Full transcript
0:00Level one . Stable boy . The castle stands on a hill above the river , and everything in sight , as far as the forest , belongs to one man . You are 7 years old . You live in this castle , though not in the tower , but in a long , low shed by the eastern wall , where the
0:17horses are kept . You sleep in the straw next to the grooms . In winter , you lie closer to the horses because they give off warmth . Your mother used to carry wine to the master's table . She is no longer here . And the master of the castle is your father , which everyone in the courtyard knows . He has never
0:34called you his son . He walks past , and his gaze goes right through you , as if you were a post . He has legitimate sons , born of his wife . There are two of them . They are one and three years older than you . They learn to ride small horses , and you hold their
0:50stirrups and wait for them to mount . You have no name that gets written on papers . In the yard , they call you by a nickname , and you answer to it because you have no other . Your work begins before dawn . Clean the stalls , fetch water from the well , haul hay , scrub
1:08mud from hooves , carry manure outside the wall . You eat the same as the servants : barley porridge , black bread , sometimes leftovers from the high table , if the cook is kind . Once a week , a priest comes and teaches the servants ' children their prayers . You are the only one who memorizes them on the
1:25first try . And he says it is a sin to have such a mind in such a life . In the evening , a feast thunders in the great hall . Through the wall , you hear laughter , the barking of dogs , and the sound of dice being thrown on the floor . During the day , knights fight in the
1:38courtyard . They put on chainmail , take up shields , and beat each other with blunt swords until they drop to the ground from exhaustion . You watch this every day , leaning against the stable gate , and you memorize how they position their feet and hold their shields . Beyond the castle walls lives the village , and the children there
1:57truly starve . You know that your straw and your porridge are actually good fortune . But you know something else , too . Your brothers will one day receive all of this : the castle , the land , the people , the horses , and you will receive nothing . And the reason is not that you are worse . One day , your
2:14father's horse gets spooked and kicks the door . You manage to grab the reins and hold it steady . Your father looks down at you longer than usual , says nothing , and rides away . A month later , you are summoned to the castle . Level two : page . You are 10 years old , and
2:33you are taken away , not home , but to another castle to a neighboring lord , with whom your father alternately makes friends and wages war . That is how it is always done here . Boys are sent to be raised in a stranger's house , because in their own they are pitied , but in a stranger's , they are made into
2:48men . You ride on a cart with a sack containing two shirts and a wooden spoon . The stables are left behind , and you do not look back . You are assigned to serve at the table . This is not a humiliation , but an honor . Only a boy from a noble house can be a page . And
3:04everyone in the courtyard understands this . You learn to carve meat so that the piece lies flat . To pour wine without the pitcher touching the goblet . To offer a basin to wash hands between courses . You are taught which side to approach the lord from , when to speak and when to be silent , and how to
3:21stand against the wall so that you are not noticed while you are not needed . You are also gradually taught your letters . Not for the sake of books , but so you can read an invoice and not let a merchant cheat you . For spilled wine , you are struck immediately . Not out of malice , but because that is how they
3:37teach here . You spend half the day with the women . The lady of the castle and her daughters teach you to speak politely , to sing , to play chess , and not to spit on the floor . This seems like nonsense until the day you see how a rude word at the table turns into a
3:53war between two houses . You spend the second half of the day in the courtyard . Wooden sword , wicker shield , running uphill , wrestling , jumping over logs . They put you on a horse and force you to ride without using your hands , so you learn to hold on with your knees . You fall about 10 times a day . There
4:11are six of you pages in the castle . You are the wiriest among them , because you were the only one who hauled water since the age of seven . The eldest of them asks you once in front of everyone : " Who is your mother ? " You stay silent , but at night you ambush him by the
4:25stairs , and by morning you both have split lips . The mentor pulls you apart and punishes no one . He only says that you must fight in silence . And this is the first piece of advice that will serve you for the rest of your life . In winter , the castle is so cold that the
4:40water in the basin is covered with a crust of ice . You sleep huddled together on straw mattresses in a common room , three to a blanket . You learn one more thing that they do not teach on purpose . You watch who is whispering with whom in the corner of the hall , and you realize that real
4:56matters are not decided at feasts . By 14 , you know the entire order of this house , and they tell you it is time to move up . The third level is squire . You are 15 . You are assigned as a squire to a knight who is called " the bald one " behind his back , and who has never lost
5:14a single foot battle in his life . From this day on , you are his shadow . You rise before him and go to bed after him . His chainmail is your responsibility . To keep it from rusting , you put it in a barrel of sand and vinegar and roll that barrel around the yard until the
5:31links shine . Then it must be greased , and the helmet polished until the yard is reflected in it . For even a speck of rust , you’ll get hit in the back of the head . His horses are your second concern . There are three : the heavy warhorse for the charge , the riding horse , and the pack horse for cargo ; a
5:49warhorse costs as much as an entire village . You know how much it eats , how its coat is , and when it starts to limp before the blacksmith notices . A hauberk costs as much as a herd of cows , and the blacksmith weaves it from thousands of rings for over a year . That is why it is repaired , altered ,
6:07and worn after the dead . You are taught to use a lance . First , hit a hanging ring at a gallop , then a post with a shield , and only then a man . The lance is not held at arm's length , but pressed against the side . And the entire force of the blow comes from the
