I realized that I write fantasy and never wrote a scene that involved jousting.  I might have a few characters in my notes who use lances, but I never really put much thought into this activity.  So, do I think I can write a post about it?

First, I guess I’ll explain what jousting is . . . Two people ride horses at each other and use lances.  The object of the sport is to knock the opponent off first.  I think modern versions also have a point system where you get them for breaking a lance and hitting specific areas as well as unhorsing.  Sounds pretty simple in terms of the rules, but I’m only going over the basics.  It has to be physically demanding on the rider and the horse.

There are places that do jousts like Ren Faires and some eateries that have a knight competition atmosphere.  So, the activity hasn’t died out.  Yet, I doubt everyone has heard of it or seen it.  I have a vague memory of seeing one when I was a kid, but I didn’t really understand.  That and I believe I was enjoying drinking soda out of a large, metal flagon that would normally hold beer.  Probably no older than 9, so my interests were not as worldly.  Anyway, I’m sure people can find a place to witness a joust if they look hard enough.

In terms of fiction, jousting really doesn’t have a variety of uses.  It’s a form of entertainment, which is typically associated with nobles.  Participants need horses, lances, armor, and some level of training, which typically doesn’t happen in lower classes.  That is unless the story is about a peasant who is determined to become a jousting champion or knight through a contest.  Yes, I know ‘A Knight’s Tale’ exists and will be mentioned in the comments.  Beat you to it.  Outside of that film’s underdog plot, it’s difficult to fit jousting into a story that doesn’t even noble entertainment.  Adventurers might get thrown into it somehow, but they would at least have training in combat and horse-riding.  You really have to stretch it a bit.

Maybe jousting works best as a background feature.  For example, the characters might be going through a festival and happen to see a jousting contest.  Perhaps they have a meeting within the crowd, which would be big enough to hide them.  This shows jousting exists and you can demonstrate some of the rules, especially if a character has a bet on one of the knights.  It can open the door for an adventurer to have a background in jousting, but again that can be limiting.

What do other people think of jousting?  Do you think it could have some versatility in a story?