Medieval Heralds and the Tournament at Chauvency
While the jousting was happening, the heralds were busy working the crowds and sometimes causing trouble.
‘And the Crowds Went Wild!’: Tournaments in the Middle Ages
How tournaments and jousting began in the Middle Ages, and how it evolved throughout the centuries.
How to win a joust
In 1464, a knight wrote to a friend asking him for secrets to winning at tournaments – he wanted to know what “hidden art” there was to allow him to gain victory.
Rules of a Medieval Tournament: ‘No Aiming at Unprotected Parts’
A look at the the ‘Tournament Regulations of Bamberg 1478’.
Henry the Young King: Top Star in the Tournament World
As Henry and William travelled the tournament world far and wide, their adventures and exploits became stuff of legends
Remarkable moments in medieval tournaments and jousting
Tournaments and jousts were often international gatherings where diplomacy, dramatic re-enactments and fighting all came together. Here we will look at some remarkable examples of these medieval deeds of arms.
When medieval tournaments go wrong!
When tragedy struck a tournament, the participants and the audience paused to reflect on whether this dangerous game was worth it. At least some of them did.
The Medieval Tournament as Spectacle
In this roundtable event, Alan Murray and Karen Watts will highlight some of the groundbreaking research showcased in their new book The Medieval Tournament as Spectacle: Tourneys, jousts and pas d’armes, 1100-1600.
Jousting in the Middle Ages with Emma Levitt
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Dr. Emma Levitt about tournaments and the joust in the Middle Ages. Dr. Levitt tells us all about how to score a joust, how the tournament changed over time, and how jousting was used to mend fences during the Wars of the Roses.
Now even jousting has instant replay
English Heritage has announced that a series of jousting events being held this month will be a bit different from the medieval version. These events will included VAR (Video Assisted Referee) sports technology.
A Diet of Tournaments: Maximilian at Worms, 1495
In 1495, during the political negotiations surrounding the imperial diet in Worms, Maximilian I still found time to compete against a famous Burgundian knight in a tournament that was to reach legendary proportions.
The Romance of the Past? Nineteenth-Century Medievalism and the Tournament
The nineteenth century saw a rebirth of fascination with the Middle Ages, although this interest often had more to do with romance than reality. A perfect medium for the expression of this nineteenth-century medievalism was the tournament.
A Grand Gesture: Henry VIII and the Westminster Tournament
In February, 1511, Henry VIII held a large and lavish tournament at Westminster to honour his wife, Katherine of Aragon, and his newborn son. Natalie Anderson takes a look at this romantic gesture and how it was memorialised.
Not All Fun and Games: The Dangers of the Medieval Tournament
The tournament, with all its elements of theatre and spectacle, was the ideal showground for martial skill, chivalric values, and medieval masculinity. But, behind the glamour, was a dangerous sport that often involved life or death circumstances.
The Best Medieval Film: The Case for A Knight’s Tale
Making a medieval movie is a difficult task. Natalie Anderson discusses why, in her opinion, one of the best films set during the Middle Ages is 2001’s A Knight’s Tale.
Scoring Masculinity: the English Tournament and the Jousting Cheques of the early Sixteenth Century
Charles Brandon was the perfect companion for King Henry VIII, whom he resembled in both looks and build. He also shared Henry’s love of the joust, becoming the King’s valiant partner in the lists.
Come One! Come All! Medieval Tournament Announcements
Tournaments were the big-ticket events in the Middle Ages, attracting people from all walks of life to witness great spectacles of sport and entertainment. But how did tournament organizers spread the word?
The Persistence of the Warrior Tradition in the Last Years of the Middle Ages: The Example of the Pas d’Armes in Burgundy under Duke Charles the Bold
Appearing in the last century of Middle Ages, the Pas d’Armes are a real example of the undeniable interest held by the nobility of the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance in the arts of warfare and in literature.
The Modern World of a Medieval Sport
You might think that jousting went extinct after the Middle Ages, but it in fact enjoys a strong modern following.
Topping Off a Tournament
In the tournament, a crest was an unusual and eye-catching piece of a knight’s equipment.
Boys Joust Wanna Have Fun
Training for the tournament was an integral part of medieval boyhood.
Chretien de Troyes and Arthurian Romance in the Development of the Tournament
How did the joust as an event come to replace the tournament proper? The relationship between art and life is of a cyclical nature, meaning that it does not stop with art’s imitation of life, but continues with the roles reversed. This was the relationship between Chretien de Troyes and the medieval nobility.
Tournaments, Jousts and Duels: Formal Combats in England and France, circa 1380 – 1440.
During the period circa 1380-1440, knights and men-at-arms in England and France engaged in armed combat in a range of different contexts. One of these contexts was in formal combats, which included jousts, judicial duels, and foot combats.
Dancing into Battle: Dressage and Medieval Horsemanship
So what does “horsey dancing” have to do with medieval history?