Middle ages games and sports

After feasting entertainment might be provided by minstrels, troubadours, jesters, acrobats, fire-eaters and conjurers. The dance was also important as part of 'courtly love' entertainment. Knights were expected not only to fight but also to dance. Middle Ages Food for a King Jousting. Entertainment in the Middle Ages Each section of this Middle Ages website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about these great people and events in bygone Medieval times including Entertainment in the Middle Ages.

The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Middle Ages! Middle Ages Index. These sports were dangerous, men were killed at tournaments. Quintain and Pell Training were essential for the Knights who participated in these sports.

Feudal Lords and Knights used such weapons as swords, lances, daggers and battle axes and many Medieval sports were designed to provide practise of such skills. Lower Class men were required to practise archery by law! The first Medieval Archery Law was passed in when all Englishmen between the age of 15 to 60 years old were ordered, by Law, to equip themselves with a bow and arrows. The areas designated for archery training during the Medieval period of the Middle Ages were called the Butts.

The power of the longbow was so great that at the Battle of Crecy, in , the French army was decimated. It is estimated that nearly French knights and soldiers were killed by the longbow arrows. These dangerous sports involved use of swords, daggers, and lances, and were seen as practice of military skill.

Tournaments were extremely dangerous activities and the competitors were viewed as a sort of celebrity. It was not uncommon for competitors to be severely wounded or die during a tournament.

Because of the skill and bravery required for jousting and other tournament events, these often drew large crowds and involved a sort of fair or fete. Archery competitions were also very common, and general skill with a bow and arrows were necessary for survival in the Middle Ages. Hunting, both with birds and on horseback, was a common sport because it provided entertainment and also fulfilled the need for food.

As with so many other aspects of medieval life, the emphasis on practicality permeated the realm of entertainment. Materials were not wasted on toys and many games required minimal materials. Also, for children, games were not particularly gender specific allowing for more participants with less equipment.

For adult games and sports, the most popular emphasized real-world skills and favoured men — there were few sports in which women could participate. While many of the Middle ages games and sports are no longer practiced today, the sense of enjoyment and coming together has led to the development of modern day activities. Into the 20th-century children frequently played with marbles and many community fairs in the autumn feature apple bobbing as an activity.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In fact, many of the sports we play in the present time can be traced back to the Middle Ages even ones like Club Swinging yes its a sport.

However, the sports they played way back had vague rules which took on deadly proportions. More than being physically demanding, their sports had little to zero emphasis on safety. Despite of these hazards, many Medieval residents were still eager to join in the fun. Sports in the Middle Ages were created to add more color and life to their warlike and gloomy era. These events were also the best venues to showcase he influence and power of knights and nobles.

Most of their sports were held in conjunctions with festivals where people from across the land gathered to bear witness to such glorious occasions. Since people in the Medieval times had a lot of time to spare, they spent eight weeks of leisure every year to watch sporting events.