Evaluate and create 5 refer to source 1 and conduct

Evaluate and create
5
Refer to Source 1 and conduct some further
research on the Internet in order to design two
separate out fi ts for:
•
a peasant man or woman in medieval England
•
a nobleman or noblewoman in medieval England.
Sketch and colour your fi nished garments, ensuring
that they follow the established rules and laws in
medieval England (in terms of colours, materials and
styles).
Falconry involved using trained birds of prey such
as eagles, falcons and hawks to catch small animals
such as pigeons and hares (see Source 4). The type of
hunting bird used indicated a person’s status – eagles,
for example, were only owned by kings. Appearing in
public with a bird of prey on a leather-strapped wrist
was a sign of a person’s wealth and social status.
Source 5 This painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Children’s Games ( c. 1560), shows a wide range of games played by children
in medieval Europe.
The poor did not have many opportunities for
entertainment, but during special feasts, such as at
harvest time, there might be dancing, dice throwing,
ball games and wrestling, for example. Many of
the games played by medieval children, such as
hopscotch and hide-and-seek, are still played today
(see Source 5).
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chapter 9 medieval europe
9A What was life like in medieval Europe and how was society organised?

Squires were boys training to be knights.
They acted as servants to the knight who
was guiding them. At tournaments, a squire
would help a knight put on his armour and
mount his horse, and help if he was hurt
or unhorsed.
Coloured shields displaying the knights’ coats
of arms were hung up. Knights could choose
the person they wished to combat by hitting a shield.
Special armour was used in tournaments.
It was heavier and more ornate, but knights
at tournaments were not expected to move
around for long periods in armour.
Source 1 A modern artist’s impression of a medieval tournament
9.6 Tournaments and fairs
Tournaments were another form of entertainment
popular across medieval Europe. The earliest
tournaments took place in the 11th century. They
were held in the open countryside and were very
violent battles between two teams of up to 100
knights a side. Over time, tournaments developed
into well-organised public events like the one shown
in Source 1, where knights could show off their skills
to the excited spectators.
The highlights of every tournament were an
organised battle and a series of jousts. In a joust,
two knights each holding a lance (a long wooden
pole with pointed metal tip) would ride towards
each other on horseback and
try to knock each other off.
In addition to these events, people attending
tournaments could eat, drink and be entertained
by musicians and performers.
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oxford big ideas humanities and social sciences 8 western australian curriculum

Special lances were used that would shatter
on impact to avoid injury. The knight who
snapped his lance on an opponent’s shield
was declared winner. In later years, a points
system was developed, which took into account
where a ‘hit’ landed on an opponent.