Jousting History
Squire Tamora Pierce once said, “I'm sick of this. Call me what you like, say I'm without honor, I don't care. I'm not getting on any more horses to whack you people with a stick”(Goodreads). Many people would have this same mentality about the sport of jousting. Jousting is a sport in which requires much bravery and strategy that was played in medieval times as well as in the modern world. Aspects of jousting include the rules of the game, how the medieval jousting compares to modern day jousting, and the equipment worn. The first aspect of jousting includes how the sport works in terms of the rules. These rules varied, however, based on the location in which the joust was taking place. Usually, two knights who wore armor would ride on horseback.
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Jousting began to fade in the seventeenth century, but has come back into culture through renaissance fairs (How They Play). It is still played in the United States, Canada, and places in Europe such as Italy, which was also a place in which jousts used to take place, too. Now, there are different forms of jousting that were not played in the tenth through thirteenth centuries such as picking up the peg of a tent using a lance or trying to spear the a ring which dangled from a ribbon. Ring jousting is known as the state sport of Maryland (How They Play). Instead of unseating an opponent, one player must try to break their lance on the other’s body or shield. More or less points are awarded if the tip of the lance is shattered, broke in a single piece, or if there is contact with the other opponent but the tip does not break off. Also, the rules were barely regulated in medieval times, whereas now, safety has become more of a relevant factor. The lance length and construction was also unregulated. In modern times, a person's lance must be ten feet long and include a tip, middle, and base. In the tenth century, the purpose of jousting was mainly for either amusement or training purposes. Now, it is more aimed towards just amusement. In order to get disqualified, one had to have lance to horse contact or act in
Jousting began to fade in the seventeenth century, but has come back into culture through renaissance fairs (How They Play). It is still played in the United States, Canada, and places in Europe such as Italy, which was also a place in which jousts used to take place, too. Now, there are different forms of jousting that were not played in the tenth through thirteenth centuries such as picking up the peg of a tent using a lance or trying to spear the a ring which dangled from a ribbon. Ring jousting is known as the state sport of Maryland (How They Play). Instead of unseating an opponent, one player must try to break their lance on the other’s body or shield. More or less points are awarded if the tip of the lance is shattered, broke in a single piece, or if there is contact with the other opponent but the tip does not break off. Also, the rules were barely regulated in medieval times, whereas now, safety has become more of a relevant factor. The lance length and construction was also unregulated. In modern times, a person's lance must be ten feet long and include a tip, middle, and base. In the tenth century, the purpose of jousting was mainly for either amusement or training purposes. Now, it is more aimed towards just amusement. In order to get disqualified, one had to have lance to horse contact or act in