The Tournament at Saint-Inglevert in 1390

How three French knights organized a tournament which lasted for 30 days, taking on challengers from all over Europe. On the importance of tournaments for medieval aristocratic culture.

I would like to talk about a magnificent tournament of knights which took place at Saint-Inglevert near Calais in 1390.

Three French knights, Jean II Le Maingre “Boucicaut”, Regnault de Roye and Jean de Sempy, issued a challenge inviting all comers to meet them in a friendly trial of arms. Knights from all over Europe were invited to joust and the tournament was scheduled to last for 30 days between 20 March and 20 April.

The challenge was directed particularly at English knights. For this reason, the location was chosen in close proximity to England. A year prior to that, a three-year truce had been agreed between France and England, putting a temporary stop to the Hundred Years’ War. This presented an opportunity for knights from both sides to participate in a tournament together and joust against each other. Knights from other parts of Europe were also invited to participate. The challenge was sent out three months before the due date, so that the knights would have enough time to arrive.

Part of the formal invitation read, “… and we beg all those noble knights and foreign squires who are willing to come not to imagine for a moment that we are doing this out of pride, hatred or malice, but in order to have the honour of their company and to get to know them better, a thing which we desire with our whole hearts. And none of our shields shall be covered with iron or steel, nor shall the shields of those who come to joust against us. Nor shall there be any other unfair advantage, fraud, trickery or evil design, nor anything not approved by those appointed by both sides to guard the lists.”

The three aforementioned French knights who organized the whole event set up three luxurious crimson tents in a field between Calais and the Abbey of Saint-Inglevert. The place was perfect for jousting, for it was a wide and spacious stretch of ground with a level surface of good grass. The three French knights were delighted to hear that a large number of knights and squires had come across from England to Calais and were ready to joust. The organizers of the tournament were well prepared for the arrival of knights and their retinues. Boucicaut’s biography describes how he “provisioned the site with excellent wines and meats, and with everything else that might be needed: enough to ensure that he could hold table for all comers during the whole event, and all at his own expense.” This was necessary since the foreign knights who arrived to joust were also accompanied by their servants. There was also a “crowd of heralds, trumpeters, minstrels ... people of all degree.”

Each one of the three French knights hung two shields emblazoned with his arms at the entrance of his tent. One was a shield of peace and the other a shield of war. The knights who wished to challenge them would knock on one of the shields, which meant a formal declaration of challenge. A horn was placed next to the shields, to be blown by anyone requesting a joust. Choosing the “peace” shield meant that the arms used in the joust would be lighter and less lethal. This type of joust was called à plaisance. The participants would be given a lance with a coronel, a crown-shaped lance-head, with four blunted tines. Such modified lance reduced the impact and minimized the chance of serious injury. However those who stroke the war shield would joust à outrance, using the real weapons of war. The French knights were ready to accept challenges every day except Friday. The challenge would involve five passes at the joust with each comer. Once any challenger had struck the appropriate shield, the appropriate defender was to come out fully armed, on his destrier, his lance raised, ready to spur into action.

Such tournaments were part of medieval chivalric culture. They were part of a long tradition which went back to at least the late 11th century. But earlier tournaments were different from the ones in Late Middle Ages. Initially, tournaments primarily served as mock battles between two different groups of warriors who would practice fighting in formation this way. This was especially useful for training mounted combat which encouraged cohesion and group discipline. However such format of tournaments did not offer much opportunities for showcasing individual skill and prowess. This is why as early as 12th century, jousting became popular and began to be included on tournaments. A joust featured a pair of knights, each of whom would try to strike the opponent with a lance. This was better suited for the individualistic culture of medieval aristocracy. It offered individual knights opportunities to show their courage and skills and gain great fame and honor, fighting with their coat of arms in front of a crowd of spectators. Jousting continued to rise in popularity for this reason, eventually replacing mock battles between groups altogether. Medieval tournaments increasingly became spectacles and were often combined with other forms of entertainment or ceremony. Another difference to earlier tournaments was that the Late Medieval jousts became safer. This was due to introduction of safer weapons and development of better-quality armor, which protected the knights better. They also began imposing various rules. It became a more controlled form of combat, yet still dangerous and exciting.

