Tournaments came to England from France during the 12th century and reached their greatest popularity in the 13th century.A tournament would usually be held in a field near the castle of the sponsoring noble. The area in the center of the field, called the ‘Lists,’ would be fenced off for jousting. Villagers might sit on wooden benches or the ground within view while the nobility sheltered in colorful pavilions.
Medieval courtly love had its place in tournaments. At a knight’s plea for a token, a lady in attendance might offer a knight a ribbon, veil or detachable sleeve. He would then tie this symbol of her favor to his arm, helm, or lance and fight as her champion.
The knight who managed to hit his opponent’s helmet or shield won the contest and might confiscate the loser’s horse or sometimes take his armor and weapons. In later tournaments this right was waived. Striking legs or horses was off limits and would result in a foul. Many injuries and even deaths occurred during tournaments, especially in the unruly early days. In 1292 the Statute of Arms for Tournaments called for better organization and deemed that all weapons used should be blunted.
Medieval tournaments were colorful events filled with pageantry and chivalry from the age of Romance.
Escape into creative worlds of fiction with Janalyn Voigt.
Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and fantasy creates worlds of beauty and danger for readers. Tales of Faeraven, her medieval epic fantasy series beginning with DawnSinger, carries the reader into a land only imagined in dreams.
Janalyn is represented by Sarah Joy Freese of Wordserve Literary. Her memberships include American Christian Fiction Writers and Northwest Christian Writers Association.
Medieval courtly love had its place in tournaments. At a knight’s plea for a token, a lady in attendance might offer a knight a ribbon, veil or detachable sleeve. He would then tie this symbol of her favor to his arm, helm, or lance and fight as her champion.
The knight who managed to hit his opponent’s helmet or shield won the contest and might confiscate the loser’s horse or sometimes take his armor and weapons. In later tournaments this right was waived. Striking legs or horses was off limits and would result in a foul. Many injuries and even deaths occurred during tournaments, especially in the unruly early days. In 1292 the Statute of Arms for Tournaments called for better organization and deemed that all weapons used should be blunted.
Medieval tournaments were colorful events filled with pageantry and chivalry from the age of Romance.
Escape into creative worlds of fiction with Janalyn Voigt.
Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and fantasy creates worlds of beauty and danger for readers. Tales of Faeraven, her medieval epic fantasy series beginning with DawnSinger, carries the reader into a land only imagined in dreams.
Janalyn is represented by Sarah Joy Freese of Wordserve Literary. Her memberships include American Christian Fiction Writers and Northwest Christian Writers Association.
When she's not writing, Janalyn loves to discover worlds of adventure in the great outdoors.
Author Site for Janalyn Voigt: (author journals, travel journals, guest journals, and book news)
Site for Writers: Live Write Breathe (teaching articles plus a free how-to-edit PDF)
