Tournament: A Chivalric Way of Life - Softcover

Crouch, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1852855312 ISBN 13: 9781852855314

Publisher: Hambledon Continuum, 2006

Synopsis

The tournament was a mock battle, at its height between 1100 and 1300, conducted by two arbitrary battalions over many square miles of open country. It was a one-day event, but when joined to ancillary festivals it could extend it to several days. The centre of the enthusiasm was across north and north-eastern France, where -- in the twelfth century -- thousands of knights assembled from across northern Europe to seek reputation and profit. But the passion for the tournament extended much further. Tournament holding had penetrated England, Germany and Austria by 1200. The tournament resembled in many senses a modern spectator sport, with spectators, chants, national teams, team colours, inflated salaries, transfer fees, celebrity cults and a lifestyle notable for its excesses. The tournament had a wider significance too. It underpinned the idea of aristocracy; a knight and aristocrat could be defined as a man who frequented the tournament.

About this title

Product Description:

The 'mêlée tournament' - a mock battle involving huge numbers of knights fighting over very large areas - began in north-eastern France in the late 11th century and had spread to England, Germany and Austria by 1200. In this richly detailed study, Crouch aims to reconstruct how a tournament was experienced in its heyday and assess its significance in medieval society, particularly in the evolution of the aristocracy. The book includes a collection of 13 medieval documents on the tournament.

Review:

Recommended in Sean McGlynn's 'Essential Reading List' for books on war in the Middle Ages, --BBC History Magazine

About this edition

• Publisher: Hambledon Continuum
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1852855312
• ISBN 13: 9781852855314
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 252