Actor Cameron Carnegie-Brown and artist Jack Carden met in Hackney for a dress-up medievalism bout, wielding Lime bikes and lances, bbc.com reported.
The bicycle jousters join participants reviving pastimes with roots in the Middle Ages. These traditional sports range from archery to lesser-known games like stoolball and hnefatafl.
The vast majority of sports in the Middle Ages prepared participants for war. Men maintained bow-and-arrow skills, while knocking opponents off horses translated directly to the battlefield.
Wealth and status also drove medieval sports. Hunting with falcons required vast areas of land and ample spare time.
Historical records of London sports
Cleric and diarist William FitzStephen described London in the 1170s. “When the great marsh that washes the walls of the City on the north side is frozen, crowds of young men go out to amuse themselves on the ice,” cleric and diarist William FitzStephen recorded.
Skaters fastened animal shin-bones to their feet with straps. They propelled themselves with an iron-shod pole striking the ice.
FitzStephen also recorded horse racing at Smithfield centuries before the Jockey Club. Three jockeys raced trampling steeds at the signal.
Kempton Park is now the closest racecourse to central London, located about 15 miles southwest.
Stoolball comeback after the Great War
Stoolball made an unexpected comeback after the Great War when adapted for injured soldiers. Major Grantham organized a match to provide equipment for military hospitals.
“as a form of exercise, stimulating enough without being too violent, for men who have been shattered in body or nerve,” Major Grantham believed stoolball provided said to men shattered in body or nerve. Players scored runs by hitting an underarm bowled ball with a frying pan-shaped bat.
An exhibition match took place at Lord’s Cricket Ground in September 1917. A team of injured officers and men played against Ye Anciente Lawyers.
“In the presence of a fair gathering of onlookers, an exhibition match took place at Lord’s Cricket Ground between a team of officers and men from the Second London General Hospital (damaged by wounds) and a team of Ye Anciente Lawyers (damaged by age),” a Times report stated.
Major W.W. Grantham scored 30 not out and won the match for the lawyers by 22 runs. One-armed and one-legged players also participated successfully in matches.
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Flyting dates back to the 5th Century across European oral traditions. Present-day poetry slams and rap battles trace their roots back to flyting.
Hnefatafl, also known as Viking chess, is a strategy game played on a 9×9 grid. The defending light pieces protect a king in the middle.
The attacking dark pieces attempt to kill the king before he reaches a corner. Players can find board game nights in London or play online.
Mob football shaped medieval social life
Mob football was a sanctioned riot that shaped medieval European social life. Players tried to get an inflated pig’s bladder to a target miles away with few rules.
Authorities banned the game several times due to injuries and disruption. Enthusiasts can head to Ashbourne in Derbyshire for the annual Royal Shrovetide Football match.
Quarterstaff combat involved stick-fighting using shortform or longform methods. Present-day participants learn stage combat and weapon handling through theater workshops.
Londoners interested in sword-fighting can take classes in Longsword, Rapier, Sabre, and Smallsword at the London Historical Fencing Club.
Pall-mall involved striking a boxwood ball with a heavy mallet through an iron hoop. St. James’s Park in London featured a famous pall-mall alley that gave the street its name, while modern Londoners can play croquet at local clubs.
Frequently asked questions about medieval London games
Where did the medieval horse racing described by William FitzStephen take place?
Horse racing took place at Smithfield in London during the 1170s. Kempton Park is now the closest racecourse to central London, located about 15 miles southwest.
What was the objective of the board game hnefatafl?
The defending light side aims to get the king to a corner of the 9×9 grid. The attacking dark side aims to kill the king before he escapes.
When was stoolball played at Lord’s Cricket Ground?
An exhibition match took place at Lord’s Cricket Ground in September 1917. A team of injured officers and men played against a team of Ye Anciente Lawyers.
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