Jousting
Jousting is a mounted contest in which opponents charge one another with lances, traditionally trying to unhorse each other or break their lances.
Jousting lance: A long lance designed for mounted combat or tournament jousting, often made to break on impact. Its length, balance, and breakable tip determined how a charge landed.
Medieval tournament: A public contest of arms and horsemanship held in medieval Europe. Jousting developed within tournaments that combined combat training and display.
Modern jousting: A contemporary sport that recreates mounted lance contests under organized rules. It carries the contest into present-day competition with safety regulations.
Mêlée: A group combat in which multiple opponents fight simultaneously, often in a tournament setting. Unlike a joust's paired charges, a mêlée involves many combatants at once.
Tilting barrier: A low partition separating opposing lanes in some forms of jousting. It kept horses apart while allowing riders to strike across the barrier.
Mounted warfare: Military action conducted by troops fighting from horseback. The lance charge drew on techniques used in mounted combat.
Historical reenactment: The staged recreation of historical events, practices, and material culture. Jousting is often performed to represent medieval tournament life.
Duel: A formally arranged contest between two people, traditionally fought to settle a dispute or defend honor. A joust is a regulated mounted contest, not necessarily a dispute-ending duel.
Jousting rules: The regulations governing a joust's equipment, scoring, conduct, and victory conditions. Rules turned dangerous lance charges into a bounded contest.
Chivalry: A medieval code and ideal associated with knightly conduct, loyalty, and martial honor. Tournament culture presented the joust as a display of knightly virtues.