Page 280 - Canadian Dominion Directory 1871 - Partie 1-fusionné
P. 280

trooper.  In  a  few  military  orders it  strict  control  and  on  al1  principal
                              described  an  Esquire  aspiring  to  occasions  two  or  more  Officers  of
                              Knighthood.
                                                               Ams were  present  to  act  as  con-
                                                               trolling  staff  and  masters  of  cere-
                              Siege Towers - Wooden towers con-  mony.
                                                                 Prizes  were  awarded  and at each
                              structed  in  the  vicinity  of  the
                                                         were  tournament  a  'Queen  of  the
                                        fortress
                              besieged
                                                 which
                              designed  to  raise  numbers  of  the  Tournament'  was  elected  who,  by
                              attacking  troops  to  the  height  of  her  presence,  virtually  ensured  that
                              the  top  of  the  wall  to  attack  over  the  Knights  observed  the  laws  of
                              the  top  of  it  or  to  a  height  above  chivalry.  It  was  she  who  presented
                              the  wall  from which  archers  could  the prizes at the end  of  the meeting.
                              fire more effectively down on to the
                                                                 The  procedure  was  roughly  as
                                                               follows. On the day prior  to the en-
                              defenders.
                                                               counters beginning, the shields of  al1
                              Srnithfield  - A  district  of  central  the  participating  Knights  were  dis-
                              London,  north  of  the  Thames  and  played  in  a  field  near  the  lists  by
                              immediately  outside  the  old  city  two  or  more  of  each  Knight's
                              waIls,  which  was  used  quite  exten-  retainers.  The  competing  Knights
                              sively  for  tournaments  during  the  then  rode  round  the  field  touching
                              Middle  Ages.
                                                               the shield  of a11  those to whom  they
                                                               issued  a challenge. If  the shield was
                                                               touched  with  a  sharp  weapon  the
                                                               contest was to be fought with sharp-
                                                               ened  lances,  if  the  shield  was
                                             T
                                                               touched  with  blunt  weapons  then
                                                               blunt  weapons  were  used.
                                                                 The encounters  took  place  in  an
                              Tournaments - Apart €rom hunting,  area known as the Lists which varied
                              tournaments  were  the  only  sport  in  size  according  to  the  type  of
                              available  in  the  Middle  Ages  and  baltle  that was  to be fought. In  the
                              even  these could  only be  taken part  case  of  the  mêlée  large  areas  were
                                                               needed  but  in  the  later  types  of
                              in by  the Nobility.
                                Tournaments  were  held  on  al1  tournament  when  the  strictest  con-
                              possible  occasions,  such  as  corona-  trol  was  observed  a  barrier  some
                              tions.  births  of  Royal  heirs,  impor-  five  feer  in  height  was  constructed
                              tant  marriages,  etc.,  and  on  fre-  in  the  middle  of  the  lists  and  the
                              quent  occasions  they  were  held  two  Knights  charged  each  other
                              with  no  particular  cause  to  cele-  with the barrier  on their left side. In
                              brate.                           this way,  though  the Knights could
                                Originally  the  early  tournaments   be  wounded  the  horses  were gener-
                              were  generally  between  teams  of   alIy  untouched.
                              Knights, sometimes mounted,  some-   Initially  the  principat  object  was
                              times  on  foot,  but  although  these  to  unhorse  one's  adversary  but  in
                              were  intended  to  be  peaceful  en-  later  years  a  speciaI type  of  brittle
                              counters  it  was  not  uncornmon  in  lance was employed  which  shivered
                              the heat  of  the moment for blows to  (broke)  on  contact  with  the  adver-
                              be  struck  in  anger  and  rnany  fatal  sary's  armour or  shield. The points
                              casualties  occurred.            were  scored  by  the  number  of
                                In later years rules were produced  lances  shivered  and  each  contest
                              and  tournaments  were  held  under  consisted  of  eight  or  ten  courses.
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