6:22horse , not you . You don't understand this at first , and your shoulder hurts for the first six months . In the spring , you head out on campaign . A campaign is not a battle . It is mud , rain , lice , campfire smoke , and wagons that get stuck up to the hubs . An army moves
6:38slower than a pedestrian . Half the time is spent finding a ford and buying or seizing food in any village you come across . You see your first siege . The castle stands on a cliff . It is not taken by storm . They simply surround it and wait until the besieged run out of water . Below the walls stands a
6:56stone-thrower , looking like a huge swing . It strikes every few minutes , and the rocks knock white dust from the wall . A month later , the garrison comes out and surrenders . They are not touched . The nobles are taken for ransom , the others are released without weapons . And here you understand the main rule of this war . In battle , they
7:15try not to kill a knight , but to take him alive , because they pay for a living one , while a dead one is worth nothing . Therefore , for the masters , war is a risk of ruin , but for simple men with spears , it is just death . There is no one to pay a ransom for you
7:28. You remember this very well . In your first clash , you stay behind with a spare lance and shield . It all ends in a few minutes , and you can't unclench your fingers from the reins until evening . In the evening , you serve your knight wine , and your hands are shaking . He silently pours you some , too .
7:47Before going any further . If you've watched up to this point , write in the comments whose path to show next . Like and subscribe so you don't miss new videos . Level four . Knight . You are 21 years old , and they decide to dub you . This is not a reward for long service .
8:07Dubbing costs money , and it is usually paid for by a lord who needs another rider in his army . The night before , you are taken to a bathhouse , and this is part of the rite . You wash away your former life , then put on a white shirt and a red cloak . You spend the night in
8:24the chapel , alone on your knees , with your sword laid upon the altar . The candles burn down , and by morning you can barely tell dream from reality . In the morning , the lord comes out , you kneel on one knee , and he strikes your neck with his palm . Not hard , but
8:40enough for you to remember that blow forever . This is the only blow a knight is obligated to accept without striking back . That is how it is explained to you , and you remember it well . Then they put your belt on you and fasten your spurs . The belt and the spurs — that is what makes a knight . The rest
8:57of the iron can be anything . The nobles have gilded spurs ; yours are plain . Everyone watches this , and everyone remains silent . You swear to protect your lord , never to raise a hand against the unarmed , to keep your word , to aid the weak , and to defend the church . You will break half of these
9:15oaths , and everyone around you will too . But they are spoken in all seriousness . And for open betrayal , people here truly stop shaking your hand . In the evening , there is a feast . You are gifted a sword , and for the first time in your life , you are addressed as " sir . " You have no land ,
9:31no house , and no money . Your armor was taken on credit . Your horse was given by your lord , and all your possessions fit in a saddlebag . Most people here are like you . A knight without land is a common thing . And such men live by war and tournaments . Your half-brothers were knighted before you . The eldest
9:48already has his own village ; the younger has a position at your father's court . At the feast , they sit higher than you , and you see it . But now there is no chasm of birth between you . All three of you are knights . In a week , you leave to find someone who needs a
10:04rider . The fifth level is a tournament fighter . You are twenty-five , and you live by tournaments . A tournament here is not a festival with ribbons , but a way to earn a living . And a bit of war that has been permitted . The main type of combat is the grand melee . Two bands
10:21meet in the field and fight not in an arena , but across miles of territory . Through vineyards , through villages , through streams . On this day , peasants stay in their homes and pray that their crops aren't trampled . Sometimes they are . The rule is simple : if you defeat a man , you take his horse and his armor
10:39. And if you take him prisoner , he pays you a ransom to leave . That is why experienced fighters in a melee don't just hack at everyone . They pick out the wealthiest target and hunt him down , like hunters chasing a deer . You gather a small band : four other landless men and one squire for all of
10:57you . You work together and split the loot equally . The first year , you lose more than you take . Your armor falls into other hands three times , and three times you buy it back from a pawnbroker . Money lenders and iron merchants follow you from tournament to tournament . They lend you money against a future victory and take half the
11:16winnings . If you win , things start looking up . You begin to understand how someone who has been in the saddle since childhood behaves , compared to someone who was put there for money . The Church forbids tournaments and denies the fallen a Christian burial . No one cares , and the bishops show up to watch themselves . You break a rib
11:37and a collarbone . You spend a month lying in a stranger's house and pay for your room and board with your horse . But by age 28 , they know you in three counties . Not as your father's son , but by the nickname you earned yourself . They start sending for you before a war . Lords hire you for the season , pay in
11:56advance , and feed your men . For the first time in your life , you buy something useless for war . It is a silver buckle , and you wear it for two years without taking it off . And then a man arrives from the count , under whom you once served as a page . Level six . A
12:13knight with land . You are 30 , and you are finally given land . It is a village of twenty households , a mill on the creek , a piece of forest , and a hay meadow . All of it is your livelihood . Land is not given for nothing . In exchange , you are obligated to appear
12:30before your lord at the first call with your horse , armor , and two armed men , and serve 40 days a year . 40 days is an important figure . After that , you have the right to go home , and you will not be judged for it . You ride into your village , and the peasants come out to
12:47look at their new master . They are neither happy nor upset . Masters change , but they are the ones who have to plow . Now you live not by war , but by the harvest . You collect dues in grain , poultry , and eggs , take a share from the mill , and settle minor disputes .
