The chivalric live hit its peak in the joust when the knights courted for status and the lady´s attention. On the one hand the joust was an early sports event
where the participants tried to impress by taking high risks, strong sportive performance and fighting in expensive and luxurious armours. On the other
hand it was the most important social gathering of the upper class in those days. The use of sharp weapons made the joust an event that was anything else than
harmless. It was common that people got heaviliy injured or even died. 1130 it was tried to increase the safety by forbidding sharp lances. Instead it was only
allowed to use Cortesí. These are lances that consist of three blunt heads. But due to a lust for risk people often did not observe the rules and 1316 the
ban of sharp lances was liftet.
Another factor increasing the risk was the fact that some participants used the joust to settle old scores. In these cases the jousts lost their sportive
character and became duels. In spite of comprehensive bodies of legislations the lust for risk taking of the knights led also to fights with an open visor.
Of course this meant a strong increase of the risk of heavy injuries. To the knight´s credit has to be said that the helmet´s observation slits confined
the view field. Thus fighting with an opened visor increased the field of vision.
Due to the big variety of different types of jousts that included a whole lot of different fighting techniques the joust can only be described on a very general
level in this chapter. Every joust was an unique event. For example there were fights of groups against each other, between single knights, by horse and on feet.
Even quaint special events were integrated in the joust, like the conquering of an artificial castle. One group of knights defended the castle while the other
tried to attack.
During a joust all
kinds of weapons
were used, like lances, halberts, pikes, warhammers, daggers, javelins, swords and morning stars.
Similarly the aims of every joust were set in a big variety of ways. After the fight with sharp lances by horse("Rennen")had been forbidden the objective changed
when blunt lances were used. Now it was the goal to throw the opponent out of his saddle.
As an alternative fights were performed where a small mirror on the opponents shield had to be hit by the lance. Sometimes there was even a little button attached
to the shield that released a mechanic when it was hit. This mechanic let the shield flow through the air by the power of a spring (see picture).
When it was the aim to throw the opponent out of the saddle the knights did not fight in ordinary saddles. Instead of two high flanges they used a saddle
that had a flattened flange on the back so the knight easily fell off the horse after a strike. The prestige of the winner was especially high when the lance
of the opponent broke during the hit. This led in Germany to a special fighting technique, the "Gestech in hohem Zeug". The participants attached themselves firmly
to the front flange of the saddle so it was hard to throw them off and the lance of the opponent was easier to break. However this form of joust meant very
high risks of being heavily injured. When the knights hit each other often thighs or even the backbone broke, particularly when the lances did not yield.
Nevertheless one tried to assure certain minimum levels of safety for the participants. An umpire watched the fights together with a couple of heralds and
assistants. He could disrupt a combat when it became too dangerous according to his judgement. Of course this was impossible when the participants fought by
horse with lances because the fight only lasted a few seconds. Furthermore there were bodies of regulation that ruled many areas of combat in a strict manner.
Last but not least technical safety measures were introduced. In 1420 at the Gestech the participants were separated from each other by a wooden bar.
Each rival rode along one side of the bar towards the other combatant and held his lance across the bar. In this way it was tried to avoid collisions of the horses
that were far more dangerous than to be thrown off the horse. So how was it possible that the horses were willing to run with full power towards the other
horse? This result was compassed by a longlasting training and the attachment of blinkers to the horse. Of course such a warhorse was extremely sumptuous.
Hence the warhorses were protected like a knight with a plate armour and a special cushion at the frontside. None the less separation bars were
not introduced in many places and especially the "Rennen" which was exerted with sharp lances was performed without separating the knights.
Since the second half of the sixteenth century people also began to introduce separation bars at fights on foot. Here the bars had the height of the combatant´s
breast and were to keep the opponents from executing dangerous deep hits.
Also the bodies of legislation were very strict at fights on foot. Often the permitted number of hits was limited and the knights were obliged to exert their
hits alternating. The goal of fights on foot was to throw the opponent to the ground.
Like the examples of regulations during fights on horse and foot show jousts were very well organised. Mostly they lasted several days and had a special motto.
Sometimes a joust lasted up to a year. Then on one or two days in a month the fights took place. To set up a joust a place had to be prepared. Therefore
sand was dispersed on the fighting place in the center. At the border people installed a grandstand that was ornamented with leaves and colorful carpets.
In some cases a certain scene was portrayed, like a heroe´s epic. Similarly to the decoration the guests togged themselves esplendidly and took seat at the
grandstand. Due to the fact that the joust was the most important social gathering of these days guests wore precious armours and sumptuous costumes. Often
armours and costumes showed heroes and scenes from legends. Pavilions were bild to accomodate the guests and participants. Some of these pavilions served as
changing rooms where the knight´s pages and squires helped the knight to put on his armour. The special joust´s armours where so heavy compared to a war suit
that it was impossible get dressed on one´s own. Furthermore it was the pages task to help his knight during the fight, when he fell of his horse and had to
be pulled out of the turmoil.
Other pavilions served to pass refreshments to guests and knights. The organisation was quite complex and was done by servants who cared for people´s well-being.
At one border of the joust place often there was a tree or another artefact that was draped with colorful shields. These shields showed the different fighting
techniques, offered in the joust. At a certain time the knights touched one or more of these shields. By doing so they indicated in which fights they wanted to
participate. Heralds took notes and arranged the pairs and groups of opponents. Accompanied with the sound of drums and cornets the games were opened up.
After every fighting category had been performed - mostly people began with the "Gestech" and continued with fights on foot - a feast was served. Servants and
pages attended the guests. Between the single meals of the feast servants provided a variety of entertainmet. The joust was crowned by the award ceremony. The
winners received jewellery and esplendid weapons.
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