Jousting

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By Oliver Wald and Lois Basconcillo

Modern and Ancient Lances By Oliver Wald

International Jousting League By Lois Basconcillo

History on Jousting

Jousting started with the advent of Knights as a fighting force in Europe in the 10th Century. Jousting started in the 10th century until the 13th century. Jousting was a medieval sport. "Joust" describes single combat between two horsemen. "Tournament" refers to mounted combat between parties of knights, but also is used to refer to the whole proceeding. Jousting was very dangerous.

Tournaments and Jousting had been credited to Godfray De Preuilly. The first recorded was in 1066. He was killed at the tournament in which he was explaining the rules.

Jousting started as a gruesome and bloody sport with sharp weapons and fatal wounds, but gradually it became more civilized. During an era called the "Joust of Peace"Jousting rules, the contestants would start to use blunt weapons, and better armor to protect them.

Jousting was controversial because it took the knights away from The Crusades. Lots of knights would compete in jousting, but some of them would die, and the crusades didn't like that.

Different types of Jousting in the Middle Ages

There were two types of jousting events during the Middle Ages the 'Joust a plaisance' and the 'Pas d'armes'

Joust a plaisance - A series of elimination jousting contests which were held over over several days. An overall jousting winner would be determined

Pas d'armes or passage of arms Jousting event - A Knight would send out a proclamation that he would take on all jousting challengers at a specific time and place.

Rules of Jousting

Jousting is a sport, in which 2 people are on horses going at each other with lances. Before each and every joust, the knights competing must pick a beautiful married woman as a "prize". The knight that wins will force the woman to spend the night with him. It is considered completely unacceptable for a woman to refuse to this.

(1) Only nobles (i.e. knights) may ride in a joust. (2) The rider must own his own horse and equipment (as he may lose said horse if he is unsuccessful at his joust). (3) At the signal (usually a trumpet charge), the opponents ride at each other, carrying only a lance and a shield, along the right-hand side of a dividing bar. (4) You may use three lances in each jousting match. Once your three lances have shattered, the jousting match is over. However, the knights usually continue their battle on foot, using swords and/or daggers. (5) You receive one point for breaking your lance on your opponent's chest. (6) You receive two points for breaking your lance on your opponent's helmet. (7) You receive three points for knocking your opponent off from his horse. (8) An "unhorsing" ends the match. (9) If you do not break your lance, it is considered a glancing blow, and does not count for points, unless you manage to unhorse your opponent in that charge. (10) If a knight falls, only his own squire may physically help him. When he breaks a lance, only his own squire may hand him a new one. During the match, only the knight's squire may talk to the knight, and only when resetting the horse for the next charge. (11) In the event of an unhorsing, the winner may choose to either take his opponent's horse and armour (to use himself, or sell, as he sees fit), hold his opponent for ransom, both of the above, or neither. It is the winner's choice what he shall do should that event occur.

The Points you can get:

+1 point for a hit that does not break the tip of the lance.

+2 points for a hit that breaks the tip of the lance.

+3 points for a hit that shatters the tip of the lance into several or multiple fragments.

Jousting Equipment and setup

Even though very few jousting fields are exactly alike, since space at some locations does not provide us with enough room, we try to set up the arches in this manner. 40 yards of starting room before the first arch.

30 yards between the first and second arch.

30 yards between the second and third arch.

60 yards after the last arch for stopping the horse.

Total: 160 Yards

If adequate space is not available for a jousting track of this size, subtract yardage from the beginning or the end. The 30 yards between each arch must remain the same for the purpose of timing.

A timing mark or pole is placed 20 yards before the first arch. Timing starts at this point and ends at the third arch. A total of 80 yards. Standard time to complete the course is 9 seconds in every class except Novice which is not timed.

The Knights who were Jousting wore armor, they had a lance, a shield and a horse.

Jousting Weapons

Middle Ages era, period, life, age and times

Interesting Facts and information about Jousting Weapons in the Middle Ages

Jousting Weapons used on the Battlefield and in combat

Jousting Weapons - The Jousting Lance used in combat

Jousting Weapons - The Jousting Lance used at tournaments

Jousting Armor

New Vocab

Feudalism and Knighthood

Chivalry-- knighthood, knights collectively, or the characteristics expected of a knight: valor, nobility, fairness, courtesy, respect for women, and protection of the weak.

Fealty-- solemn oath between a vassal and his liege, pledging service in return for protection.

Fief-- lands held as a result of fealty. The obligation of service and lands granted in return sometimes passed from father to son.

