A terrible worm in an iron cocoon, as he was called in an anonymous poem, the knight rode on a saddle rising in a high ridge above the horse's backbone with his feet resting in very long stirrups so that he was virtually standing up and able to deliver tremendous swinging blows from side to side with any one of his armory of weapons.
In Barbara W. Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century," a knight is vividly depicted as a formidable figure, described poetically as a "terrible worm in an iron cocoon." This imagery highlights the combination of strength and rigidity that characterizes the medieval knight, emphasizing how he is encased in his heavy armor, which both protects and restricts him. The knight's unique riding position, elevated above the horse's back in a high saddle with long stirrups, allows for an imposing posture and enhanced combat agility.
With this stance, the knight becomes a powerful force on the battlefield, capable of delivering devastating swings with a variety of weapons. This description effectively conveys the martial prowess required in that era, as well as the psychological presence knights held. Tuchman’s portrayal emphasizes both the skills and the limitations of medieval warfare, encapsulating the dual nature of the knight: as a skilled warrior and a constrained participant in the brutal realities of the 14th century.
