Knights had to practise their talents when they weren’t engaged in battle. Jousting and competitions were a couple of ways to do this. These activities were a fantastic way to stay in shape when things were quiet.
Tournaments
The tournaments were fictitious conflicts between bands of knights. Knights from different places would be invited to a town or region’s tournament. Usually, the native knights engaged in combat with the outsiders.
The battle was fought on a wide field. A sizable crowd would assemble to watch on the day of the competition. Even stands would be constructed so that the local nobility could observe. Both sides would march past the onlookers while raising their arms and yelling battle cries.
Each team would line up and get ready for the charge as the event got underway. Each side would lower its lances and charge in response to the sound of a bugle. After the initial charge, the knights who were still mounted turned and made a second charge. The term “tournament” or “tourney” derives from this “turning”. This would go on until one side prevailed.
As you may guess, competitions were risky. Although the lances were blunted to prevent killing of the knights, many were nevertheless hurt. There were frequently prizes given to the top knights from each side.
Jousts
Another extremely popular competition among knights during the Middle Ages was jousting. In a joust, two knights would charge one another and attempt to use their lances to knock the other off their horse. The highlight of numerous competitions and events was jousting. The winners were heros and frequently received awards.
The Perfect Knight.
It was expected of knights to act in a certain way. The Code of Chivalry was the name of this. The ideal knight would be polite, obedient, just, and a Christian.
Code of Chivalry
The following are some of the main rules that knights attempted to follow:
To serve and uphold the king; to protect women and the weak; to follow the church and give his life to uphold it; to be charitable and truthful; to never tell a lie; to live by honour and for glory; to assist widows and orphans.
Many knights made commitments to uphold the code. When dealing with members of the lower classes, some knights did not adhere to the code.
Interesting Information on Jousts, Tournaments, and the Chivalric Code
On occasion, a knight or group of knights would occupy a bridge and demand that anyone trying to cross engage in combat. This was referred to as “pas d’armes”.
Crowds of people came to see tournaments and jousts as entertainment. The knights of the Middle Ages were comparable to modern-day sports heroes in many ways.
A variety of events known as “hastiludes” included tournaments, jousts, and pas d’armes.
Sometimes the losers’ horses and armour were won by the winning knights. After that, the losers had to pay for them. Knights with talent could prosper in this way.
The Old French term “chevalerie” (which means “horseman”) is where the word “chivalry” first appeared.
After King Henry II was slain in a joust match in 1559, jousting was banned in France.