Medieval feasts and jousting tournaments in Europe today

• Medieval feasts and jousting tournaments in modern Europe

For a long time in historical science and the public mind the Middle Ages was considered dark, wicked and backward era. The term "Middle Ages", invented in the Renaissance, in fact, designated a "bad" time interval between "shiny" antiquity and the Renaissance, t. E. Revival antique canons.

The ratio for this period has changed in the 19th century. It was a time of active development of national empires and flourishing the idea of ​​"one state - one nation", to substantiate that the historians of each European country started to dig deeper into the past in order to find historical roots of each nation and the historical basis for a unified national identity. Prior to this, the Middle Ages, almost no one was aware of it, and not very much, so it dug up a lot of new and interesting. The Middle Ages, especially the days of knights and troubadours began to romanticize. They began to write about the art of the book, at least remember Walter Scott and his "Ivanhoe". The then elite found in this new game, it was in the 19th century, the wealthy began to buy more preserved medieval castles, restore and furnish their beautiful, including antique collectibles. Just because of this we can today visit the beautiful castles of the Rhine, the Loire, and various others.

In the 20th century some idea of ​​the Middle Ages and it had the masses - thanks to universal secondary education works of the most historians of the 19th century "went to the people", and they managed to grow a couple of generations. In historical science, medieval studies developed rapidly. Since the second half of the 20th century, the Middle Ages gained real popularity and has taken its place in popular culture of Europe, not least due to the movie. Since the 1980s began to be carried out "medieval fair" - national holidays with an authentic medieval atmosphere. In the program, as a rule, they were theater performances, music and dance of the time jousting tournaments.

The widespread clubs of amateur historians and reenactors started to work hard to make the holidays as much as possible authentic: restored according to ancient descriptions of tools and technology; made with their help, household items, clothing, armor; someone he recreates life style, for example, set up a camp atmosphere. As it opened at the re-enactors, each club chooses a geographical region and historical period. And it does not have any national restrictions. For example, there is a German clubs, which are reconstructed Viking, French or English. Here, for example, "recreated" the sword of Richard the Lion heart of German reenactors.

By the way, today the Middle Ages is not limited to, someone recreates antiquity, for example, ancient Rome, and one medieval fair showed up here this type of remodeling, apparently Neolithic.

This hobby is not cheap, especially when it comes to all the beloved knights on horseback and in armor. Here modern social stratification largely repeats the medieval stratification. If you look closely, it turns out that the horse knights at the fairs usually forty years, and then about fifty. E. They are people with established careers and the non-poor. Armor themselves are quite expensive, but they have, in principle, it is possible and to accumulate. What's really expensive, so it buys it and keep the horse. Hire for training in horse clubs - almost not an option, that is, to the need to train horses for the jousting...

Young among the knights too, but it's really enthusiasts living Middle Ages and spending all the money on your hobby or professionals whose earnings is related to the content of the horses. Students medievalists, start-enactors or simply those who do not want to spend so much effort (for training combat skills) and money are usually depicted peasants and artisans.

So, the "core" of any medieval fairs today forms a reenactment club. It was jousting tournaments, both horse and foot, are always a highlight. These guys organize the whole entourage: break camp and live in it, go to medieval clothing and armor, heralds play, clowns and other characters.

also invited musicians playing in an appropriate style, different craftsmen who are more or less suited to the theme of the festival (but not necessarily doing something medieval), sellers of various natural products (pictured at the bottom of the honey, and even mustard, spices, different "home" snacks).

Special attention is given food prepared according to medieval recipes on an open fire or in large furnaces. Basically these are different kinds of breads, and of course meat. However, the food and drinks are sold not only to the Middle Ages, but also the most common.

So any medieval feast turns into an economic enterprise. It sells tickets (price usually depends on whether the mounted knights are involved), at the festival selling food, drinks and souvenirs. I do not know how many such holiday brings a profit, but it seems to be paying off. The price that the re-enactors are for their performances, allows clubs to grow and attract new people to study the history and reconstruction. Ultimately, everyone benefits - and they and the audience, who get an unforgettable sight. In the 2000s, the number of medieval festivals in Europe began to grow very quickly. For example, in Germany in 2004 there were about 300 903 in 2009 already, now generally held about 1,000 a year. Mainly fair geographically tied to specific locations, most often to the preserved medieval and later castles. Usually festival is held either in the castle, if space permits, or in a meadow in front of him, and the lock is available to the public. So all in all creates a magical atmosphere of medieval antiquities. So, let's see what you can see the usual medieval fair.

You can hold in your hand swords and shields, sometimes try on chain mail and armor.

You can see how the people hit by a catapult.

You can fight with the soldier.

It is possible to shoot a bow.

You can see a fight (in the photo without armor, t. To. It was very hot, but usually in the Shell).

And the highlight of the program - mounted knights. Usually they compete in several "disciplines" which are traditionally presented in the most medieval feasts.

It is necessary to bring down the sword galloping here are wooden wedges.

It is necessary to get a hatchet at a target.

It should be at full tilt to get a spade in a stuffed wild boar.

It is necessary to catch a pike as much as possible rings.

We need to get a spade in the shield, so much so that did not arrive then on the head or back of this bag here.

So the traditional joust with broken copies!

Spears on similar tournaments have long been made from soft wood brittle, and now also a rasp to effectively break and scatter pieces. It began to do because of the relatively high morbidity of these fights. When fighting strong spears, knights often flew out of the saddle and truly broken for something. Copies or fragments of them were stuck somewhere. Reconstruction Reconstruction, but to kill or maim anyone, of course, do not want to. The image of the brave and fearless knights, therefore, a way, a little broken, but if you think about it, podpilennye spears have their advantages. At one tournament here this lovely horse in the photo suddenly decided to suspend their participation in the contest and flew directly to the audience. The rider had to turn away at the last moment the horse and he flew out of the saddle, but in his hand was a spear, which lightly pat on the head and shattered some viewers of photographers lenses (lenses not particularly affected). And could break and the photographers themselves.

Medieval festivals are held in the summer in the main calendar is quite busy. In Germany and France, as a rule, every weekend is held several fairs in different parts of the country. So to get to some of them are quite simple. Although, of course, you need to watch a joust that was in the program. In spring and autumn (May or September) fairs less, but also sufficient.

In any case, at least once on a holiday to go need makes an unforgettable impression especially the first time and want to come again.