Stephen Aldred
Tournaments varied in style and purpose throughout the latter half of our period. They provided an opportunity for practice in the arts of War, provided spectacle and a political forum.
Tournaments, in the forms that we would recognise as such were not developed until the 11th Century. A monkish chronicler of St Martin at Tours reported that in the year 1062 Godfrey of Preuilly was killed in a tournament, a sport of which he had framed the rules. That Tournaments originated in France is supported by the early name of tournaments - conflictus Gallicus. Certainly, wherever tournaments originated, by the 12th Century they were well established.
Early Tournaments provided an opportunity for Knights to practice the arts of war and perhaps gain fame and fortune. This was particularly important as the world became more civilised and the opportunity for gain from private "Baronial" wars diminished. Other than taking up the cross and crusading Tournaments were one of the few ways that a Knight could practice his arts and gain renown for his skills.
Official policy of both Church and State was to oppose these large scale gathering of armed and trained combatants, something which appeared too much like civil war. The Tournament provided opportunity for political gathering, thus angering the state and by their very "fatality" were deemed wanton and unchristian by the church. That Tournaments also attracted markets and festivals which provided avenues for further wanton and rash behaviour, further reason for the church to disapprove.
Kings as Knights often found it hard to do as they "should" and frown on the tournament. More often than not they overlooked diplomacy and fought anyway.
The 12th and 13th century tournaments were fought as melees, over large tracts of land. Often the boundaries were poorly defined or ignored, as a result the fighting often spread over wide areas, sometimes causing destruction and damage to farmland and buildings. The Tournament field was provided with lists areas. These were fenced off areas that combatants could retreat to in order to repair their armour or rest until ready to rejoin the fray.
The object of these tournaments was to capture the opposition forces and obtain ransom for them and their belongings. This led to the use of tactical entries to the Tournament fields. It was not unknown for retinues to wait until the combatants were exhausted before taking the field late in the day to capture large numbers of easy hostages. Good fighters could make considerable wealth from tournaments of this time. It is reported that William Marshall and Roger de Gaugi, fighting as a pair, captured 103 Knights over a 10 month period, with no record of them being required to pay any ransom whatsoever.
Towards the end of the 12th century Richard the 1st began to apply controls to tournaments, he licensed certain nobles to control the tourney fields and charge license fees for the holding of tournaments. The license fees were calculated on the numbers and types of nobles participating. This coincided with the decline of the melee and the beginning of the joust.
The Joust provided opportunity for skill, rather than numbers to come to the fore. This also coincided with the concept of courtly love, thus Knights could fight for their lady. The object of the Joust was to break your own lance on your opponents shield while deflecting his blow and preferably unseating him in the process. The Joust or "tjoste" as it was known is thought to have originated in Styria (Austria). One of its earliest proponents was Ulrich von Lichtenstein, who is said to have broken 307 spears in one month alone!
With the increasing use of the spear or lance, armour was gradually made heavier and stirrups stronger and saddles more encompassing. This made the knight much harder to unseat and thus other methods of scoring to determine victory became necessary.
By the mid 15th century scoring systems had been developed to determine the victor. An English example developed by John Tiptoft, in the mid 15th century, follows;
Striking the barrier or an opponents saddle was reason for deduction of a spear. Striking a horse was cause for expulsion, with dishonour, from the lists. While using a gauntlet which locked on to the spear was cause for disqualification.
A separate aspect of tournaments appeared throughout the Hundred Years War. During lulls in a siege or truces opposing knights would organise to meet in combat. In a time of truce the Tournament was an ideal way to continue the war. During a siege a Tournament or challenge, generally at the barriers, provided a welcome break and spectacle. In truth there was little difference between the fighting that occurred at tournament or on the war field. Death and injury happened, after all the "normal" state of affairs for a Knight was war.
However by the end of the Hundred Years War, warfare had changed, making the Knight less important upon the battlefield, which by extension made the tournament less relevant as a practice for war.
The 15th century also saw the development of the Grand tournament and the Pas'd'Armes in France. King Rene's Tournament Book providing perhaps the most readily available treatise on this style of tournament. The Tournaments were often elaborate affairs, in which two sides met on an appointed day and place to fight in a variety of ways. These could include Melee, the joust, barrier combat etc.. These affairs involved Knights of Honour, who acted as judges, and ostensibly fought for the honour, glory and the Ladies of the Gallery who would often be required to name the victors. As the truce of God applied from Fridays to Sundays these events often began on a Monday or Tuesday. The days before and after the tournament were filled with celebration and preparation. Knights could, and were, excluded from the lists if they transgressed the rules of Chivalry. Such transgression could lead to a beating by the Knight of honour, or the squires.
A Pas'd'Armes often had an allegorical or literary theme and provided opportunity for Knights to fight for as much as a month at a time. An example of this is King Rene's pas d'armes de la bergiere, where a Shepherdess sat amongst her flock of sheep. A Black Knight stood to represent Discontent and fought any who were happy, or content in love, a white knight representing happiness stood to fight any who were despondent in love. This style of tournament provided an ideal opportunity for Knights to display their individual prowess.
By the end of the 15th century the French Pas'd'Armes was supplanted by the Tournament societies of the German states, who controlled and organised tournaments. The right to participate in tournaments ultimately became the true test of noble status. By this time the tournament had become little more than an elaborate public ritual. Important more for the politics than any sport or chivalric ideal.
