What is a mêlée in jousting?

In joust. Early medieval tournaments consisted of mêlées, mock battles between two bodies of armed horsemen; later both the mêlée and the joust took place at tournaments, and in the 15th century the joust tended to supersede the mêlée.

Why would knights fight in tournaments?

Tournaments for medieval knights served both an entertainment purpose and a practical purpose, as they helped knights to prepare for battle. Family honor factored into these tournaments as well, as knights would fight on behalf of their family, their affiliations displayed in a coat of arms.

What are medieval lists?

Lists and layout: The lists were the designated area for combat. For the old tournament/melee this could extend over many miles, which sounds like a lot of fun. It became associated for the joust, and then they became the long narrow stretch of ground down which the combatants ran their courses.

What were medieval tournaments called?

The tournament – a battle between two groups of mounted knights. Often called a mêlée, hastilude, tourney or tournoi.

How were knights different from ordinary soldiers?

The medieval knight was the equivalent of the modern tank. He was covered in multiple layers of armor, and could plow through foot soldiers standing in his way. No single foot soldier or archer could stand up to any one knight. Knights were also generally the wealthiest of the three types of soldiers.

What did the code of chivalry say about loyalty?

This was called Chivalry. A knight pledged loyalty to their liege lord, promised to be brave in battle and protect the church and those weaker than themselves, and to be courteous to noblewomen. A knight’s code of conduct included mercy, humility, honor, sacrifice, faithfulness, courage, and graciousness.

What is it called when knights fight on horses?

To joust is to fight against someone, usually using lances, on horseback. Such a contest is called a joust. If you’ve ever seen a movie or TV show about medieval times, you might have seen two knights jousting. This is a sport that takes place on horseback and involves lances, which are long like spears.

What were 5 Things knights were required to do?

Besides learning weaponry and horsemanship, the squire was expected to look after a full knight (who might have two or more squires under him), cleaning his weapons, polishing the armour, looking after the horses, helping him dress for battle, holding his shield until required, and other such general duties.

Is the 18th century medieval?

Finally, eighteenth-century Americans often divided history into two periods, ancient and modern, not three, ancient, medieval, and modern, as twentieth-century scholars are accustomed to dividing it, so that medieval history was subsumed under the rubric of modern history.

What is a medieval peasant?

The people who farmed the land around the castle were called peasants. The lord took some of the crops they grew and the peasants fed themselves on what remained. They sold any spare crops to make money. Peasants worked hard every day except Sundays and holy days in blazing sun, rain, or snow.

What was the goal of the mêlée?

The “melee” was the “mass tournament” where two teams of horsemen clashed in formation. The aim was to smash into the enemy in massed formation, with the aim of throwing them back or breaking their ranks.