Why did jousting die out?

Jousting dominated the medieval sporting world for six centuries – but, by the 1700s, it had run its course and fallen out of fashion. The continuous decline in the importance of the manat-arms on the battlefield, the increasing efficiency of firearms, and the replacement of jousting with less dangerous forms of court spectacles such as masques and pageants all caused the tournament to fade into history.

In the medieval period, the tiltyard had been a training ground for warfare. Mounted knights assigned to two opposing teams would charge at each other with sharp lances on a given signal, a practice that was deemed to be useful preparation for military combat. Yet, by the 15th and 16th centuries, the increasing formalisation of the joust transformed the sport into a theatre of display that no longer resembled the realities of warfare. This was due to the addition of a tilt barrier to separate the horses, specialised armour, rules for the combats, a new scoring system, and elaborate pageantry.

All reasons for jousting beyond those of exercise and pastime had long passed away by the 17th century, and the changing attitudes of European princes towards the practice of chivalry brought an end to their tradition of sponsoring tournaments.

Although jousts survived a while longer in England, they were increasingly artificial in nature. Pageantry had taken over any real fighting activity, while firearms made knightly charges on the battlefield obsolete, thus signalling the end of the sport.

Emma Levitt, historian specialising in jousting and masculinity