Comments on: Tournament

By: Julianne Douglas

Julianne Douglas — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:31:42 +0000

I second the recommendation of Knight’s Tale! Definitely not scholarly fare, but LOADS of fun.

Guess I’m doing my job right, if people are starting to think Renaissance….[s]

By: Teresa

Teresa — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:54:41 +0000

It is just so much FUN! When a lot of people were complaining it was totally ahistorical, some of the members on Mediev-l were saying that it really captures the spirit and atmosphere of the tournament circuit and the era in general. It’s a fairy tale with some amazing jousting scenes. I saw it twice on the big screen just for those. And then there’s James Purefoy and Paul Bettany (who is BRILLIANT as young Chaucer) – they’re the cherry on top

By: lucypick

lucypick — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:24:16 +0000

What makes it difficult to write is that it is a very early tournament, around 1118, when a lot of the pomp and ritual we expect had not yet developed. So I am having to work backwards from what we know but imagine something quite different. I’m writing about the knight of individual jousting that precedes the grand melee the next day, and I need to have one character humiliate another. It’s going, but slowly.

Teresa, I’ve never seen A Knight’s Tale! I suspect I’d love it…

By: Catherine Delors

Catherine Delors — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:54:03 +0000

What is the date of your tournament, Lucy? Anything as dramatic as the death of Henri II?
It’s Julianne’s fault: I see the Renaissance everywhere now.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:48:04 +0000

Cool! I’d watch A Knight’s Tale for inspiration, if I were you. Ya know if rock music had existed at the time, they’d have used We Will Rock You!

By: Dd

Dd — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:02:02 +0000

oh- I love this factoid! how bout trying to write a battle scene but not about the battle- maybe one fallen man and what he is seeing hearing as he lies there in a lump in the mud