Terry Jones' Medieval Lives
Encyclopedia
Terry Jones' Medieval Lives is a 2004
Emmy award nominated television documentary series produced for the BBC
. Written and hosted by Terry Jones
, each half-hour episode examines a particular Medieval personality, with the intent of separating myth from reality.
The episode The Peasant was nominated for Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming at the 2004 Emmy Awards.
Dr. Faye Getz acted as consultant for the series.
In the episode on Kings, he says, "History isn't necessarily what happened. It's often what people want us to think happened." He uses the following examples:
Terry Jones explained his motivation for making this series in the article in The Observer
:
2004 in television
The year 2004 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2004.For the American TV schedule, see: 2004–05 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
Emmy award nominated television documentary series produced for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. Written and hosted by Terry Jones
Terry Jones
Terence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
, each half-hour episode examines a particular Medieval personality, with the intent of separating myth from reality.
The episode The Peasant was nominated for Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming at the 2004 Emmy Awards.
Dr. Faye Getz acted as consultant for the series.
Alternative takes on History
Being a comedian as well as a historian, Terry Jones takes an established belief, turns that around, and presents proof for his assertion.In the episode on Kings, he says, "History isn't necessarily what happened. It's often what people want us to think happened." He uses the following examples:
- Richard the LionheartRichard I of EnglandRichard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
was actually a bad king, who only saw EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(which he hated) as a means to finance his warmongering, whereas Richard IIIRichard III of EnglandRichard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
did a lot of good for England. Modern perceptions of these kings are reversed because chroniclers of the time were commissioned to write what was politically most convenient. - LouisLouis VIII of FranceLouis VIII the Lion reigned as King of France from 1223 to 1226. He was a member of the House of Capet. Louis VIII was born in Paris, France, the son of Philip II Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut. He was also Count of Artois, inheriting the county from his mother, from 1190–1226...
, count of Artois (later King of France), was acclaimed as King of England yet appears in no history books as such (see First Baron's War).
Terry Jones explained his motivation for making this series in the article in The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
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Episode list
The eight episodes were as follows:- The PeasantPeasantA peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
- The MonkMonkA monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
- The Damsel
- The MinstrelMinstrelA minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories of distant places or of existing or imaginary historical events. Although minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. Frequently they were retained by royalty...
- The KnightKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
- The Philosopher (AlchemistAlchemyAlchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
) - The OutlawOutlawIn historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
- The KingMonarchA monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...