Did people play sports in the Middle Ages? Of course we did! Competition is in people's blood. And besides, it was necessary to prepare for war. English peasants learned from childhood to shoot a bow. And first the boy had to learn to stand, holding in his outstretched hand … a stone. Easier at first, then heavier. Only after that did they learn to shoot. People ran, jumped, lifted stones, fought. But the game of now popular hockey in England of the XIV century was prohibited, because it was believed that it distracts commoners from archery!
Wrestling was generally very popular since ancient times. It is known that there is even the so-called Greco-Roman wrestling, the purpose of which is to put the enemy on the ground.
The letter "C" with two wrestlers inside it (manuscript from Oxford, 1st quarter of the 13th century). (British Library, London)
Although the name "Greco-Roman" suggests a connection with the classical past, it is now believed that this form of wrestling was developed by the Napoleonic soldier Jean Eckbriat (hence the other name for this sport, "French wrestling"). In any case, this type of wrestling is depicted in many old books. Very often, images of wrestlers were placed in the titles of texts inside letters or in the form of separate illustrations.
Struggle between Hercules and Achilles from the French translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses (Netherlands, last quarter of the 15th century). (British Library, London). Please note that the miniaturist depicted the wrestlers dressed in armor, however, only on their feet. Either he has never seen people engaged in wrestling, which is not very likely, or decided in this way to show that these are … people are not easy!
The image of fighters in a copy of Aristotle's Freedom of Nature (England, third quarter of the 13th century). (British Library, London) Here we already see something completely different. The wrestlers are wearing only one tied bra, that is, medieval cowards.
It was possible to fight not only with a person, but even with an angel. Here, for example, is the image of Jacob and an angel, known at once from two manuscripts from England and Catalonia.
Jacob wrestling with an angel (Oxford, 1st quarter of the 13th century). (British Library, London)
Jacob wrestling with an angel. "Golden Haggada" (Catalonia, second XI century). (British Library, London)
Among the knightly class, high results in speed and dexterity, but not achieved on horseback, and even more so without armor, were little appreciated. From knightly tournaments, for example, ball games and even such forms of military training as running in armor and with weapons or fighting dances, which played a very important role in ancient times, were completely excluded. True, since the middle of the XIV century, when archery and the actions of foot soldiers again came to the fore, the methods of their combat training also changed. However, all this did not touch the foundations of knightly physical culture.
In other respects, the norms of knightly physical culture were organically associated with the scholastic ideas of medieval knightly orders, which found expression in the so-called seven liberal arts and in the doctrine of the seven virtues that should be adhered to. The founder of the Knights Templar, who lived in the 9th century, a French knight from Provence, Godefroy de Prey, believed that the order brothers should have seven skills, for the number seven is magical and brings happiness. Therefore, young men from the knightly estate need to learn: 1) to ride well, 2) to swim, 3) to be able to hunt, 4) to shoot a bow, 5) to fight with various types of weapons. In addition, they should have been taught: 6) recreational outdoor play and ball game, as it was popular among the nobility and required for service at court, and 7) the art of versification and recitation, necessary for any courtier with good manners, and basic dance moves. In terms of physical education, these seven knightly skills have remained a model for centuries.
By the way, then everyone was engaged in wrestling. Both kings and commoners. And in the same way, everyone fired from a bow. Both kings and simple peasants. But … not in the war. Rather, it was the peasants who were allowed to shoot from the bow during the war. Here the know could only use the bow for hunting and as a sports equipment. But again - remember the novel by Maurice Druon "The Cursed Kings" … When one of the heirs of Philip the Handsome shoots pigeons from a bow in the barn, it causes a negative reaction from his entourage - "peasant occupation." The feudal lord, as well as his wife, had to hunt: he was with a falcon, she was with a falcon. Moreover, he could hunt with a falcon, why not. But, as in the case of the length of the train on the dress, it was painted who has the right to hunt with which bird, so one should not forget about one's place on the feudal staircase.
Falconry of Frederick II. Miniature from the famous "Menes Code". Stored in the Heidelberg University Library.
So, the emperor hunted with an eagle, an English king or queen with an Irish gyrfalcon, a noble lord - for example, a lord - with a peregrine falcon, and a noble lady - with a hawk, a simple baron with a buzzard, and the "knight of one shield" - with a saker ("red gyrfalcon "). His squire could afford a lanner (Mediterranean falcon), and a free yeoman in England had the right to hunt the goshawk. A priest (well, why is he worse than others?) Was also entitled to a hawk, but … a sparrowhawk. But even a simple serf could afford to hunt with … a kestrel or a pet ferret! And it was also a good sport, because they hunted on horseback, which certainly developed riding skills! By the way, it was falconry that was a favorite pastime for ladies at that time.
Sometimes medieval miniaturists piled up sheer absurdities in their drawings. However, they become clear if we look at what they illustrated. For example, here is a miniature from the "History of the Trojan War" in 1441. Made in Germany, this manuscript is now in the German National Museum in Berlin. On it we will see a knight in a tournament helmet "toad's head", who shoots from a bow (!), There is a knight with a terrible crooked sword, but the funniest thing is an equestrian crossbowman holding a crossbow with a stirrup. That is, it could only be charged by getting off the horse! Well, the artist could not imagine how the real Paris and Menelaus were dressed, so he painted everything that came into his head!
On the other hand, not only men, but also women fired from a bow in the Middle Ages. Detail of a scene depicting a lady shooting a bow at a rabbit. Miniature from a manuscript of the second quarter of the 14th century. (British Library, London)
Archery was officially recognized as the sport of England in the 14th century, when all men between the ages of 7 and 60 had to participate in shooting competitions in order to defend the kingdom at any time. Meanwhile, the first organized archery competition was reportedly held in London only in 1583, with over 3,000 spectators attending.
However, why wonder if the bow and crossbow dominated the battlefield for a long time. For example, this miniature from the "History of France" of the XIV century (National Library of France, Paris) shows the storming of the city during the Hundred Years War, and who is leading it? Warriors armed with polearms and swords, supported by archers and crossbowmen. And here the artist did not skimp on details. There are knee pads, brigandines, and helmets of the "French salad" type. Moreover, a crossbow with a collar (and the collar itself, lying on the ground) is very clearly drawn. It is interesting that the moment is depicted when the defenders of the city opened the gates and decided to make a sortie, while the warriors sitting on the towers are preparing to throw pitchers, stones and even a large wooden bench at the attackers!
And here is a comic image of a monkey shooting a butterfly. French copy of the XIV century "History of the Holy Grail". (British Library, London)
Detail of a miniature of the so-called Sicilian Games, which included boat races, wrestling, running and shooting competitions. The fifth book of the Aeneid, between 1483 and 1485. (British Library, London)
It was possible to shoot from a bow and "just like that", but then the shooter risked getting a bowstring on the wrist. Therefore, it was customary to wear a special shield made of thick leather, wood or bone. In the latter case, these shields became real works of art. For example, here's how this one - from the Museum of Medieval War in the castle of Castelnau in Perigord. Interestingly, this shield dates from the 16th century, that is, bows at this time were still actively used!
