Cheer on your Knight in the 5,000 seat Arena of Champions as two tons of horse, knight and armor gallop onto the field, prepared to do battle for a Lady's honor.
The Arizona Renaissance Festival is open Saturdays, Sundays and President's Day
From February through March; 10:00 AM to 06:00 PM.
Tournament Jousting is held three times a day at the Jousting Arena!
Over 2000 costumed characters, including Living Mermaids
Over 200 Unique Artisan Shops
Games & Rides for All Ages
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Tilting
The historical sport of jousting originally emerged as a training exercises (called mêlée) for soldiers. Most people refer to jousting as being two riders engaging each other with long spears (a lance). Technically this activity should be referred to as "Tilting" and was only one of many weapons training activities in a jousting tournament, which include archery and swordplay.If you have ever seen a Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger, you see that even though his skill seems to be in sword play, he wants the prestige of winning at the tilting match.
This extreme sporting contest of archery, Swordplay and Tilting (where two knights on horseback were armed with blunted lances and charge at each other) can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the rise of the use of the heavy cavalry (armored warriors on horseback). The feudal system, required rich landowners and nobles to provide soldiers to fight for the king during wars. Jousting events provided Knights with hands on battlefield preparation in horsemanship and weapons skills between battles.
The first recorded reference to a jousting tournament was in 1066 (same year as the Norman conquest of England and Battle of Hastings). By the early 1100's jousting tournaments had become so common that the Monarchy placed regulations limited the number of jousts that could be held. This was to prevent knights from being occupied in a distant location when they were needed for battle.
As the Middle Ages progressed, specialised armour and rules gradually turned jousting into the event that we are familiar with today. They were often held as celebrations: to mark a victory in battle, the signing of a peace treaty, or a royal a wedding like the one that resulted in the death of King Henry II.
A knight would wear a helmet and a heavy suit of armor, which might take as long as an hour to put on. They also wore a coloured surcoat displaying the Knight's coat of arms. Each knight had a different color and coat of arms making them recognisable to their fans.
These tournaments were formal events where nobles would obtain royal permits, issue challenges to fellow nobles and then select the most skilled knights to fight. In some instances, they would hire “freelancers" (a jouster who was not committed to any liege) who fought for the highest bidder.
By the 14th century, many members of the Nobility, including Kings had taken up jousting to show their own courage and talent. England’s King Henry VIII suffered a severe leg injury when a horse fell on him during a tournament in 1536. In 1559, King Henry II of France participated in a joust to celebrate the marriage of his daughter to the king of Spain and ended up dead after a sliver of his opponent’s lance broke off and pierced him in the eye.
Point systems varied slightly but, generally the most points were awarded for knocking the opponent off the horse. Points were also awarded for breaking the lance on the opponent's Cuirass (breastplate). The least points were awarded for a strike with no break of the lance tip. Points were also often deducted if the horse was struck.
In the later 15th Century, when guns changed warfare, jousting became more recreational entertainment for the Royal Courts. By the end, some Jousting events were even choreographed and the events often included other entertainment and would share similarities to today's Arizona Renaissance Festival or Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament.