By the 16 Century Tournament fighting had become the preserve of the elite. They fought in elaborate public spectacles which had far more to do with entertainment than actual combat. These were spectacles, which the public came to see, paying entrance fees for the better seats. It is reported that a seat near to the Queen's (Elizabeth) stand cost 12 pence. These late period tournaments involved fighting over many days and in differing forms.
Standard Tournaments
The Standard List - The Standard Society list is the single kill elimination list. This type of tournament is fought in rounds of bouts between single combatants. Combatants are eliminated as they lose a set number of bouts, and the final is fought between the last two remaining, generally as a best of three encounter.
The Round Robin - This type of tournament is fought over rounds. The number of rounds dependant upon the number of combatants, as each combatant meets each other combatant entered in the list. This style of tournament works best with ten or less combatants. For larger lists one possibility is to split the tournament into two separate round robin tournaments where the top placed fighters from each group compete for the tournament win.
Variations
Single, Double or Triple Elimination Each combatant has one, two or three losses to reach elimination.
Best of Three Each bout may last for three encounters, and is decided when one of the combatants has won twice.
Third Round Melee The third round is fought as a melee and if the melee winner has lost a life, or been eliminated they regain one life. This is generally a variation on a single kill double elimination list.
Pairs/Teams Tournaments Fought between evenly sized teams.
Weapon Variations
2 Handed weapons The list is restricted to double handed weapons, such as Great Sword, Spear, Glaive etc. Florentine may be included at the tournament stewards discretion.
Chivalric weapons Weapons are restricted to "Knightly" weapons, spear, great sword, single sword or shield and single sword, mace or axe.
Single handed weapon and shield Self explanatory.
Matched weapons In this style of tournament the combatants fight with pairs of matched weapons and shields. The choice is generally limited to weapons determined and provided by the tournament steward.
Random weapons As many different weapons and shields as possible are provided for this style of tournament. Weapons are drawn by lot, for each fighter, for each round. A single redraw may be offered if a combatant draws two shields, otherwise they should fight with whatever weapons are drawn.
Non Standard Tournaments
Holmgangr An adaptation of the Scandinavian judicial tournament. Initially fought on a small island or pegged out cow skin enclosed like a boxing ring. To leave the fighting ground was to lose. These were generally fought to the death, with matched weapons. Bouts could be fought blow for blow or as our more accustomed free for all. SCA variants of these should use 'Viking' weapons.
Pas'd'Armes A French form of tournament fought between specified defenders and all comers. The defenders name a place and time and the terms of combat. Ideally a Pas'd'Armes should have a theme. On the day the attackers select from the stated combat forms, (such as counted blows, barrier....) and depending on the terms of engagement may select their opponent. Otherwise the defenders nominate who will meet which attacker. These tournaments are fought for 'honour' and the victor is chosen by the gallery of ladies. Prizes may also be offered by the defenders, certainly they should provide food, drink and entertainment for the attackers and the gallery.
Continuing Meat Grinder This style is an adaptation of the meat grinder training technique. It is fought as a round robin tournament, where each combatant, in their turn 'holds' the field and fights all other combatants, singly. The victor is the one who wins the greatest proportion of their bouts, when holding the field.
Melee Variants
12th Century/Ransom Tournament This style of tournament is fought between sides, or individuals, on an open field, for a specified period of time. All combatants should start with an equal number of tokens, when beaten they are required to pay ransom to the combatant that bested them. Ransom is set according to the fighters rank - for example King 6 tokens, Prince/Duke/Earl 5, Landed Baron/Viscount 4, Knight 3, Squire/Guard2, man at arms 1. When a combatants tokens are lost they retire from the tournament. The victor is the combatant with the greatest number of tokens at the end of the allotted time.
Token Tournament This is fought over a set number of melee rounds. Each combatant is required to have a number of tokens equal to the number of rounds. Beaten combatants give a token to the one that bested them. At days end the victor is the combatant with the greatest number of tokens.
Valhalla This is a single continuing melee. Combatants leave the field when they are bested but may return when the one that bested them is beaten. The victor is determined when one combatant holds the field and there are no combatants willing or able to return to the field.
Warlord This is a single elimination tournament, where beaten combatants join with the person/group that bested them, for subsequent rounds. The first round is fought one on one, the second two on two, the third four on four and so on until one person commands all the other combatants.
Le Mans Start All the weapons and shields are placed in the middle of the field. The combatants gather along one edge of the field and at the Marshals command rush on and gather weapons as they will or may. Retiring to the edge of the field combatants arm and take the field, fighting until one remains.
Unusual Tournaments
Pandybat Combatants arm themselves with strange and unusual weapons which should be as dangerous to the wielder as they are to the opponent. The object is to have an extreme amount of silly fun.
Unchivalric The normal rules of the list are put aside and combatants are allowed to utilise subterfuge and ill means to gain victory. Bribing Marshals, striking before the call of lay on and distraction are all allowable tactics. The object is to have fun and act evil!
Poisoned Weapons These tournaments are usually run in conjunction with a poisoners feast. Any 'touch' by a poisoned weapon is accounted a kill. All weapons or just some may be poisoned, showing cards to opponents to signify poison is one method. A black card indicates poison, red non poisoned. Spectacular deaths and bad overacting are the object of these tournaments.