The aim of this project is to trace all instances of the use of chivalric myths in courtly and urban culture in France, the Low Countries, and northern Italy during the later Middle Ages. At this time, the French language enjoyed considerable prestige and functioned as a language of culture. By 'use of chivalric myths', we mean the use of references to past chivalry (Arthurian, Trojan or Carolingian) in the public or semi-public sphere for purposes ranging from political appropriation (e.g. claiming a Trojan or Arthurian ancestry) to the pleasure of owning and reading illuminated manuscripts and organising performances in which protagonists embody literary characters.

This postdoctoral research will focus on the relationship between chivalric literature and tournament culture in the Low Countries and northern France from 1330 to 1550. The aim is to analyse how widely circulated Arthurian tales influenced the conception and staging of tournaments, particularly the Pas d'armes, and how these events became privileged venues for expressing chivalric values such as courtesy, prowess and loyalty. The researcher will also examine how organisers and participants adopted literary models and the social and political purposes of tournaments as spaces for interaction and distinction between princes, nobles, and urban elites. Sources will include chronicles, literary accounts and urban and princely financial accounts. The project will also highlight the evolution of literary tastes and social practices throughout the fifteenth century, demonstrating how chivalric culture adapted to changes at the princely court and in urban society.