Medieval Entertainment From Tournaments to Troubadours

What images does the word medieval conjure up in your mind? For most people, I would imagine it could be knights in shining armour galloping to the aid of damsels in distress. Or perhaps it is the kings and queens of long-forgotten school history lessons and mighty battles. Maybe it is even that famous outlaw Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. For many people today, the medieval world is a far-off, distant country where life was hard, and death was ever-present. But throughout all of this, we should remember that the people who lived then are little different from us today. They were human, just like us. They lived and loved; they felt pain and anger; joy and despair; and they embraced death. And for all that we might think it was a dour time to have lived through, there was a lot of laughter. People celebrated life and found entertainment in many different ways. From simple storytelling, ball-and-stick games, music, song, and dancing to embryonic dramatic performances, entertainment was to be found everywhere. And then of course, there was the ultimate thrill of the medieval joust, with the thunder of horses’ hooves and the splintering of lances as armoured knights clashed against each other. Medieval Entertainment takes a broad look at how people entertained themselves and others and makes us aware that our present-day lives are grounded in the medieval world of colour and pageantry.