Full Description
Few images of chivalry are stronger in the popular mind than that of two armoured knights in a joust, crashing together astride their chargers.
Yet, considering the importance of formal combat to the medieval aristocracy, we possess surprisingly few detailed accounts of tournaments, jousts or duels. As the great sporting event of its day, fans of feats of arms enjoyed hearing about them, but extensive descriptions of the actual events involving contemporary warriors were not what they were looking for. Sometimes, however, there was an upswing of interest that inspired poets and chroniclers to write more detailed descriptions of both combats and accompanying celebrations. One particularly rich time for source material are the years 1389-90, when diplomatic competition between Charles VI of France and Richard II of England inspired the kings to sponsor some of the most spectacular formal combats of the entire Middle Ages. These feats of arms attracted a great deal of attention from contemporary writers and they were not soon forgotten. As a result, we have valuable descriptions of how jousting was performed and appreciated at the highest social levels in the two great rival kingdoms of the West.
Bringing together some of the most important accounts of medieval jousting, especially those of the jousts at St. Inglevert, Royal Jousts is a direct look at the sources that have influenced our modern notion, and every modern reconstruction, of late medieval jousting. It is also the first entry in our new Deeds of Arms series a series of short, colour-illustrated readers that make primary source accounts of famous displays of martial and chivalric prowess of the High and Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance accessible to a broad audience.
Contents
1. War, Peace, and Jousting, 1389-90
The Joust at St. Denis, May 1389
The Joust Accompanying Queen Isabella's Entry into Paris, August 1389
The Joust at St. Inglevert, March-April 1390
The Joust at Smithfi eld near London, October 1390
Some Notes on the Translations
2. The Joust at St. Denis, May 1389
Deschamps' Poetic Invitation
The Monk of St. Denis' Account of the St. Denis Joust
3. The Joust Accompanying Queen Isabella's Entry into Paris, August 1389
Deschamps' Poetic Invitation
Froissart's Account of the Jousts at Paris
4. The Joust at St. Inglevert, March-April 1390
Froissart on the Preparations for the Joust
Chronographia Regum Francorum on St. Inglevert
An Anonymous Poem on St. Inglevert
Monk of St. Denis on St. Inglevert
Froissart on the Jousting at St. Inglever
Book of the Deeds of Boucicaut on St. Inglevert (Anonymous)
5. The Joust at Smithfi eld near London, October 1390
The Cry (Announcement)
Froissart's Account of the Joust
Appendix - Summarizing Froissart's Account of the St. Inglevert Jousting
Bibliography
Texts and Translations
Secondary Works
