Joust

Medieval joust The medieval joust has its origins in the military tactics of heavy cavalry during the High Middle Ages . By the 14th century, many members of the nobility, including kings, had taken up jousting to showcase their own courage, skill and talents, and the sport proved just as dangerous for a king as a knight, and from the 15th century on, jousting became a sport ( hastilude ) without direct relevance to warfare. High Middle Ages From the 11th to 14th centuries when medieval jousting was still practised in connection with the use of the lance in warfare, armour evolved from mail (with a solid, heavy helmet, called a " great helm ", and shield) to plate armour. By 1400, knights wore full suits of plate armour , called a "harness" (Clephan 28–29). In this early period, a joust was still a (martial) "meeting", i.e. a duel in general and not limited to the lance. Combatants would begin riding on one another with the lance, but might continue with shorter range weapons after the distance was closed or after one or both parties had been unhorsed. Tournaments in the High Medieval period were much rougher and less "gentlemanly" affairs than in the late medieval era of chivalry . The rival parties would fight in groups, with the aim of incapacitating their adversaries for the sake of gaining their horses, arms and ransoms.