Medieval Courts and Knight Tournaments

Jul 16, 2007 by El Heraldo

On the description we include next to the coat of arms you can find in our ARCHIVE section, we, usually, mention the Real Chancillería (court) de Valladolid or any other Chancillería.

King Enrique III was a busy man. He had to attend and make decisions about their war with the Moors as well as the problems among the nobility members.  On 1371, through a course decicion that took place in Toro, King Enrique III created a Chansilleria (court) that would travel with him throughout Castilla and help him make decisions and solve any problems among the nobility members.  Later, on 1390, King Juan I ordered the Chancillería to establish their base in Segovia.  On 1442, King Juan II moved the Chancillería to Valladoli permanently.

The word “Heraldry” comes from Herald. As we mentioned before, the herald was the king spokesperson and the coat of arms holder.  Eventually, the herald was assigned outher duties such as serving as a jury on all turnaments.  The herald was in cherge to dictate rules and procedures for all turnaments and confirm the participants’ elegibility.  The herald would verify the nature and validity of the coat of arms of the knights participating in a tournament. Planning the ceremonies before and after the tournament was also the harlad’s duty.

Tournaments were part of a solemn celebration such as a coronation. Knights would combat on horse in a ring.  The combat field was divided with a fence which prevented the horses to run over each other.  The knights’ weapon was a wooden lance prepared in such a way so the lance would not make fatal damage to the oponent.  The intention of that weapon was to knock down the oponent.  The one that fell was declared loser without staining the knight’s honor.  This was considered just a joust between knights.

Sometimes fatal accidents happened, as the one of king of France Enrique II.  During the match in honor of the queen of Scotland, Maria Estuardo, who came to contract nuptials with the dolphin of France, King Enrique II wanted to participate, facing Count de Montgomery, Scottish commander of the guard. At the time of impact a chip of the lance entered by one of the cracks of the monrach’s helmet crossing his eye and kiling him. If I am not mistaken, this event was predicted by Nostradamus.

Each and every participant in a tournament had their own tent. The knights kept their armor and other accessories to use in the combat.  At the entrance of their tent they had a lance with a pennant displaying the knight coat of arms.  Also, knights displayed their coat of arms in gualdrapas (long skirt that covers and adorns the haunches of the horse).

Written by Eduardo J. Farias Ramos
Translated by EJ Jr.