![]() A common device to hone one's lancing skills was the quintain - a rotating arm with a shield at one end and a weight at the other. There were also prizes such as a gold crown, jewels, or a prized hawk so that many knights made a living doing a tour of tournament events across Europe.Įven if a local tournament was not perhaps a regular event, one could at least practice for them. Watched by an audience which included the local aristocratic ladies, motivation to perform and display chivalry was high. The popular Round Table tournaments involved knights dressing up as characters from the legends of King Arthur who then jousted and feasted in costume. Such weapons became known as 'arms of courtesy' or à plaisance. To minimise the risk of injury, weapons were adapted such as the fitting of a three-pointed head to the lance in order to reduce the impact and swords were blunted (rebated). The competitions took two formats, either a mêlée, which was a mock cavalry battle where knights had to capture each other for a ransom or the joust where a single rider armed with a lance charged at an opponent who was similarly armed. Like hunting, tournaments gave knights the chance to hone their skills with horses and weapons in a relatively safe and controlled environment, although there could be injuries and fatalities despite the precautions. Unknown Artist (Public Domain) Tournaments Both waterfowl and forest birds were targeted, especially cranes and ducks. The birds were expensive to train and keep, so the more a lord had in his castle mews, the better he could impress his friends. Popular birds of choice were the gerfalcon, peregrine, goshawk, and sparrowhawk, amongst others. ![]() Such was the importance of falconry that there were books written on how to excel at it, most famously The Art of Falconry ( De Arte Venandi cum Avibus) compiled by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (r. Indeed, women also practised falconry, as can be seen on many seals depicting a noblewoman holding her favourite hawk. Without firearms, a falcon was the only way to catch birds which flew beyond the range of an archer, although for the medieval nobility, the whole sport had a mystique and mythology about it beyond the expedience of bagging a few fowl for the table. Just about any self-respecting lord had his own falcons, and his favourite bird very often shared the lord's bedroom at night and was rarely off his master's wrist during the day. The use of birds to kill other birds is an ancient practice and, in the medieval period, falconry was especially popular across Europe. Size, number of animals, and scenic additions such as ponds, as well as the granting of gift licenses to hunt in them, were all ways for a castle owner to impress friends and visitors alike. Finally, a fine hunting park next to one's castle was a powerful social statement in the competitive environment of aristocratic one-upmanship. Anyone who was caught poaching met with severe punishments such as fines, imprisonment, or even blinding. Infringements such as grazing livestock or felling timber on a castle's lands without permission led to prosecution in courts dedicated to forestry matters. Deer parks, ranging anywhere from 400 to 4000 square metres, were enclosed by earthworks, fences, and an encircling ditch. Forests were a hugely valuable resource in medieval times, and they had their own officers and inspectors to make sure they were not damaged by local farmers. ![]() Even if a lord did not have his own hunting grounds, he could always pay for the privilege elsewhere as many large estate owners offered the right to hunt on their grounds for an appropriate fee. Once an animal was cornered a noble was given the opportunity to make the kill using a lance or bow and arrow. The whole hunting party included retainers and grooms, and so there was the possibility of a picnic mid-hunt. ![]() A fine hunting park next to one's castle was a powerful social statement in the competitive environment of aristocratic one-upmanship.
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