Medieval tournaments and jousts: what were they and what was their function?

If we talk about medieval tournaments and jousting, it is not difficult for us to remember the numerous films that have recreated this famous medieval practice. In fact, toWhen evoking the Middle Ages, it is very likely that tournaments and jousting are the first thing that comes to mind. But what do we know about this medieval practice? What is true and legend?

In this article we invite you to take a brief tour of one of the most popular entertainments of the Middle Ages, and learn more about its origins, its characteristics and its function.

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Medieval tournaments and jousting: differences and similarities

First of all, it is necessary to clarify the differences between these two concepts, because they are not the same activity. Although both words are used interchangeably today, this was not the case in the Middle Ages.. It is true that jousting used to be held within tournaments, the meaning of which is much broader; however, there are a number of differences that we will point out below.

Tournaments or mock battles

The tournaments appear documented from the 11th century, but there are clear indications that, prior to that date, similar activities were already held in medieval Europe. The word tournament has, most likely, a French origin: it can come from tournoi, derived from the verb tourner (to turn, turn). This etymology can give us a clue about what this medieval activity consisted of; It may refer to the turning of the knights in the middle of battle, when they were forced to turn their horse to face the enemy again.

The tournaments, indeed, they were reenactments of battles, in which two "armies" of knights faced each other. Originally, they took place in the so-called champ clos or closed field, but later they began to be practiced outdoors, near sufficiently important cities. After the tournament was held, in some main place in the city the second part of the celebration was held, which was none other than the banquet and dance.

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The jousts or single combat

The main difference between a tournament and a joust is that the latter was a single combat; that is, a fight between two knights.

Another difference is that, while in tournaments the main weapon was the sword, in jousting only the spear was allowed. The jousting spear was made of light wood, to facilitate the trotting of the horse and the agility of the combatant. In the 14th century, a vamplate was added, an oval piece of metal that served to protect the hand.

Generally, the joust was one of the shows that were offered within the tournament. It was usual to celebrate them the day before the great main battle, and prizes were awarded to the knights who had stood out, whether it was for her bravery, his skill, or anything else that had earned the admiration of the public.

The admiration of the ladies

Although this has been idealized in later literature (especially that of Romanticism), it is true that the ladies were the main public of the jousting. Let's not forget that this type of practice served the knight to demonstrate his skill, so one of the objectives, within the framework of medieval Courtly Love, was to impress his lady.

It was not unusual for the combatants to wear a garment, a gift from the lady in question, when they went out into the fray. In addition to giving them luck, it was a proof of love and devotion, which the interested party received with great pleasure.

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The important role of servants

The military equipment that the knight carried when entering the fray was incredibly heavy, for so we can imagine that if he was unluckily knocked off his horse, he could neither get up nor stand up. foot.

Here the servants, who remained very close to their masters, enter the gap left by the two protection palisades. His mission was very delicate and, of course, extremely important: when their master fell to the ground, they had to go out and drag him out of the arena to avoid possible death (the opponent's horse, or his own, could crush him). They also had the mission to go out and help the gentleman in case he lost his balance and swayed dangerously on his chair.

As we can see, the role of these servants was crucial for the proper development of the joust.

Tournaments and jousting were in, but not to everyone's taste

Indeed; despite being one of the most common entertainments in the Middle Ages, not all social groups were in favor of practicing these activities. The Church, for example, has always been very critical of them. Let's see it next.

Tournaments (like jousting) were playful, never military (despite technically being battles). However, it was not unusual for both tournament and jousting to end with excessive bloodshed. The Church, in general, was absolutely against these activities; many priests refused to give a Christian burial to the knights who died exercising them, and even threatened them with excommunication.

In 1228, Pope Gregory IX issued a bull in which he declared himself against tournaments.. And it is not that the kings were very funny. King Henry II of England, for example, signed edicts against these activities, so many knights found themselves forced to move to France to continue participating in they.

Ricardo Corazón de León was more understanding (or simply saw good business in it). According to the medieval chronicler Jocelin de Brakelond, tournaments and jousting resumed in England after the return of the monarch from the Holy Land. Indeed, once the crown was recovered, Ricardo began to grant licenses to hold tournaments and jousts. This meant that, if you wanted to practice these activities, you had to pay.

Roger de Hoveden, another of our medieval chroniclers, gives us valuable information in this regard: a duke paid 20 pieces of silver; a baron, 10 pieces; a gentleman with lands, 4; and, finally, those who were not holders of any fiefdom, only paid 2.

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The armament of every good knight

Only knights could participate in tournaments and jousts. There were certainly some exceptions, such as England, where (as we have already seen with the Ricardo Corazón de León's tariff system) sometimes men who did not belong to the status of the nobility. Be that as it may, when entering combat, whether in a tournament or in a joust, the knight had to be properly equipped. Not only his honor was at stake, but probably his life as well..

knightly clothing

The Middle Ages is a very long period and, as such, fashions were changing. However, we will try to outline a summary of the knight's clothing.

It was important to protect the head from the rubbing of the chain mail by means of a padded fabric bonnet, as well as the chin (with the barbera), the neck (with the ruff) and the neck (with the neck cover). Then, on the head was placed, carefully tied with ribbons, the tournament helmet.

The tournament helmet was lighter than the war helmet and had a conical shape at the top to avoid blows. Just had a tiny opening at eye level, so the heat was unbearable and breathing difficult.

It was customary for the knight to wear a gambeson under the cuirass, a kind of padded doublet that helped stop blows. To protect the legs there were two pieces of iron, one that covered the lower part, and another for the upper part. But perhaps one of the most important elements was the chain mail, a kind of tunic made with hoops. of interlocking steel, light and relatively easy to carry and which, in the end, protected the body from the gentleman.

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Weapons

The main weapons in these celebrations were the sword and the spear. The first was the star weapon of tournaments, while the second was jousting.

We shouldn't imagine medieval swords like the ones that often appear in swashbuckler movies. We are in another era: the medieval sword was long, thick and heavy. Imagine the dexterity and strength that a knight must have, since with one hand he had to hold the reins and, with the other, wield the sword.

As for the lance, as we have already mentioned, it had to be as light as possible to facilitate the trotting of the horse and the mobility of the rider. It was a very difficult weapon to use, since not only was it easy to lose balance, but the rules of jousting forbade striking anywhere other than the opponent's body. Of course, every knight went out to the fray protected with a shield.

The rules of the game

During their first centuries of existence, tournaments and jousting did not have solid regulations, so deaths and serious injuries were common on the battlefield. It was not until well into the 13th century that concrete rules began to be established. and often very rigid, to prevent a playful activity from turning into butchery.

The rules of the game were strictly observed by those responsible for the tournament or joust, and the penalties imposed on the Knights who disobeyed could be very severe: from the loss of their horse and armor (a real dishonor) to the penalty from jail.

One of the rules was, as we have already mentioned, that the spear had to hit only the opponent's body. Hitting the horse was outside the rules and was penalized. On the other hand, the public could not wear armor or weapons and, if a knight fell from his horse, no one could come to help him, only the servants assigned for the occasion.