Early Medieval Tournaments
It is unknown when or where the first tournament was held. It may have been as early as the eleventh century. They rapidly became widespread throughout Europe and exerted a powerful fascination for poets and artists as well as the combatants and spectators.
The earliest tournaments were little more than pitched battles between opposing bands of cavalry, with an emphasis on melee fighting with mace and sword as opposed to jousting with a lance.
Although the intention of the participants was not to kill each other, fatalities did occur when over-eager fighters got a little too heavy of hand. In 1241, in Neuss, Germany, 80 Knights and Squires died in a single tournament. In an attempt to alleviate the profligate waste of fighting men killed in tournaments, the Church declared in 1180 that anyone killed at these events would be denied a christian burial.
The 12th century poet, Bertrand de Born, wrote that 'once he has started fighting, no noble knight thinks of anything but breaking heads and arms'.
Jousting in the Middle Ages
In later years, tournaments became more controlled and organised, with an emphasis on jousting. Points were awarded for blows delivered to the shield and different parts of the body. Extra points might be awarded for shattering a lance on an opponents armour.
There were also events in sword and mace fighting, where the combatants fought on foot, but the joust was the event that gained a contestant the most glory. It was also the most popular event for spectators.
Knights could make a fortune from jousting. Since early times, they were entitled to keep the armour and horses of their vanquished opponents. These were usually ransomed back to the former owner and the victor could thus amass a considerable fortune.
Squires could also 'win their spurs' and be knighted if they acquitted themselves well at a tournament.
Chivalry
Some scholars believe that the development of chivalry went hand-in-hand with the evolution of the tournament. Certainly, many epic poems were written about the heroes of tournaments. Knights were expected to treat the ladies of their affections with courtly respect. Women were expected to return this courtesy and might bestow upon their champions a symbolic item of clothing, such as a sash, to be worn around the arm. This courtly mincing about contrasted sharply with the brutal realities of actual medieval warfare.
Alternatively, the tournament helped spread tales such as those of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. It is also believed that advances in armour were made because of jousting. Some of the finest and most decorative suits of armour ever created were worn exclusively at tournaments.
Perhaps,most importantly, the tournament bred courage and fighting skill, essential to a knight.
Tournaments became so popular that some Barons beggared themselves, staging increasingly grandiose and lavish events. In such cases, the full weight of the costs involved was borne squarely on the shoulders of the common folk, who had to pay ever exorbitant taxes to support their Lords passion for jousting and glory.
Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World AD 500 - AD 1500
Equipment, Combat Skills and Tactics
Matthew Bennett, Jim Bradbury, Kelly DeVries, Iain Pickle, Phyllis G. Jestice
Spellmount Ltd, 2005
The Enterprise of War
Editors of Time-Life Books
Time-Life Books, 1991
