Medieval Tournaments

This passage describes the events in a tournament during medieval times.

Lexile Level: 610L

Categories: History Sports & Health

In medieval times, knights protected lords in their castles. Life in the castle could get boring, especially during peacetime. The lords wanted entertainment. The knights needed training and practice for future battles. Knights began to hold mock battles at the castle. The lords watched what looked like small armies attack as if in combat. These mock battles were called tournaments. Tournaments were dangerous. Many knights were hurt by accident. Some knights even died. Over time, tournaments changed into competitions between two knights instead of small armies. These competitions were exciting to watch. The knights dressed in full armor. They mounted their horses. Then, they faced their competitors. With a long pole in their hands, they charged towards each other. The goal was to make their competitor fall off their horse. Tournament winners received prizes and praise from the castle's spectators. Sometimes the winner rode away with the loser's armor!