Knighthood and Jousting

         

                                   This post was kindly contributed by cast member Kellen Gold.

The knights in Alice's adventures uphold a long tradition of protection and service to royalty (in this case, the Red King and Queen and then Queen Alice) through the practice of chivalry.  In the Middle Ages, young boys were selected by nobles to be pages and train for knighthood.  The term 'knight' comes from the Old English 'cniht' meaning 'boy' or 'servant,' understood to be linked etymologically with the German 'knecht' meaning 'servant' or 'bondsman'

           Knights as we know them—horse-mounted, armored soldiers—first appeared on the scene in about the eighth and ninth centuries. Jousting was considered one of a medieval knight's many duties.  The first recorded reference to a jousting tournament was in 1066 (coincidentally the same year as the Battle of Hastings and the Norman conquest of England), and within a century they had become extremely popular.

              Used in the High Middle Ages for battle and then as a sport in Late Middle Ages, and popular with English, German and French royalty well into the 16th century.  In battle, jousting with lances furthered the evolution of armor, as knights switched from chain mail armor to full plated, harnessed suits to protect against the lance.

              Jousting tourneys were highly formal events. Months before a competition, nobles would need to acquire a royal permit,  challenge other lords and select their most skilled knights to compete. In some instances, they would hire a jouster who was not committed to any other master (or liege) and was available to fight for the highest bidder. These temporary employees became known as “freelancers".  Sport jousting died out by the 1600s, but made a significant revival in the 1970s.