13:03You learn words you didn't know : haymaking , winter crops , livestock blight , tithe . And you realize that a good steward is more useful than a good sword . The Church takes a tenth part of everything you collect . Arguing with this is useless . The parish priest buries your people and marries their children . You get married . The lord
13:25chooses the bride , because marriage here is a contract between two houses , not a story about love . She comes with a dowry : another village and silver . You see her for the second time in your life on your wedding day , and she turns out to be intelligent and sharp-tongued . And a year later , you consult with
13:41her on matters for the first time . Five years later , you don't decide anything without her . A son is born to you . You look at him and for the first time you think not about where to get money until autumn , but about what will happen in 20 years . You build a house .
13:55Not a castle , but a large stone hall with a tower where you can hide from a gang , but not from an army . In winter , you tour your holdings , count sheep , and argue with the miller . In summer , you head off for your 40 days of war and return for the harvest . And here is
14:10the strange part . You have less land than any of your brothers , but you took yours yourself , and that turns out to be a completely different feeling . Level seven . Knight banneret . You are 36 , and you now have your own banner . Before this , you served under another’s . Now , your lord cuts your
14:30long pennant into a rectangle in front of everyone . And this means that other knights now serve under you . At first you have six , then a dozen , and each brings their own men . Including archers and the baggage train , you lead about a hundred men into the field . You are personally responsible for them , their
14:48pay , their horses , their discipline , and ensuring they don’t scatter to loot . On the very first day , a great war begins . The king summons everyone who owes him service , and others like you arrive from all corners of the country . Your first task is a siege . You arrive at the castle , encircle it ,
15:08fell timber , build , and set up catapults . There are 200 men inside , and they have a well . That means it will be a long one . Your men dig a tunnel beneath the corner tower . They prop up the passage with wooden beams , then set them on fire , and the tower collapses along with a piece of the
15:25wall . This work is not done by knights , but by hired miners . They are paid well , because few want to crawl under someone else's wall . The garrison surrenders under agreed terms . You let them go without their weapons , because that was the agreement , and because tomorrow you might need the same . Then
15:44happens that for which all of this was started . A great battle in the open field . Morning brings a fog , and all you can hear is the clinking of iron and the neighing of horses . Line advances against line . At a walk , then a trot , and in the final seconds , it breaks into a gallop . The impact . Then
16:01everything turns into dust , screams , and a crush where no one sees further than their own shield . Your men stay together , and that decides the outcome . You don’t chase after those fleeing , but turn and strike those still fighting on the flank . By evening , it is all over . You take a nobleman from
16:19the other side captive , and his ransom equals three of your villages . The king remembers your name . Not a nickname , but your name . Level eight . Baron . You are 43 , and you now have a castle . It is not a gift . You receive it as a reward for the war , along with a title ,
16:39a seal , and twenty villages assigned to it . The castle stands on a cliff above the road , and that is not for beauty , but for calculation . No one passes by without paying you for the transit . The first thing you do is count everything . How many households , how much livestock , how much grain in the barns , how many
16:56men can you field if there is a war tomorrow ? Second . You finish construction . A new tower , a deeper well , a higher wall on the forest side , a second gate . Now , you do not fight yourself . You have men who fight , and your job is to decide when to send them
17:12. Your main occupation is judging . Once a week in the courtyard , you settle the affairs of your peasants . A disputed boundary , a stolen sheep , a wedding brawl , a tree felled in your forest . You impose fines , throw people into the dungeon under the tower , or drive them off the land . Your word here is final ,
17:31and it can only be appealed to the Count . You quickly notice that judging is profitable . Fines go to you , and half the castle’s income comes from other people's quarrels . The forest around the castle is yours too , and only your house may hunt in it . A peasant who takes a hare there is fined
17:48so heavily he works it off for half a year . The priest in your village is appointed by you . The abbot of the neighboring monastery dines with you once a month and asks you to confirm an old land deed . You confirm it and in return receive eternal prayers for your soul . Both sides understand it is a
18:06deal , and both are satisfied . A year of hunger comes , the rains have ruined the crops , and your own people come to the gates to ask for grain from the barns . You open the barns , not out of kindness . A dead peasant does not plow , and a village that has scattered never pays .
