Religiosity

Religion defined warfare in the Middle Ages and served as a reflection of the environment and culture of the time period. From regional conflicts to the Crusades, Christianity almost always operated in some capacity in a knight's mind. Despite the fact that by modern standards war is viewed as the antithesis of piety, the medieval period was shaped by both religion and war, intertwining the two seemingly opposite themes into one cohesive principle. 

War was seen as a necessary evil by many during the medieval period, including the Church and Pope, so that wars were condoned and often even encouraged by local clergy elites. These wars were often justified using the religious code, especially through the principles of protecting one's land, the crown, and most importantly the faith from those who would seek to do it harm. 

This inextricable link that was so important and prominent during the time period is shown on the following pages through the use of objects that were used during war, such as armor and weaponry, as well as those objects that were used to describe and illustrate war, such as cotemporary manuscripts. Each object categorizes the various facets of the interactions between religion and conflict during the Middle Ages.