Sunday, January 24, 2010

Favorite Day to Start a 14th Century Tournament

Monday! Monday! Monday! At the Smithfield Tiltways! Monday! Monday! Monday! Massive oat-fueled destriers! Monday! Monday! Monday!

In the second half of the 14th century, this list of deeds of arms includes

1359: Joust in London: Monday-Wednesday (three rogation days)
1388: Hastilude at Calais: including combat on Sunday
1389: Hastiludes in Paris: Monday-Wednesday
1389: Jousts at the Entrance of Queen Isabella into Paris: Tuesday-Thursday
1390: Jousts at St. Inglevert: Sundays and feast days excluded from jousting
1390: Jousts at Smithfield: Monday-Tuesday

In addition, these jousts were scheduled for Monday-Tuesday.

Earlier, David Crouch's Tournament reports:

In the biggest sample of dated tournaments that we have -- the 57 listed as forbidden by the king and his ministers in England between 1216 and 1250 -- 25 had been arranged for a Monday. In noble tournaments held in the Low Countries in the first half of the fourteenth century, Monday and Tuesday were still the days chosen for half of the recorded tournaments.

While there seems to have been a consistent effort to avoid combat on Sunday, the 1388 hastiludes at Calais provide at least one exception.

2 comments:

Steve Muhlberger said...

I think Friday, more strongly associated with the Crucifixion than in later times, seldom was the occasion for any kind of festival.

Anonymous said...

Oh, swell....