Water Jousting .vs. Jousting

During the Middle Ages, jousting was a very common sport. When participating in jousting, two opponents would ride on horseback and fight using lances. A medieval lance was usually a wooden spear with a metal tip on the end (Lance-Medieval Middle Ages). When discussing medieval sport, most people are unaware of water jousting. When I asked people to describe water jousting to me, they just assumed that it was like normal jousting, but in the water. However, this is a false assumption. While jousting was performed in a court yard at a castle, water jousting took place in rivers. Instead of horses, people who participated in water jousting would stand up near the bow of a boat and use a long pole to try and knock down an opponent in an oncoming boat (Newman).

The illuminated manuscript below shows an example of water jousting. The illuminated manuscript comes from Oxford. By viewing this image, you can clearly visualize how water jousting might have looked. Viewers can distinguish the pole, and the opponent and the other people in the boat.

Newman mentions in his book, "Daily Life in the Middle Ages", that water jousting took place

during the summer as part of a civic festival. One interesting fact that I learned from Newman is that water jousting involved young men from sponsoring towns rather than nobles practicing for war.

I really like water jousting because no one ever got seriously injured during the game. During regular jousting, the opponents have to worry about injury's or death from the lances. In contrast, the worst outcome from water jousting is getting knocked into the water.   

Sources:

Newman, Paul B. "Relaxing and Playing." Daily Life in the Middle Ages. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2001. 163-64. Print.                         

Unknown. "Lance - Medieval Middle Ages." Medieval Middle Ages. N.p., 03 Feb. 2013. Web. 29 Aug. 2016. <http://www.medievalmiddleages.com/weapons/lance.html>. 

Illuminated Manuscript:

Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Bodley 264