Page 20 - All About History 48 - 2017 UK

DAREDEVILS

5 amazing facts about…
MEDIEVALJOUSTING

EUROPE, 11TH-17TH CENTURIES

The sport Preparations Safety Jousting …and injured
01 began as 02 were started 03 measures 04killed King 05 King Henry
military training months in advance were gradually Henry II of France… VIII of England
Heavy cavalry were fast Tournaments were formal introduced In 1559, Henry II participated While competing in a jousting
becoming the dominant force events that required careful Lances originally had pointed in a jousting tournament to tournament in 1536, Henry VIII
on the Medieval battlefield, planning. In the months prior, tips, and knights would celebrate the marriage of his was thrown from his horse,
mainly in the form of knights. nobles would obtain a royal charge at each other head- daughter. During the fight, a which then landed on top
Jousting became a practical permit, challenge landowners, on, resulting in dangerous sliver of his opponent’s lance of him. The king suffered a
way for the knights to train publish the rules of the clash collisions. In 1292, a new law broke off and struck him in serious leg injury that plagued
in horsemanship and combat and select their most skilled stated weapons must be the eye, penetrating his brain. him for the rest of his life, and
between battles, and soon knight to participate. Heralds blunted; in the 14th century, Despite the best efforts of the some say that he may also
became a form of popular would then promote the event a barrier was introduced, royal surgeon, Henry died an have suffered a head trauma
entertainment too. using poems and songs. separating the opponents. agonising death from his injury. that affected his personality.

ATAGLANCE

Jousting was one of history’s
firstextremesports,with
the earliest reference to
atournamentrecordedin
1066. Often held as part of
statecelebrations,ajoust
would involve two knights
charging towards each other
on horseback, attempting to
knockeachothertotheground
withalongpolecalledalance.

© Alamy

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