Jane Staton

A joust is defined as a fight between mounted knights wearing armor and using lances. Jousting was a favorite form of entertainment during the Middle Ages. Jousting contests took place at Medieval tournaments which provided a venue for Knights to practise various forma of combat to the delight, and for the amusement, of crowds of onlookers. The tournaments kept the knight in excellent condition for the role he would need to play during medieval warfare – skill with weapons and supreme strength and fitness were necessary to knights of the Middle Ages. Tournaments were exciting and colorful pageants which displayed different forms of combat. Jousting was one of the events shown at a tournament. Jousting was an individual event whereas the Melee was a team event where teams of knights fought on fought or on horseback.

Origins of Jousting
The origins of jousting can be traced to any war time in early history was dependent upon equestrian skills – for instance, the horsemanship of the Mongols was legendary. The Gladiatorial contests fought in the arena’s  built across Europe were banned in 404AD. But the battles fought in the arenas were remembered and changed into games to enable soldiers to practise skills which did not culminate in the death or injury of participants. Old games were revived where the battles of antiquity were replayed in those such as the ‘Game of Troy’. The tournaments of the Middle Ages replaced the gladiatorial games of the Roman arena but with far less fatalities and bloodshed and far more finesse. The Code of Chivalry was an important element of the tournament and the jousting event. It is interesting to note that the word ‘joust’ is derived from  the Roman ‘juxtare’, which means “to meet together.”. Click the link at the top of the page to discover the History of Jousting.