A medieval knight in armor lifts his great helm on a muddy battlefield as his cheering soldiers raise their fists behind himAI
Season 6· 1050 - 1485 AD

Tales of ChivalryThe age of knights, castles and crusades

Armored riders, mighty castles and kings fighting for crowns and Jerusalem: experience the Middle Ages as they really were. From the first crusades to the end of the age of knights, with the people, places and ideas that shaped Europe.

5 episodes free
Chapter 01

Steel, faith and honor

High walls of gray stone defy time, while destiny rests on the point of a lance.

We take you to the heart of the iron continent: From the magnificent throne rooms of kings to the thundering charge on muddy fields of honor. Here, it is not the word that counts, but the oath, sealed in steel. Do you hear the echo of the horns? Don your armor. Your legacy is forged now.

Chapter 02

Six paths through the Middle Ages

Mounted knights ride toward a mighty castle on a rocky cliff in low sunlight, above a river winding through a misty valleyAI

Castles and sieges

Walls, drawbridges and portcullises: castles were seats of power, homes and fortresses all at once. Taking one required patience, siege towers and sometimes months.

Richard the Lionheart rides a white horse with raised sword ahead of crusader knights before the sunlit walls of JerusalemAI

The Crusades: the fight for Jerusalem

In 1095 Pope Urban II called for a crusade, and in 1099 Jerusalem fell. For nearly two centuries crusaders and Muslims fought over the Holy Land, with rulers like Baldwin IV, Saladin and Richard the Lionheart.

Joan of Arc in armor stands on a ruined wall with sword and fleur-de-lis banner above a besieged city wreathed in smokeAI

The Hundred Years' War

England against France for more than a century. At Agincourt in 1415, English longbowmen defeated the French knights, until Joan of Arc turned the tide.

A minstrel plays the lute for a noblewoman in a long gown and hood in the rose garden of a medieval castle at sunsetAI

The knightly ideal: tournaments and courtly love

A knight was meant to be brave, pious and courteous. He proved himself in tournaments, received the accolade and, in songs of courtly love, devoted himself to a lady he often could never have.

Two knights in plate armor fight before a castle wall as a mace strikes the opponent's great helm in a shower of sparksAI

Kings, rebels and the Magna Carta

In 1215, King John was forced to accept limits on his own power in the Magna Carta. Later, in the Wars of the Roses, the houses of York and Lancaster fought for England's crown.

Ottoman soldiers fire an ornate bronze cannon at the walls of Constantinople, with the Hagia Sophia in the backgroundAI

Plague and a new age

From 1347 the Black Death killed around a third of Europe's population. With the printing press, the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the voyage to America in 1492, the Middle Ages came to an end.

Chapter 03

These and many more quests await you

A Templar storms the wall from a siege tower
Crusader ships off the harbor fortress of Acre
A crusader touches the True Cross
A bishop blesses the knights before they ride out
A lance shatters in the joust
A queen honors the tournament champion
A castle watches over its village
Hildegard of Bingen receives a vision
Joan of Arc enters Orléans
Rebel peasants celebrate before the burning castle
A soldier holds up a wooden cross for Joan of Arc
Knights before the Alhambra in Granada

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Chapter 04

What's inside the season

10h+of playtime
204lessonseach with its own collectible card
The whole picture · 204 entries across five categories
36 people46 places50 events37 ideas35 objects
Chapter 05

Medieval knights: what you need to know

Few groups shaped our image of the Middle Ages like knights. Armored riders, mighty castles and the ideal of courage, faith and honor defined Europe from the 11th to the 15th century.

When were the Middle Ages?

The Middle Ages are usually dated from around 500 to 1500. The great age of knights began around the year 1000 and ended in the 15th century.

How did you become a knight?

A boy from a noble family usually served as a page at a lord's court from about the age of seven, and as a squire from about fourteen. At around twenty he could be knighted.

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How heavy was a suit of armor?

A late medieval suit of plate armor usually weighed between 20 and 30 kilograms. Because the weight was spread across the whole body, a trained knight could walk, mount his horse and fight in it.

What were the Crusades?

In 1095, Pope Urban II called for the conquest of Jerusalem. In 1099 the crusaders took the city. Until 1291, when Acre, the last major stronghold, fell, crusaders and Muslim rulers such as Saladin fought over the Holy Land.

What was the Hundred Years' War?

Between 1337 and 1453, England and France fought over the French throne. In battles like Crécy and Agincourt, English longbowmen showed how vulnerable knights had become. Joan of Arc became the symbol of French resistance.

Why did the age of knights end?

Longbows, crossbows and eventually firearms made armored riders less dominant on the battlefield. Paid mercenary armies, the Black Death from 1347 and the printing press, which spread knowledge widely, all played their part. By around 1500, a new age had begun.

In HistoryBytes, you experience the Middle Ages in short episodes: the people, places, events, ideas and objects of the era. Piece by piece, you build the whole picture, from the Crusades to the end of the age of knights.

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The first 5 episodes are free. Unlock the rest with Premium, together with every other season.

Crusader knight in a great helm and chain mail raises his sword by torchlight, fighting knights behind him. HistoryBytes Season 6: Tales of Chivalry

Frequently asked questions

Is Tales of Chivalry free?

The first 5 episodes of Tales of Chivalry are free. Unlock all other episodes with Premium.

How many episodes does Tales of Chivalry have?

Tales of Chivalry has 204 episodes covering the people, places, events, ideas and objects of the era.

Do I have to start with Season 1?

No. Every season is its own path, so you can start wherever you like.

Which devices does HistoryBytes run on?

iPhone, iPad and Android. Your progress is tied to your account and syncs across all your devices.