18:23In the spring , your older half-brother arrives to borrow money from you , pledging his village — the one he got from his father at 20 . You give it without conditions and without talk . He leaves without thanking you . And you realize you have waited for this day for 30 years and that he turned out to
18:40be nothing like you thought . Level nine . Count at court . You are 50 , and the King makes you a Count . This is no longer about the land . This is a seat on the Council , where they decide who to fight , who to marry the King's daughters to , and where to get the
18:56money for it . You move to the court . The court is not a home ; it is a crowd . Hundreds of people who travel after the King from castle to castle , living in anticipation of his word . Here , they do not strike with spears ; they speak in half-whispers . And a man is removed not
19:12by a sword , but by a paper stating he failed to fulfill his obligations . Clothing at court costs more than armor . Your wife explains to you why fabric and fur here are as much a weapon as a sword in the field . For half a year , you cannot understand their language and get caught a couple of times . Then
19:30you learn , just as you learned not to fall off a horse . The main rule turns out to be similar to a tournament’s . Don't strike everyone at once , but choose one and see it through to the end . Your children become mere bargaining chips . You marry your eldest son to the heiress of a neighboring
19:48county . You give your daughter to a man whose house your grandfather fought for 40 years . She cries , and you do not change your decision . Ten years later , this marriage will prevent a war , and you will never know if it was worth her tears . You haven't drawn your sword in eight years , but after every piece of
20:06advice you give the king , people are gathered somewhere , villages burned , and captives hanged . For the first time , you find yourself thinking that everything was more honest in the field . There , you saw who you were striking . A conspiracy is brewing at court . Several noble houses are unhappy with taxes and are ready to call upon a
20:23neighboring king for help . You are brought a list of names . Two of the people on that list drank in your castle last autumn . You hand the list to the king and don't add a single word of your own . That is enough . Everything else will be done without you . A month later , their lands are divided , and you
20:40are offered a share . You take it . And that very evening , for the first time , you ask a priest to hold a mass for the souls of people you didn't even know personally . The tenth level . Constable of the kingdom . You are 58 , and the king makes you Constable . There is
20:57nothing higher for a man with a sword . The Constable commands all the country's forces , and on campaign , his word is equal to the king's . You are presented with the sword of the kingdom . Not a weapon , but a sign . You hold it with outstretched arms before the whole court and think of the stable where you
21:13slept at age seven . Now , the entire army is under your command . Counts and barons , who once looked down on you , wait for your order and are bound to execute it . You ride past the troops during the inspection . Mounted knights , archers , spearmen , the baggage train , blacksmiths , cooks , and scribes
21:31counting every grain . Mounting the saddle gets harder for you every year . Old fractures ache when it rains , and your squire offers his knee while pretending to adjust the girth . And that is when you see what you couldn't see from below . War has ceased to be chivalrous . Half your men you hired for
21:50money . They come for a season , they fight well , and they don't care whose crest is sewn onto their clothes . A crossbowman learns in six months , while a knight is raised from age seven . A crossbow bolt stops a man in the field who was groomed his entire life . And that bolt costs a copper groat .
22:08Foot-soldiers from the towns with long spears stand like a wall . The knightly charge shatters against this wall . You saw this yourself twice and both times you ordered a retreat . Rich cities buy their way out of service , and the king takes money more readily than men . With it , you can hire those who will come
22:26any day , and not just for 40 . Tournaments are turning into a show with a barrier in the middle , so no one gets hurt . The young consider it a real fight . You realize that the ladder you climbed your whole life is in its final years . Another generation , and those who reach the top won't be the ones who
22:45stay in the saddle , but the ones who count the money . You don't tell your son this . He bears your coat of arms . He has the finest armor in the kingdom . And he sincerely believes that valor decides everything . At the last inspection , a youth approaches your stirrup and holds it while you mount
23:02your horse . He is your father's grandson , the son of that very same older brother . He does it calmly and habitually , as all who serve their elders do , unaware that 50 years ago , you stood in this very spot holding the stirrup for his father . You sit in the saddle and move your horse forward , not
23:21looking back . You climbed the whole ladder to the end , the one you weren't registered for at birth . Yeah .