Knights: Tournament

Do you know that the words `tournament´ and `joust´ are now often used discriminately, but in middle ages those words had very similar meaning. Strictly speaking `joust´ describes a single combat between two horsemen.  `Tournament´ refers to the `mêlée´ or mounted combat between parties of knights, but could be used also to encompass the whole of the proceedings. Both types of martial exercise might be termed `hastiludia´ (spear play).

The word `tournament´ is itself obscure. Fauchet, writing in the 16Th century, suggested it came from the fact that knights ran at the quintain `par tour´ or by turn. Others though it came from the way parties of knights circled round before engaging. The late 12Th century chronicler William Fitzstephen noted that knights were well trained to perform the necessary turnings and evolutions in martial sports.

The origins of the tournament are something of a mystery. No doubt it derived from the military games in which all warrior classes have engaged as a preparation for war. However, we do not know when or where this became focused in a particular activity. The tournament was essentially a mounted sport; it may derive ultimately from the Roman “Troy Game”  or the military sports among the German tribes mentioned by Tacitus, Virgil and Suetonius, in which groups of warriors fought mock battles. Though cavalry was little used in much of central and western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, Frankish rulers began to place greater emphasis on horsemen during the 8Th century. The medieval tournament does not appear to have come into being before the middle of the 10Th  century. In a chronicle from the abbey of St. Martin at Tours under the year 1066 comes a reference to one Godfrey de Preuilly, who is sad to have been killed in a tournament for which he made rules.

Tournaments appear to have evolved on the European mainland. Osbert of Arden, writing in the reign of Henry I, mentions the coloured lances he took over the sea to tourney. In his book  Gerald of Wales note knights making passes  as if practising for tournaments of the French sort. Moreover, the 13Th century chronicler Matthew Paris refers to tournaments as `Conflictus Gallicus´ and `batailles francaises´. Otto of Freising notes (in 1146) how the French mocked the Germans for their lack of horsmenship. He does, however, mention a tourney at Würzburg in 1127. William of Newburgh, writing in 1197, maintains that tournaments first arrived in England during the reign of Stephen (1135-1154).

Duing the 12Th century the popularity of tournaments increased enormously. They may have passed to Italy in mid-century from the German Empire; a large gathering even took place at Antioch in Syria, the Byzantine Emperor himself taking part.

Early allusions to `tornoi´ often appear in accounts of real war, and it is interesting  that the increase in references to tournaments coincides with the universal adoption of the mounted charge with the lance `couched´ under the arm. This suggests that tourneys wre now forming a substantial part of knightly training for war. Richar I licensed them in England, so William of Newburgh tells us, because he noted the superiority of the French knights. Galbert of Bruges relates that Charles, Count of Flanders (died 1127) used tournaments to keep his knights in trim and to gain glory. In the 13Th century Henri de Laon actually believed tournaments were  becoming too soft, so losing their usefulness as exercises for war!

So tournaments were extremely dangerous. Knights could lose more than `just´ limbs, but they could also lose an eye or they could even die bleeding. As you know knights came from long way to tournament and there they fought in groups. Winner could take equipment (very expensive) or ransoms. This was the way that poor knights could made fortune in tournaments.