ARMS & ARMOUR OF THE MEDIEVAL JOUST

A SUPERB GUIDE TO THE DANGEROUS, GLAMOROUS AND OFTEN LETHAL MARTIAL TRADITION

“THE REVELATIONS ARE AT TIMES STARTLING”

For most people, the word ‘joust’ will conjure an image of elaborately armoured knights charging at each other during extravagant pageants, perhaps carrying a silk scarf donated by a fair maiden – in short, a Hollywood version of history. In this slim but action-packed volume, Tobias Capwell explains how such pageantry was only one part of the story of the joust, a military tradition that evolved and endured for 500 years.

The title of the book is misleading. This is not merely an investigation of arms and armour, it also delves into the philosophy of the joust and considers the practicalities of this form of ritualised combat. Space is at a premium, because the book runs to just 96 pages and is generously illustrated, but Capwell’s writing is so succinct he is able to impart a huge amount of information. After an hour with this book you feel like you have a thorough grounding in the subject.

The revelations are at times startling. Early jousts, for instance, were undertaken with regular battlefield weapons, including sharp spears. Inevitably, there was huge potential for gruesome injury or death, especially as the head was a prime target. Helmets during the early period of jousting offered almost no protection for the face, making the undertaking of a joust a true test of bravery and skill.

Blunted spears were introduced in the 13th century and this started a process whereby the arms and armour employed steadily evolved until they bore little resemblance to those seen on the battlefield. Jousting also split into two forms: ‘à plaisance’ and ‘à outrance’. The first, also known as the ‘joust of peace’, saw the development of heavier armour and helmets, impractical for the battlefield. The latter, the ‘joust of war’, retained regular battlefield equipment and often took place between enemy knights, even during periods of peace.

Although fundamentally a means of practising martial skills, the joust (especially the joust à plaisance) drew criticism for deflecting a knight from his true purpose of fighting and killing the enemy. By the 15th century, the commentator Alonso Cartegna was dismissing it as “more a show of ostentation and wealth than of virtue”. Capwell himself states that the joust of peace eventually became “so abstracted from any battlefield application that it ceased to have any meaning,” dismissing it as “a pillow fight”.

It was still a pillow fight few would have the stomach for today, with the risk of injury present even at the most highly evolved levels of the joust à plaisance. There was also an acceptance that modifications had gone too far, and elements were introduced to reinvigorate the joust of peace, including weaponry designed to look like the real thing but slyly incorporating safety features.

This is a fascinating book, written by an expert (Capwell has trained professionally in jousting) in a highly accessible manner. Alongside the beautiful illustrations and photography, this combines to form an excellent guide to the subject, which for many will be all that is needed.