Joust-- mock warfare; generally begun on horseback, combat could continue on foot and might only end when one participant surrendered or was killed... An *extremely* rough sport.

Liege-- overlord, to whom a vassal swore loyalty and support, who (in return) pledged to honor and protect his vassal or “liegeman”.

Mail--armor composed chiefly of small, inter-locking metal rings.

Plate-- armor composed of several, over-lapping or connected sections of metal, shaped to the contours of the wearer’s body.

Scutage-- money a vassal might substitute for the actual service pledged his liege, i.e. the amount it would cost to hire someone else to do the job.

Tilting-- form of jousting, in which opponents tried to knock one another from the saddle using long lances. The match ended when a fighter fell, but if the lances were sharp, tilting could be as dangerous as regular jousting!

Vassal-- one who pledged service (usually military) to a feudal lord in return for land, support, or political favors.

Social Standing and Education

Apprentice-- a beginner or novice who agrees to work for a master in his trade or craft in return for instruction and support.

Fostering-- sending children to live with friends, relatives, or political allies to learn necessary social skills, rather like boarding school.

Gossipry-- choosing Godparents for children; a way to cement alliances, as children were often fostered to their Godparents, which created lasting ties between households.

Page-- a young person in the process of learning social etiquette by waiting on his/her elders.

Quadrivium-- the major studies: math, music, geometry and astronomy.

Seneschal-- a noble’s chief administrator, or business manager.

Serf-- a farm laborer, one step up from a slave. Serfs could not come and go as they pleased, but they could not be sold away from their homes and families.

Squire-- an apprentice knight, often an elder page in training to become a knight.

Trivium-- the lesser studies: grammar, logic and rhetoric.

Villein-- a villager, freeman, or city dweller.

Clothing

Barbe (Barbette)-- woman’s veil, in time a simple strip of fabric that framed the face, covering the ears.

Chausses-- the forerunner of trousers. They consisted of two pant legs, which weren’t necessarily joined.

Chemise-- loose undergarment worn by men & women as underwear, nightgown & (on rare occasion) swimsuit.

Favor-- item that a lady presented a lord to show her esteem and support. Lords wore them to indicate that they fought for a particular lady’s honour.

Gambison-- quilted jacket first worn as armor, later worn as padding under other armor.

Girdle-- generic term for belt, some were very wide and tight, others were long, & metal or jewel encrusted.

Surcote-- an overtunic, often richly decorated with furs and/or heraldic designs. Styles varied over the course of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Arts and Sciences

Calligraphy-- ornamental handwriting.

Cupping-- blood letting, either by leeching or bleeding, thought to be a cure for many ills.

Heraldry-- science of creating, recording, and reading Coats of Arms which identified members of the nobility.

Humors-- four bodily fluids which were believed to govern an individual’s health and personality: blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile.

Illumination-- illustration and colorful ornamentation appearing on manuscript pages.

Maquillage-- makeup, based on medieval ideals of beauty, could be poisonous, e.g: some ladies used white lead to make their skin look pale.

Hearth and Home

Dungeon/Donjon-- fortified central building of a castle.

Garderobe—a ‘closet’ where wastechutes were located because the smell discouraged moths.

Mead-- alcoholic drink made with fermented honey.

Oubliette-- pit or cell under a donjon, where prisoners might be thrown and forgotten.

Subteltie (Subtelty)-- rare dish, exotic in taste, preparation, or appearance. Illusion foods were a type of subteltie which looked like something they were not.

Trencher-- horizontal slice of bread used as a plate. If you weren’t too hungry, your uneaten trencher would be collected and given as alms to the poor.

Slang

Anon-- instantly, right away, it came to mean ‘eventually’.

Awful-- full of awe, awe inspiring, a compliment.

Knave-- male child, boy, servant or man of low birth.

Oyez-- call for attention, essentially: “All of Ye” listen!

Varlet-- knave, attendant, youth acting as page to a knight. {Like knave, this eventually acquired negative connotations equivalent to calling a man: “boy”.}

Zounds-- a serious oath (swear word), short for “God’s Wounds”.

Quotes

"...a knight was expected to be gentle and faithful to his lady, fearless in battle and tournament, courteous and merciful to a defeated enemy and honorable in everything."

~http://www.nationaljousting.com/history/medieval.htm

"If the horse did not swerve, and the lances did not break, and either knight aimed true and held his lance firm, mortal wounds were often given."

~http://www.medieval-spell.com/Medieval-Knights-Jousting.html