Famous for its charming reflections on the art of horsemanship and jousting, the Livro do Cavalgar from the 15th century provides a fine introduction to a side of medieval chivalric arts, which is often left aside.

The Book of Horsemanship by Duarte I of Portugal
Introduced and translated by Jeffrey L. Forgeng
Boydell & Brewer 2016
ISBN: 9781783271030

Written around 1430, Duarte of Portugal’s remarkable treatise on chivalric horsemanship, the Livro do Cavalgar (Book on Riding), is the sole substantial contemporary source to survive on the definitive physical skill of the medieval knight. It also stands out from the body of technical writings of the Middle Ages for its intelligence, insight, and intellectual versatility, ranging from psychological reflections on horsemanship and its implications for human ethics, to the details of how to couch a lance under the arm without getting it caught on armour. Under the general rubric of horsemanship Duarte (1391-1438) covers a range of topics that include jousting, tourneying, and hunting, as well as the physical apparatus of equestrianism and various cultural styles of riding.

However, despite its importance for scholarship, its language and technical content makes it complicated to translate. In 2005 Antonio Franco Preto published a translation, introduced by Steven Muhlberger . However, the new edition provides not only the background to make Duarte’s text comprehensible, but for the first time offers modern audiences a systematic point of access to the subject of medieval equestrianism in general.

Jeffrey L. Forgeng is curator of Arms and Armor and Medieval Art at the Worcester Art Museum, and Adjunct Professor of History at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

FEATURED PHOTO:

Knights Jousting 1443 BNF, MS. 13467 fol 29