Osprey - General Military - Knight - The Warrior and ... - Brego-weard

A similar device, but for mounted combat, was the quintain. Comprrsing at its most
simple a target on a post, or in its more complex form a swivelling arm with the target
on one end and a weight on the other, the aim was again to teach accuracy with the
lance and skill at riding. A clean strike to the target would cause the arm to swing,
which encouraged the rider to spur on past the target or receive a hefiy blow to the
back of the head. A similar idea lay behind riding at the ring, where ihe target was
replaced by a ring that the rider had to thread his lance through.
As well as these solo exercises there would have been opportunities for sparring
matches in which combatants paired up and fought with wooden wasters, staffs of
whalebone or blunted weapons. Again, the Speculum regale emphasizes the importance
of such drills, encouraging the young household warrior to go out regularly with sword
and shield or buckler, choosing a companion
... who likes to drill with you and whom you know to be well trained to fight... In this
game you should strive to learn suitable thrusts and such counterstrokes as are good,
necessary, and convenient. Learn precisely how to cover yourself with the shield, so that
you may be able to guard well when you have to deal with a foeman.
Whilst such drills could be encouraged as serious practice they were also pursued
as forms of martial entertainment, games in which the young warriors could amuse
themselves, again reminding us that martial pursuits
were very much at the heart of these men's lives.
It seems the squires lost no opportunity for a test
of martial skill, and both the romances and
chronicles are littered with references to the
rough and tumble of the young drones. There was
even a name for these impromptu scraps — bobord
or behourdd.
It was not just squires who played such games.
Richard the Lionheart, whilst staying on the island
of Sicily on his way to the Holy Land, took canes
from a passing peasant as weapons for a behourd whilst
out riding with members of his household and some
French knights. Despite their spontaneous nature, such
play fights were an invaluable way in which the young
warrior could hone his skills and, since the protagonists
invariably seemed to divide into teams, cooperation with
other warriors.
TACTICS AND TRAINING -}=>•
Mask from a Roman
cavalry 'sports' helmet.
This kind of parade armour
was regularly used for
the cavalry ludi (literally
'games'), which were both
training for battle and an
opportunity to show off
one's skill, much like
the medieval tournament.
(Bridgeman Art Library)
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