Tournaments & Pas d'Armes

The material collected here reflects my interest in 14th-century formal "deeds of arms," what we often call "tournaments." This section includes a great many chronicle accounts of such deeds.

The tournament underwent enormous change during the course of the Middle Ages, evolving from a free-for-a ll military exercise to a ceremonial pageant completely divorced from warfare. This article looks at the beginning of this developeme nt.

To please the ladies who behold the tournament and find favor in their eyes you must be skillful, valiant, hold yourself well and be properly arrayed. Skill at arms is gained by long practice and great study, and valiancy is in your heart and high resolve in service of a noble lady. I shall therefore speak of how you should array yourself, and how to follow well the customs of the lists.

A modern English translation of a medieval French book on how to hold a tournament. The text, known as the traictié de la forme et devis d'ung tournoy, was written circa 1460 by René of Anjou, King of Jerusalem and Sicily. The tournament book describes a style of tournament which René says he has adapted from the ancient customs of France and other countries.

I think it would be useful for those who hold tournament s in these times to know what sort of prizes were commonly given at the tournament s of the Middle Ages. The following is a list of prizes that were awarded at tournament s from the twelfth through the sixteenth century, as mentioned in the first two sources in the bibliograp hy. The majority of the references are to fifteenth- century tournament s.

A list of prizes that were awarded at tournament s from the 12th through the 16th centuries.

This is an ongoing site with articles & links on tournament s as they apply to the Middle Ages and the SCA.

The rules and policies surroundin g a medieval tournament .

The bibliography comes in two parts: first is a list of modern scholarly works devoted to tournaments, jousts and other medieval deeds of arms; second is a list of original sources from the Middle Ages.

Here are three ways to run large tournaments that re-create medieval tournaments more closely than our normal elimination lists.

View 253 digitized Renaissance festival books that describe the magnificent festivals and ceremonies that took place in Europe between 1475 and 1700 -- marriages and funerals of royalty and nobility, coronations, stately entries into cities and other grand events.