NARRATOR: Admitting the candidate in to
the order of chivalry
was often a magnificent, colourful
and sumptuous affair.
MUSIC: (low moody cellos)
NARRATOR: The wearing of armour,
and of course, the symbolic
girding of the sword
helped to mark admission
in to this elite group.
It's quite interesting that the
ceremony of dubbing to
knighthood is very similar
to the ceremony of
creating a King.
and it's the church trying to
impose a ritual on secular society.
NARRATOR: Large garrisons were needed
to cope with frequent raids
from the local tribes.
Roman forts were built to a
standardised rectangular shape
a shape that is still plainly
visible in fortifications
which were reused.
Dorchester Castle was originally
built to protect the Roman imperial
fleet at Portsmouth.
It failed.
But after the Romans abandoned Britain
to its dark ages around 400 AD
the triumphant Barbarians
took over the empty site.