Races and duels. Knightly tournaments in the Kingdom of Poland

The birth and decline of knight tournaments in Poland

The Slavs were familiar with various sports competitions, but the custom of organizing tournaments only reached Poland via neighboring countries. However, fighting in the lists quickly appealed to the local knights.

by Antoni Olbrychski

 

Louis, the German Landgrave of Thuringia, organized the first tourney in Poland after he attacked the border town of Lubusz. Unfortunately, the Duke of Greater Poland, Władysław Laskonogi, could not come to the defenders’ aid. Thus, Louis seized the stronghold and organized a jousting tournament to celebrate his victory.

German influences were quickly assimilated in the border region of Silesia. The next mention of a tournament in Poland comes from 1243 when Prince Bolesław the Horned organized knightly games in Lwówek Śląski. Interestingly, the warriors stipulated that they would only participate in the event if an appropriate sacrifice was made to God. Therefore, the prince handed over one of his villages to a nearby Cistercian monastery. The knights’ worries were not unfounded because the church did disapprove of tournaments. The clergy preferred the warriors to shed blood against the infidels and not against each other. Furthermore, anyone who died in the tournament was denied a Christian burial, thus condemning their souls to damnation. After being granted the land, however, the clergy’s resistance subsided.

Henry IV the Righteous depicted as the winner of a knight tournament, 1304

The Duke of Wrocław, Henryk IV Probus, loved tournaments. We learn about this in a letter from the Bishop of Wrocław Tomasz Zaremba. The clergyman wrote with indignation that in 1284, Henryk had illegally occupied the bishop’s town of Nysa. There he organized a tournament lasting four days. During this time, the knights ate all the provisions from the bishop’s pantry. According to the priest, they also forced the local population to work. The dispute ended with the ex-communication of Henryk IV.

Tournaments have likely been known in the capital city of Kraków at least since the mid-13th century. The diadem of the Blessed Kinga, wife of Bolesław V the Chaste, comes from this period and depicts knights stumbling on their lances in tournament competition. Until the 14th century, knightly games were organized in all Polish territories.

Tournaments experienced a real boom during the reign of Władysław Jagiełło. Although the ruler did not enjoy this type of entertainment, he was aware of its popularity among the knightly class. As noted by the chronicler Jan Długosz, on the occasion of Jagiełło’s coronation in 1386, several tournaments of lancers and swordsmen, as well as dances, were held in celebration. In the following years, similar events were regularly held. In 1397, the king of Hungary, Sigismund of Luxemburg, fought in the ranks at the Krakow court with the Polish knights. Poles also visited foreign tournaments. The chivalrous achievements of Zawisza Czarny (Zawisza the Black) have become legendary. Pyła from Taczów, Jan Głowacz, and Marcin Jastrzębiec were also famous for their multiple triumphs in competitions. All of them participated in a great tournament in Buda in 1412. Bartosz of Wezenbork, a courtier of Prince Siemowit IV, also became famous for his achievements in tilting at the rings in Paris.

Zawisza Czarny in a detail of Jan Matejko’s Battle of Grunwald

Lances, swords, and maces

The most popular form of tournament competition was jousting. During this competition, two knights charged at each other on horseback, trying to knock their opponent off their saddle. Due to the frequent collisions of the mounts, the warriors were eventually separated by a wooden barrier. However, this caused other problems. For example, in the second half of the 15th century, King Casimir IV Jagiellon organized a great tournament in Krakow, and an English knight came to meet him. Jakub of Kobylany, the king’s courtier, decided to test the newcomer and face him in the competition. During the joust, the Englishman lowered his lance too much. As a result, the lance hit the wooden barrier, and the unlucky knight flew out of the saddle and broke his shoulder blade.

Gladiatura, also known as fencing, involved fighting with swords. Duels could also take place with maces or axes. The repertoire of chivalric combat also included group fights on foot and horseback. They were valued because they were excellent training for a real battle.

The high risk of injury during tournaments prompted using the best protection. Therefore, combat armor was different from tournament armor. The latter, as a rule, was heavier – as the knight had to withstand several direct clashes in them and not an entire battle. Various types of armor were worn for different competitions. Also, various types of clothes were worn for jousts, group fights, or foot duels. Other kinds of armor were equipped with interchangeable parts that could be adapted to many types of competition.

In the 16th century, safer tournament activities, such as “Chasing the Ring” or tilting, became increasingly popular as these did not require the knights to fight. Instead, the goal was to catch a wooden hoop or ring with a lance – while remaining at full gallop. This demonstration allowed the competitor to show off their equestrian grace and skill in using weapons without risk of injury.

Casimir IV Jagiellon by Kajetan Wincenty Kielisiński, 1841

Organization

Heralds played an essential role in tournament competitions. They had to be familiar with all the coats of arms and nicknames to correctly announce the names of the knights entering the square. Guests from abroad were greeted in their native language. The famous Bavarian herald Johann Holland, during a presentation in 1420, announced the competitors in six languages – including Polish. The herald had to be an exemplar of education and culture.

Tournament judges fulfilled crucial roles as well. Some would watch the competition with the ruler, their spouses, and the ladies-in-waiting. Sometimes additional judges were selected from among the most distinguished knights. Their task was to determine the time and place of the competition. In addition, they checked the weapons before the start of the fights. They also signaled the beginning and end of the tournament. Finally, and most importantly – the judges who watched the tournament from the box would decide who deserved the laurel of victory. In 1578, the “Articles of chasing the ring” was written down on the occasion of the wedding of Jan Zamojski and Krystyna Radziwiłłówna. These articles provided six points for catching the ring with a lance, three for hitting it on the top edge, two on the bottom edge, and one for hitting the left or right edge. All points were taken away for touching the rope on which the ring hung.

We can see that there was a lot to fight for when it came to a tournament organized in Krakow in 1518 on the occasion of the wedding of Sigismund the Old to Bona Sforza. The best warrior turned out to be the Margrave of Brandenburg, Casimir. After the fighting, he was presented with a golden wreath in the shape of a crown with nineteen rubies, eleven pearls, and three roses composed of diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. In addition, five other knights were honored with awards. Furthermore, the knights received numerous honors. These included sitting close to the ruler or starting the post-tournament ball with the first dance.

Knightly tournament in Łęczyca (photo: PAP/G. Michałowski)

The twilight of the tournament

Changes on modern battlefields meant that the age of chivalry gradually became a thing of the past. Individual combat skills meant less than the iron discipline and cooperation of the more modern infantry, cavalry, and artillery. With the decline of chivalric culture, tournaments were abandoned. The high costs of the organization and the significant risk of injury did not encourage the continuation of the tradition. Tilting lasted the longest in Poland, i.e. until the mid-17th century. Gradually, however, the competition lost its military function, becoming a form of physical recreation and a show of dexterity.

 

Author: Antoni Olbrychski
Translation: Alicja Rose & Jessica Sirotin