JOUST OF WAR

In the 13c and 14c England was frequently at war with both France and Scotland. Such wars rarely involved full-scale pitched battles; rather, there were skirmishes and much plundering of the countryside. From this came a variation of the sport ofjousting: hostile combat or jousts of war. On these occasions men were killed. However, afterwards a *herald announced winners, or those who had jousted best on each side. During sieges, which could be very tedious, knights from the two sides used convenient open spaces for hostile jousting. They are known as 'tourneys a outrance' = to the bitter end, or to the death. -

Cf.Joust of peace