Caerlaverock CastleSaturday 27 & Sunday 28 July 2019 | 12.30pm – 4.30pm

SPECTACULAR JOUSTING

CAERLAVEROCK CASTLE

Welcome to Caerlaverock Castle, for a day of thrills and excitement, as medieval knights take to the field to prove their worth!

Our daring knights will battle it out in a dramatic show of bravery and skill in our jousting tournament. Support your hero in their attempt to win honour and the prize. Visit the colourful encampments and experience medieval life first-hand.

Historic Environment Scotland requests that adults ensure children stay outside the jousting arena at all times unless otherwise instructed.

PROGRAMME

TIME EVENT LOCATION

12.30pm Arming the Army Castle arena

A knight prepares for battle. As he dons his armour to protect himself from arrow, sword and pike, find out what’s in a warrior’s wardrobe.

1pm Falconry Display Jousting arena

View beautiful birds in flight as our court falconer explains the role of falconry in medieval society.

1.30pm Spectacular Jousting! Jousting arena

The moment everyone has been waiting for. Hear the thunder of hooves, the clash of lances and the shattering of shields in a thrilling display of daring and horsemanship.

2.30pm Kid’s Army: A Call To Arms Castle arena

The lord is looking for new recruits, and invites budding soldiers to try out some training in preparation for joining the Kids’ Army. Do you have what it takes?

3.15pm Spectacular Jousting! Jousting arena

The brave knights return to the arena for another showdown, testing their mettle once more at the tilt.

4.10pm Roll of Caerlaverock Castle arena

“Mighty was Caerlaverock Castle. Siege it feared not...” Hear how Edward I’s mighty siege engines put this to the test. Who was victorious?

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PROGRAMME OF EVENTS

CASTLE GROUNDSLiving History CampWander through the living history encampments, meet soldiers fresh from combat and try your hand at medieval crafts.

Junior JoustingDo you have what it takes to be a great jousting knight? Get your lance at the ready and take aim at the tilt.

Have-a-go ArcheryCome along and meet the archer and see if you have the strength to wield the mighty bow and arrow!

Caerlaverock Castle Quest AppMeet the characters of the castle and discover what their lives were like in 1312. Bring them to life with our Castle Quest augmented reality game. The app is downloadable to your device on site, however due to numbers WiFi may be slow.

JOUSTING FIELD AND ACTIVITIES MARQUEEStablesVisit the knights’ horses, see how they are looked after and what they like to eat.

FalconryMeet the court falconer and find out about traditional training and hunting techniques used by the Scottish nobility.

Pop up Museum and Young Curator ActivityGet hands-on with history at our pop-up museum, seeing and handling genuine historical objects. Meet one of our experts and learn how curators record the objects they care for.

Traditional SkillsWatch our stonemasons demonstraing the traditional trade of stone-carving – and try your hand at the skill yourself.

Craft ActivityMake your own jousting helmet to take home.

ON THROUGHOUT THE DAY

Please note: programme may be subject to change.3

CAERLAVEROCK CASTLE

WHAT WAS JOUSTING?Jousting was a kind of sporting contest in which two knights on horseback charged towards each other armed with lances. Jousting sessions were very popular in Scotland during the Middle Ages.

HOW DID IT START?Originally, it was a way of training knights for battle, and it was very violent. In the late Middle Ages it became an entertainment for the king and his court, with special rules and a scoring system.

WHAT WAS A TOURNAMENT?A tournament – or ‘tourney’ – was an event at which jousting took place. It often included other kinds of battle game, allowing competitors to show how good they were at fighting. Tournaments also had more peaceful entertainments, such as feasts and pageants.

WHAT WAS CHIVALRY?This was a system of behaviour, a bit like good manners for knights. They were expected to be loyal, honest, brave and generous, to believe in God, to read or write poetry and to be faithful to a beloved maiden. They were also meant to behave honourably in battle, and show mercy to defeated enemies.

