All the earliest stories our ‘Once Upon A Time’ included tales of man or men rushing to aid some damsel in distress. Whether it is Perseus rescuing Andromeda or Achaeans going to rescue Helen, even after centuries, the underlying theme of storytelling has not changed. Now just that modern men and women with a modern story fit in the basic theme.
Still, the most strongly associated era in history is the medieval times. Here the chivalrous knights who use glow with nobility and Christian virtue would immediately go to help the fair maidens. But one would always question has it ever really happened?
Have the knights really rescued a damsel in distress?
You will be shocked to know there is not one single definitive instance of a knight rescuing a damsel in distress in the past or the medieval times. But there is one exception to this finding. Read on!
All we are looking for is a real description of this situation, and all we hear are the tell tales of a romanticized story that someone has come up with at some point to describe the supposed knights of the medieval times. Anything that has been claimed of happening is nothing more than just a story. People have come up with various courtly love concepts to associate with the chivalrous knights.
One similar instance in history
This one instance in history is written in Froissart’s Chronicles. It states that there was a knight whose wife was stolen and then raped and made to marry the other man forcibly. Well, stories are meant to develop, and this one emerged from the real instance. Eleanor, who is Sir John de Carongne’s wife, once caught the eye of the King of Portugal. The king lusted on her and then abducted her having his way with her. Apparently, he was so in love with her that he married and had a daughter with her. Further, there is no mention of the husband doing anything about the situation, although he was alive throughout the narrative.
This instance tells us that at least one woman was swept off her feet and brought to safety. It sure shows that woman was kidnapped and officially knighted off by a hero. It turns out in medieval time’s women of wealth and nobility were abducted, but they don’t seem to need the knights to save their lives and anyone else to rescue them at all. Over the centuries, abduction has been solved with the few methods prevalent that are negotiations and the law.
In medieval times the women were especially in danger from random guys coming along the way and making her his own in various ways. The guy might kidnap her and forcibly marry her, he might also simply rape her and then consummate the union, or in some other cases, he might officially and forcibly marry her by finding a priest who is willing to say the vows even if the girl does not agree and then raping her to seal the deal.
