French - way of fighting') and batailles francaises ('French battles'). He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the Publishing Director at AHE. Just as tournaments had originally been practice sessions for war, so knights began to practice for the tournaments. The tournament - a battle between tw…
https://www.ancient.eu/Medieval_Tournament/. Combat on foot was a feature of some tournaments, reflecting the reality of war. His special interests include pottery, architecture, world mythology and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share in common.
There were marshals to ensure no foul play but as the field of conflict was usually a large one, perhaps the entire space between two villages, it is not surprising that serious wounds and fatalities were not uncommon. By the 14th century CE, the tournament had become more a spectacle of pageantry and noble lineage rather than real fighting. The second day ceremony was when the helms of the contestants were presented and the third day was when the Chevalier d’honneur was chosen. Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his History of the Kings of Britain, describes knights throwing lances and taking part in archery contests, as well as the more familiar tournament combat. These contests were sometimes a chivalrous addition to the messy business of war. Tournaments, then, became the best opportunity for a knight to publicly display those qualities any good knight was expected to possess: In addition, and given the importance of chivalry, those who had, amongst other misdemeanours, slandered a woman, been found guilty of murder or who had been excommunicated were banned. Mimicking their role in a cavalry charge, they road as hard and as fast as possible at each other, each with the aim of knocking the other from his horse. Word spread quickly through the castle and town criers made the announcement known in the towns. Another possible origin of the name is the early convention that groups of knights would circle each other, or 'turn around', before engaging. There was also a cash prize for the winning team at the end of the day’s battle. Then, when Henry II (r. 1519-1559 CE), the king of France, was killed in a joust in 1559 CE after a splinter from a shattered lance entered his visor, the tournaments lost much of their wider popularity. The joust a plaisance was a sporting tournament in a form we would recognise today. Under the entry for 1066 CE there is a reference to the death of one Godfrey de Preuilly, killed in a tournament for which he rather ironically made up the rules himself. From the 10th to 16th century CE tournaments were the principal expression of aristocratic ideals such as chivalry and noble lineage where family arms and honour were put on the line, ladies were wooed and even national pride was at stake. Jousting tournaments were held for entertainment. From the early 15th century CE the two knights were sometimes separated by a wooden barrier (tilt) running the length of the field which ensured they did not collide head-on.
The mêlée event did, though, remain a part of the overall tournament event.