WHY DID PEOPLE HOLD TOURNAMENTS?They were often held as celebrations – to mark a victory in battle, or the signing of a peace treaty, or a royal wedding. Sometimes they were held during wars, to keep soldiers busy and to train them.

WHO WAS THE HOST?In Scotland tournaments were usually organised by kings. David II, James IV and James V were very keen on jousting – both as hosts and as competitors. James IV is thought to have taken part in at least two tournaments disguised as a wild knight.

ABOUT JOUSTING

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Right and opposite top: 15th-century Illustrations of knights at a tournament.

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ABOUT JOUSTING

• A knight won points by hitting his opponent’s head or body, smashing his lance or (best of all!) knocking him off his horse.

• A knight would lose points if he hit his opponent’s horse or legs: this was not chivalrous behaviour.

• In some tournaments there were prizes for most spears broken, hitting an opponent three times on the head or forcing a horse and its rider to the ground.

• The winners were presented with valuable gifts. James IV may have given the winner of one tournament gilded armour.

• Tokens such as badges or ribbons were handed to knights by ladies to bring them luck.

• Tournaments were umpired by heralds. The heralds also planned the event and made sure knights were allowed to participate.

• Kings often presided over tournaments. If the monarch felt both parties had proven themselves worthy he might stop it.

THE RULES

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WHERE IN SCOTLAND WERE THEY HELD?Early Scottish tournaments were often held in the Borders, and knights from Scotland and England fought against each other. In the 15th and 16th centuries, tournaments frequently took place at royal centres, such as Edinburgh and Stirling.

HOW WERE KNIGHTS RECOGNISED?Each knight had a different coat of arms. He would display it on a brightly coloured surcoat, worn over his armour, and on his shield. This was called livery – it was also worn by the knight’s horse and squire.

HOW DANGEROUS WERE TOURNAMENTS?Tournaments could be extremely dangerous events, especially where the contestants already held grudges. In 1342 several competitors died at a joust at Berwick where the English and Scots fought each other with raised visors. Later tournaments were more regulated, but could still result in deaths. In 1485 James III’s younger brother, Alexander, Duke of Albany, was killed by a splinter from a lance at a joust in Paris.

ARE SUITS OF ARMOUR USED NOWADAYS?Modern soldiers (and motorcyclists) use flexible synthetic armour such as Kevlar. And in 1962, some NASA scientists who were designing space suits visited the Tower of London. They wanted to study the jousting armour of King Henry VIII.

CAERLAVEROCK CASTLE

Based near Jedburgh in the Borders of Scotland, Les Amis d’Onno specialise in spectacular stunt riding, horseback archery and performing dogs.

At their home Lanton Hill Farm they have also built Scotland’s only equestrian theatre, where they run events and experience days.

Their name means the friends of Onno – Onno (or Noble) being one of the teams founding horses.

With many thanks to all of our living history groups and costumed performers:

• Alba Adventure Company

• Carrick 800

• The Historic Saltire Society

• Living History Scotland Ltd

• Medieval Realm

• Rusty Bodkins

• Strathblane Falconry

• History Matters Ltd

ABOUT LES AMIS D’ONNO

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

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www.lesamisdonno.com

ABOUT JOUSTING

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SIR ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS OF GALLOWAY Sir Archibald has been maintaining his family honour for many a year but these

competitors are more fearsome than most. With ancestry stretching back to the time of Robert the Bruce, he will certainly be bringing his top game.

SIR ROBERT SINCLAIR OF ROSSLYN This lowland competitor certainly has youth on his side, a scholarly lad sworn to knightly

honour. But will confidence and chivalry help him against more experienced competitors?

ABOUT THE KNIGHTS

SIR WILLIAM MAXWELL OF CAERLAVEROCK Is known to be a hot-headed competitor on the tournament circuit but also in the hunting field.

He is certainly a sportsman to look out for. Let us witness his skills!

SIR CHECKMATE FITZPERCY OF ALNWICK Descended from the mighty Percy family of Northumberland. Banned from many a tournament grounds

for bad behaviour, Sir Checkmate endeavours to compete at any cost through fair means or foul. Generally foul!

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