THE LANCE
Hollow on purpose
Jousting lances of about 2.4 to 3 metres, often of ash or cypress, were made hollow so they shattered without causing too much injury. Tips were blunted with a coronel.
See the numbersA SHORT HISTORY OF THE JOUST
Built to
break.
The best lance was one that shattered.
Jousting grew out of cavalry training into the great spectator sport of the Middle Ages. Over three centuries it gained hollow lances, blunted tips, a barrier down the middle and a points system, all to keep the knights in the game.
Score a hit Read the short answer
01 Hollow lances02 A barrier between03 Points for every hitA war skill turned into sport
THE SHORT ANSWER
A dangerous sport,
made a little safer.
Each change to the joust had one aim:
skill on show, fewer knights carried off.
THE TILT
A barrier down the middle
From around 1400 a barrier, the tilt, separated the riders so horses could not collide head-on. It helped knights control the horse and aim the lance.
Score a hit
THE ARMOUR
Extra steel where hits land
Tournament armour added reinforcing plates to the parts most likely to be struck, such as the chest and the right side of the helmet, plus a heavy gauntlet for the lance hand.
Inside the armourA QUICK SCORE CHECK
What wins
the prize?
Pick a moment from a joust. The value is how a set of English tournament rules from 1466 treated it; the bar shows how much it counted towards a prize.
Based on English tournament ordinances of 1466 as summarised by the World History Encyclopedia. Rules varied from place to place.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Long lances,
a tall fence.
One measurement of the weapon,
one of the barrier that tamed it.
THE LANCE · WORLD HISTORY ENCYCLOPEDIA
Length of a jousting lance
2.4–3<small> m</small>
The main weapon was a wooden lance of around 2.4 to 3 metres, commonly ash or cypress, hollow so that it would shatter. Three lances seem to have been the usual ration per contest.
THE TILT · WORLD HISTORY ENCYCLOPEDIA
Height of the wooden barrier
≈ 1.8<small> m</small>
The wooden tilt, which originated in Italy and replaced an earlier rope, stood around 1.8 metres high and ran the length of a field of 100 to 200 metres.
The word tilt first meant a cloth covering. A cloth barrier appeared in the 14th century, became a wooden fence in the 15th, and by about 1510 tilt had become a name for the joust itself.
FOUR THINGS TO WATCH FOR
How to watch
a joust today.
Theatrical and competitive jousting has been revived since the 1970s. At a display or in a museum, look for these details.
- The coronelA lance tip with three or four points, designed to spread the impact rather than pierce.
- The vamplateA round, later cone-shaped guard on the lance that protects the rider's hand.
- The lance restA bracket on the breastplate that steadies the lance, worn by knights from the end of the 14th century.
- The horse's armourA metal plate over the horse's head, often with the eyes covered, and a padded or metal chest guard.
INSIDE THE ARMOUR
Seeing only
at the last moment.
A popular jousting helmet, the frog-mouth, had a vision slit so narrow that a knight could only see out by tipping his head forward. Raising his head at impact put solid steel in front of his eyes.
By the late 15th century helmets were often screwed to the breast and back plates so they would not fly off when struck. As safety improved, armour, crests and shields became lighter and more flamboyant.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK
Frequently asked
Why were jousting lances hollow?
So they would shatter on impact rather than transfer the full force into the opponent. Breaking was a deliberate safety feature, and a squire would hand over a fresh lance.
What is the difference between jousting and tilting?
They mean the same thing. Tilt was first a cloth covering, then the barrier between riders, and by about 1510 it became a name for the joust itself.
Where does the word joust come from?
From Old French joster, which goes back to Latin iuxtare, meaning to approach or to meet. It entered Middle English around 1300.
When did jousting begin and end?
Tournaments emerged in the 11th and 12th centuries as training for war. Jousting became the main event by the 14th century and was replaced by other equestrian sports in the 17th century.
Was jousting dangerous?
Yes. Even with blunted weapons, serious injuries and deaths occurred, and practice jousts could be fatal. Tournament horses also faced high attrition.
SOURCES
Where the facts come from
Each figure on this page comes from the sources below. Check them for the full detail and context.