Two teams, two boats, two men, dressed in white, ultimately battling for victory and prestige, but in the end only one winner remains dry at the completion of the battle. The victor raises his shield high in triumph, while the other goes home literally soaked in defeat!
What images come to your mind when you think of the Medieval World?
Do your thoughts quickly jump to scenes of knights on horseback, clad in heavy armor as they go out into battle? Or maybe you think of the sights, sounds, (& smells!) of a small village as its inhabitants seek to live out their lives in extremely hard circumstances? For many of us, our minds tend to race toward images of the various “games” that were played during this time period.
Medieval Jousting
During the Middle Ages, one of the sporting events that was readily trained for by the knights of the time was the game of “jousting.” Knights, along with their pages, would train for this event during the “off” season when they were not at war.
A New Spin on the Joust
After the end of the Middle Ages, the south of France put its own “spin” on this traditional sporting event. Since 1601, instead of knights clad in armor, mounting their faithful steeds and conquering their foes on land, here in the south they battle their opponents on sea!
Two teams, two boats, two men, dressed in white, ultimately battling for victory and prestige, but in the end only one winner remains dry at the completion of the battle. The victor raises his shield high in triumph, while the other goes home literally soaked in defeat!
Each summer, this traditional joust takes place along various ports of the Mediterranean Sea. For more information on this traditional sporting event that reflects an aspect of the summer activities here in the south, I would highly recommend visiting the Sète Office of Tourism website.
