Jousting

Jousting was a sport played by knights in Europe throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, from the 13th to 16th century. It was fought by knights on horses using different weapons such as lances, battle axes, daggers, and swords. However, lances and other long metal spears were used most often.The knights wore armor and fought in tournaments. The two opposing knights would charge towards each other on horseback while holding their long spears. They would attempt to earn points by hitting their opponents head or shield. To earn even more points, they would try breaking off the tip or completely shattering their own lance. They would also try to knock each other off the horse, which would then end the round. Knights saw jousting as a way to practice for battle, as well as show off their martial skills to impress aristocratic and high social ranking women who would show interest by handing them a scarf or veil in return.

Jousting in a 13th century manuscript.

Jousting tournaments were held in arenas or fields known as lists. The opposing knights would start on opposite sides of the arena and were separated by a barrier known as a tilt. This is why people used to refer to this sport as tilting. The goal was to defeat the opposing knight and win lots of money. It was also a great activity that provided a fun way to train and practice their weapon skills. Overall, jousting was by far one of the most popular sports of this time period. However, by the end of the Middle Ages, jousting tournaments slowly decreased as other activities grew in popularity. By the 19th century, jousting had completely gone away.