were a perfect partnership, the dominating force on the battlefield for many hundreds of years. How did this perfect partnership come to be and how did a knight work with his horse to cement their place in history? Jason shares his own experiences with horses - knights must have had similar relationships with their own steeds.

Just like today, there were many types of horse in medieval times but they weren't classified by their breed, but by their usage. Medieval knights must have used more than just their warhorse in their daily lives. Jason introduces us to three horses that a knight might have kept in his stable and describes how each would have been useful in its own individual way.

Jason has trained warhorses and ridden them in the so-called "joust of peace". He demonstrates the techniques a medieval knight and his grooms might have used to teach a horse how to take him into battle and bring him safely back home again.

Jason investigates how the medieval knight and his steed must have worked together as a single unit on the battlefield.

Jason gives some hints of things to come over the next few episodes and tells how shields were absolutely pivotal in the Battle of Hastings, the famous battle that shaped Britain's future.

Shields have taken many shapes and sizes over the thousands of years of their use. Their design isn't just random or aesthetic. What can the evolution of the shield during the Middle Ages tell us about how warfare itself changed in this turbulent period?

Jason is joined by shieldmaker Luke Woods, who talks about the materials and construction of shields. Shields weren't just painted pieces of wood but cleverly engineered pieces of technology, with all the materials working together to make a tough defensive item.

Jason looks back at our shield wall experiment day that we filmed in the summer of 2017. We put shieldmaker Luke's handiwork to the test with a group of twenty brave volunteers, who clashed together in various formations of shield wall. In doing so, we explored some of the events recounted in ancient sagas to determine whether they were flights of narrative fancy or genuine reports of the flow of battle.

Jason begins a journey through the social strata of the medieval age by taking a look at the kinds of food the knight might have experienced in his travels. He's joined by food historian Chris Carr, who first demonstrates some of the dishes the knight might have eaten when staying at a humble roadside inn.

Stopping off at the farmhouse of one of his yeomen, the knight would experience more personal treatment and finer fare than at a poor roadside inn. Food historian Chris Carr takes Jason through the making of hot beans, bacon and leeks, pork in sage sauce and lamb pie, explaining how medieval pies differed from those we eat today.

It can be hard to stick to a diet in modern times when eating out. It was much the same for a medieval knight, so when he was dining in his own household his personal physician would work with his cook to keep their master in peak condition. Jason and food historian Chris Carr discuss the medieval understanding of nutrition and how it affected the knight's diet, as well as the influence of spices and how they defined one's social standing.

A knight would often be expected to attend at a feast given by those of even higher standing than himself, perhaps a high ranking bishop or even the King. Food historian Chris Carr demonstrates the type of food the very wealthiest might bring out to entertain their noble guests. Jason draws some surprising conclusions at the end of his culinary journey through medieval society.

Where can you draw the line between a tool and a weapon? This is our introduction to the arsenal of the knight in melee combat. The archetypal knight wears shining armour and wields a sword but in reality he would have had access to a wide range of weaponry far more suitable for fighting opponents in full steel harness. How were these weapons used and what damage could they do?

The sword is the weapon most associated with the knight in armour. Why is that? It didn't have the brutal impact of the horseman's pick, nor the raw concussive power of the pollaxe. However, it did have a beauty and a symbolic appeal that ensured its enduring legacy in history and in our imaginations. Jason begins to explore this most iconic of medieval weapons.

Josef Dawes of White Well Arms joins Jason to talk about the creation of the knight's sword. Starting from a few billets of steel, Josef shows Jason some of the techniques to shape the metal and manipulate it to where it needs to be in order to create a well-balanced knightly weapon.

What better way to investigate the differences between screen combat and real medieval combat than to create a Hollywood-style fight sequence with experts in both? Jason is joined by fight coordinator Russell MacLeod to be put through the paces of choreographing a movie action sequence.

We've seen how the shield adapted to counter developments in weaponry and changes in fighting style but, of course, the shield wasn't the only thing protecting medieval warriors. Their armour was constantly evolving too. Jason breaks down the types of armour that developed during the medieval period.

A finely tailored modern suit requires accurate measurements and skilled couturiers to provide the very best quality. A medieval plate harness was the same but for the added condition that it also keep you alive on the battlefield. Jason talks with armourer Graham about the design and forging of knightly armour, and has a go at making a 14th Century vambrace.

The evolution of armour didn't stop at the plate harness. For example, the police use specialised armour in public order situations. Jason is joined by Liam and Dan to discuss the form and function of modern armour and how it relates to the protection worn by the medieval knight.

When the King commands you to go to war, how do you prepare? Who do you take with you? How do you get there? Jason explores the logistics of beginning a medieval campaign, drawing on his own experiences of transporting horses overseas.

Once a knight had made the journey from his home to the distant battlefield on which his lord had ordered him to fight, what did he do? In earlier episodes Jason has looked at the knight's weapons, but what were his battle tactics? How did he approach the enemy battle lines and what did he do when he got there? Jason talks about his own experiences with the lance and fighting from horseback.

Even with the long reach of a lance, the knight had to contend with the enemy archers before he could engage in hand-to-hand combat. Jason is joined by archer Luke Woods to discuss how archers trained, their role in battle and the power of the English longbow. They also accept a challenge to prove their worth as archers in the English army.

Luke joins Jason once more to test out the war bow against a piece of reproduction armour. They then give it a go against a modern military Kevlar vest. To complete the experiment, Jason then heads to the Tunnel firing range and tests both types of armour against a pair of high powered modern rifles.

When they're encased head to foot in plate steel, how can you tell one knight from another? Knights wanted to be known for their deeds, and they wanted their troops to know whose orders to follow. Jason explores heraldry and the role that heralds themselves played on the battlefield and beyond.

A knight couldn't wear a heavy suit of armour all the time. So what did he wear when he was off the battlefield and how did the clothing of the people around him reflect their social status? Jason explores how clothes changed through the Middle Ages and how the fashion industry arguably evolved out of trade along the Silk Road.

The horse wasn't the only animal in the knight's life. Jason is joined by falconer Ruth Ligget to explore the history and social aspects of hunting with birds, and to compare the methods of training a falcon vs. training a horse.

Why did the knight disappear from the medieval battlefield? It's easy to say that it was down to the appearance of firearms in war, but it was more complicated than that. Jason explores the changes in society and tactics that led the knight to evolve into less violent roles.