ENG 283E: Our Premodern Epics: How Epics Create Culture and Vice Versa

The Battle of Crécy: The Battle of Crécy: Crécy-en-Ponthieu

The Battle of Crécy was a conflict that was fought by the English and the French armies near the village of Crécy in the northern region of France (present- day Normandy). The battle was fought on August 26, 1346 and was a very famous/ important English victory in the early stages of the Hundred Years' War. This battle gave rise to the use of the longbow as the primary weapon for war, new weapons such as the cannon also made their entry into european warfare. The long-bow was what allowed the English to be victorious over the French. The English army was highly outnumbered by their counterpart. King Phillip VI of France had a large army of about 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers while Edward III of England's army had between 12,000 and 13,000 of which 6,000 were longbows men ("Crecy." Crecy. Longbow-Archers, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2016. <http://www.longbow archers.com/historycrecy.html>).The longbow, which is a long-range weapon, proved to be beneficial to the English. As you can see in the video, the English had a greater advantage and they used better tactics over the French. The English were able to "dismount" the French army by laying-down obstacles throughout the battlefield that slowed the advancement of the french and blocked the effects of their crossbows men. The English Longbow were able to fire faster and at greater distances than the crossbow men, which enabled them to cause a lot of disruption and casualties to the French army. The weapons that the english used were not the only cause of their victory, their geographic location also benefitted them. Crécy's landscape consists of both flat and sloped areas. Before the battle, the English army was able to set up at the bottom of a slope, which enabled them to see the French army advancing towards them. Crécy also has a wet climate, the day before the battle it had rained this made the ground soft enough to discommode the use of Horses and made it difficult for the French army to advance on foot quickly and efficiently (Barber, Richard. "Edward III And The Battle Of Crécy." History Today 63.10 (2013): 33-38. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.). The Battle of Crécy saw the casualties of many French noblemen, including the brother of Phillip VI of France, it even caused the death of King John of Bohemia, which was a very loved political figure during this time. The English victory shocked Europe, the poems of the Battle of Crécy discourse this shock. Colin De Beaumont wrote, "...Ever made such an outcry of weeping, lamentation; nor since the destruction of great Troy has there been such mourning; nor has such despair ever been heard before, as took place all around the room..."(De Beaumont, Colins. "On The Crécy Dead." The Battle of Crécy: A Casebook. By Michael Livingston and Kelly DeVries. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print). The poems of Jean De Batery and Colins De Beaumont and the Crécy poem all represent the disbelief, grief, and shock that many people in Europe were feeling. They speak of the death of some of the high ranking noblemen and they ask god to watch-over/ care for their souls, they metaphorically mention the death of chivalry and the offense against humility, prowess, loyalty, and the other "Coat of Arms". The video and the geographic location chosen relate to the assigned epic because they allow us to understand; how the battle took place, what led to its aftermath, why the battle was important, how/ why it shocked Europe, and why people wrote poems and other texts'  about their disapproval and grief.

Works Cited

Barber, Richard. "Edward III And The Battle Of Crécy." History Today 63.10 (2013): 33-38. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.).

"Crecy." Crecy. Longbow-Archers, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2016. <http://www.longbow-archers.com/historycrecy.html>.

De Beaumont, Colins. "On The Crécy Dead." The Battle of Crécy: A Casebook. By Michael Livingston and Kelly DeVries. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.

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