Tournaments+and+Games

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__Tournaments and Games __ Callie McAvoy The Middle Ages was a time period that lasted from A.D. 500 to A.D. 1500. It was a very violent time and people often died fighting over land or religion. As a result, men started training one another about how to fight. Once a man passed through all the stages he would become a knight. A tournament during the Middle Ages was an opportunity for knights to show off their skills. Tournaments were held during times ofpeace so knights could practice for war. Tournaments started in the 11th century. Two teams of knights would fight a battle, called a melee,over a huge part of land in the country. Sometimes the tourneys included soldiers who fought on foot. The winners won the opponents’horses and armor. Good fighters could come out of tournaments with great winnings. By the 13th century, the participants used blunted weapons because the other weapons were dangerous and too many people were being killed. The Ring Tournament was popular for a long time. The knight who won this tournament received a “Golden Ring.” In the 15th century, tournaments began to lose their popularity. In order to participate in a tournament or joust, a knight had to learn the Code of Chivalry, which taught him good behavior. Knights were taught to be courageous, strong, religious, and polite. Geoffori de Pruelli invented jousting in 1066 in France. He invented this sport so nobles could be entertained. Also, knights were able to practice their fighting skills. Jousters needed armor, a shield, a horse, and a lance. The two opponents started across from each other. Then they galloped toward each other on horses and tried to hit their opponent in the chest with a lance. The person whose lance broke first was the winner. Games during the Middle Ages were for entertainment. Children and adults played similar games to those played today. Children played with balls that were made with stuffed horse hair or dried pigs’ bladders. In the daytime, children enjoyed playing games such as chess. The game of chess has playing pieces such as Kings, Queens, Knights, and Bishops. This helped children to learn about people’s different roles in society. In the winter, children liked to play hockey and their skates were made by sharpening cattle or horse bones. In the summer, children and adults swam in ponds or lakes. Toddlers wore life preservers which were made from tree bark. Time has changed the way people play, but many of the games enjoyed during the Middle ages are still played today!

__ Sources __
A. “Knighthood.” __Tournaments and Games.__ 2008. 18 April 2008 < http://school.eb.com/elementary/article?articleId=353343 >. B. “History of Jousting.” __Tournaments and Games.__ 2003.18 April 2008 jousting@nationaljousting.com C. Elliott, Lynn. __Children and Games of the Middle Ages.__ New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2004. D. Macdonald, Fiona. __Knights, Castles, Warfare.__ Wisconsin: A Member of the WRC Media Family of Companies, 2006. E. Dargie, Richard. __Knights and Castles.__ Texas: Copyright Permissions, 1999.



**__ Tournaments and Games  __** Zach Hertel

Many children around the world play with toys related to knights and castles. But do they know all of the history behind these figures? Studying the Middle Ages explains how knights and black-smiths built armor for the knights, and how heavy a suit of chain-mail or plates of armor could be for their owners. The path to becoming a knight was not an easy one, but many noblemen tried. Noble boys could become knights. The first stage to becoming a knight was being a page. A noble boy started being a page at the age of seven. Pages were trained on how to take care of weapons such as swords, axes, daggers and maces. They were also taught how to use wooden and blunted weapons, and to ride and care for horses. Noble boys were sent to other noble households to learn how to become a knight. Noble children lived in castles or manor houses. The next stage is called a squire. A page becomes a squire around the age of fourteen. Squires learned archery and fencing. They were also taught how to use a lance for a famous activity called the joust. They were also taught how to wield a sword. Of Course, all knights had a shield. A squire was taught how to use and when to use a shield. This was a very important part of protection aside from armor. Around the age twenty, a squire became a knight. Knighthood occurred in a dubbing ceremony. In the dubbing ceremony, a squire knelt before the lord and was tapped with a flat sword on each shoulder. At the end of a dubbing ceremony, a knight was given a shield and sword. In a tournament there was an activity called a joust. The main idea of a joust was to unseat an opponent. Jousting was a pretty dangerous activity. Jousts were usually held in the morning. Early on jousting wasn’t more than a prelude to a general event. The noblemen or knights that were going to fight each other set up their tents and arranged some individual combat among them before the joust. Tournaments like the joust were knight’s favorite, especially young and landless knights. A weapon used by a contestant in a joust was usually a lance, but it could be a weapon of choice. Lances were wooden and were fluted to make splinters. Some of the events in tournaments were ambitious. In a short point of view, a joust was combat between two knights or nobles. There were some important people like Bishops who were against tournaments. They condemned the whole idea of tournament. Bishops also punished those who ignored the sanction. The proclamation was frequently ignored. There were strong penalties for those who ignored the sanction. There was another tournament called a mel’le. Many young knights were involved in a mel’le. A mel’le was huge and popular tournament. Many people were killed or injured on the mel’le field. In the mel’le you can lose or gain social status. You would definitely lose status if a knight was un-seated by a poor foreigner. Someone could gain social status by defeating an undefeated Mêlée contestant. In the seriousness of combat, many tempers flared up. The field was a good place to settle old scores. Some nobles started to arrange smaller battles and individual combat. Tournaments were as old as knighthood itself. Some early examples were nothing compared to the late Middle Ages. Winning tournaments or activities within a tournament was a fast way to make a knight rich and famous. Some tournaments started peacefully and ended in a bloody battle against two jealous nobles. Knights were considered gentlemen and abided the code of chivalry. A lot of credit earned by knights went to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table which were not true. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table were great stories but were fiction. Being a knight was a great honor and brought glory to the throne. Sources Lynn Elliot __  “Children and games in the Middle Ages”. April 10, 2008 __ “Tournaments” __Medieval Society. April 18, 2008__ __   http://history.boisestate.edu/westciv/medsoc/13.shtml __ “History of Jousting” __National Jousting association. March 30, 2008__ __ http://www.nationaljousting.com/history/history.htm __