Was Jousting deadly in the middle ages?

Question

I saw an episode of Game of Thrones (which I know is fictional)
but anyway there is a joust and one of the competitors die.

Is this what happened in jousting? Did competitors really fight to the death? I always thought the objective was just to knock them off the horse.

Answer 1

Over time, jousting grew safer, but it was always a dangerous sport. The only difference from real combat was that each combatant was aiming at the others shield to minimize the risk. The horses would not be at full charge in the distance they had to move, unlike a battlefield. But even at half speed you're talking about a combined speed of around 30mph. Arms wavered, and the lance might hit the head, or leg, of one of the knights. A horse might stumble. Or if one of the jousters had a hidden grudge, they might "accidentally" aim for a lethal strike.

Through the middle ages the rules evolved. Dulled edges on the lances, lances designed to break under light pressure, improved armor all helped people survive. But accidents happened, and people were injured or died.

The biggest risks in tournaments occurred in the melee, which was an event that faded out of favor. In the melee, the knights were divided into two teams. The teams then went at each other as if they were in real battle. As fighters were injured or yielded, they left the field until only one team remained. In the melee, with the constant motion, real weapons, and adrenaline rush, it wasn't uncommon for people to be seriously injured.

Fights to the death were rare, and would require special permission from the person putting on the tournament. Liege lords didn't like their vassals killing each other off, at least not outside an approved war. But sometimes it was easier to allow two knights or nobles to fight to the death in a tournament than it was to risk a wider conflict between the two.

Answer 2

You've been watching too many Hollywood films I'm afraid. Ask yourself this question: if you were a noble and were responsible to the King for training - at your own expense - 50 knights, which cost you the equivalent in today's money of $1,000,000 each - would you allow them to compete in a contest where they might be killed? Of course you wouldn't. In fact the main objective in a joust was NOT to knock the knight off his horse; rather, the object was to "break a lance" on the small shield that each knight carried. To this end all the lances were cut at an angle and a piece of light wood glued in with fish glue. This ensured that the lance would break, and preserve the life of the knight. Each time a lance broke, one point was awarded to the knight that broke the lance correctly against the shield. If both lances broke against a shield the ponut was halved and given to both opponents. Any knight who struck their opponent anywhere outside the shield was adjudged to have struck "foul" and had a full point deducted. The knight with the most number of points at the end of the day was declared the winner. More dangerous was the Melee - where all the competing knights fought together in one mass skirmish - there it was acceptable to knock someone off their horse - but since they were not charging each other at a closing speed of 50mph or more, there was not much likelihood of serious injury or death - although this did happen from time to time. However, it was not considered necessary or advisable to fight to the death. This would only happen where there was a quarrel where it had been deemed necessary by the King that it was settled in "trial by combat". In England today there is a venue, at Hertmonceux castle in East Sussex on August Bank Holiday, where full contact jousting still takes place.

Answer 3

The primary purpose of the jousting lance is to unhorse the other by striking them with the end of the lance while riding towards them at high speed. This is known as "tilting". Other weapons were also used for jousting. Of course accidents happen. In France, the 1559 death of King Henry II of wounds suffered in a tournament led to the end of jousting as a sport.

Answer 4

What Is Jousting

Answer 5

The point is to knock them off the horse or to hit them in the chest, BUT being hit by a wooden pole that's coming towards you quite fast can really cause injuries. Falling off a horse at speed can kill you too.