The participants of the tournament at Saint-Inglevert in 1390 might have been enemies in the Hundred Years’ War, but they belonged to the same aristocratic culture. As I mentioned before, this was a very individualistic culture which revolved around concepts of honor and reputation. Even though they were expected to serve their kingdoms, knights were also in pursuit of achieving personal glory and fame. Jousting and performing well on a tournament, where many knights of great renown were present, was a perfect opportunity for this. At the same time, tournaments continued to fulfill their basic military training function as well. Even though they were safer than they used to be in the beginning, they were still very dangerous and a good way for knights to mentally prepare for the dangers they would face in a battle, as well as to test their skills with lances. Tournaments provided an opportunity and motivation for knights to train in weapons and riding even when there was no conflict. This way they would stay sharp and ready to fight in real battles when needed. Knights also took pride in serving their respective crowns, and challenging and beating knights of an enemy kingdom could bring great honor to their own kingdom.

Boucicaut in particular was a knight who embodied all these ideals and was eager to face challengers at Saint-Inglevert as one of the organizers. He was aware that there were many knights who wanted to challenge him because of the reputation he had.

Boucicaut was indeed the first knight who was challenged. Sir John Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, sent one of his squires to knock on the war shield of Boucicaut. This meant that he wanted to challenge him to joust à outrance, using real weapons of war. Boucicaut came out of his tent in full armor, mounted his destrier (a very powerful type of war horse), and took up a shield and then a stout lance with a good steel point. The two knights clapped spurs to their horses and came together at full speed. Boucicaut’s biography describes the joust between him and Earl of Huntingdon in detail:

“They duly met, and dealt each other such mighty blows on their shields that both of them were bent backwards, and their lances shattered. The spectators shouted their names; the champions wheeled round, were given new lances, and spurred towards each other again, with similar results. Thus they completed the designated five blows while in the saddle, all with the lance, so valiantly that they could only be admired. At the fourth course, however, as the lances shattered, the momentum of their heavy destriers was such that the horse of the English knight was forced back on its haunches, and would have fallen had it not been supported by bystanders; Boucicaut’s horse, by contrast, tottered but did not fall. Once the five courses had been run, the two champions withdrew to their pavilions – but Boucicaut got little respite, for more English knights were demanding jousts; he undertook two more series, thus completing fifteen courses which he did with such success and such bravery that he was universally praised.”

The Earl of Huntingdon challenged Jean de Sempy next. It was another spectacular joust that was very highly applauded by the crowd. Chronicler Jean Froissart described this bout in detail:

“The Earl sent a squire to knock on the war shield of the Lord of Sempy. He, who would never have refused a challenge, immediately came out of his tent, mounted his horse and took up his shield and lance. When the Earl saw that he was ready and eager to joust, he clapped his spurs to his horse, while Sempy did the same. They lowered their lances and came straight at one another, but just as they met, the horses crossed. They hit each other nevertheless, but because of the unfortunate crossing, the Earl was unhelmed. He returned to his own men and was quickly rehelmed and handed his lance. The two knights spurred forward and met this time with straight lances, hitting each other clean and hard on their shields. Both were nearly knocked to the ground, but they gripped their horses with their legs and stayed on. Each went back to his own end to rest a little and get his breath back. Sir John Holland, always eager to perform with honour in the lists, took up his lance again and gripped his shield tight and spurred his horse on. When Sempy saw him coming, he did not hold back but rode towards him in the straightest possible line. The two knights hit each other with their war lances on the steel helms, striking them so clean and hard that sparks flew from them. In this Sempy was unhelmed. The two knights passed very briskly on, then rode back each to his own end. This joust was very highly applauded, and both French and English said that all three knights, the Earl of Huntingdon, my lord Boucicaut and the Lord Sempy, had jousted admirably, without either sparing themselves or causing each other an injury. The Earl of Huntingdon asked to be allowed to run another lance for the love of his lady, but this was not permitted him.”

The next challenger to face Boucicaut was Henry Bolingbroke, the future King of England also known as Henry IV, who was at the time the Earl of Derby. He ran ten courses with the lance with Boucicaut because Henry’s father John of Gaunt begged Boucicaut to run a further five so that his son would learn chivalry from the famed French champion. Such was the respect Boucicaut had among his English rivals! He jousted against many more prominent opponents from England during the thirty-days-long tournament, as well as with knights from Spain and Germany and elsewhere. Boucicaut's biography mentions Thomas Mowbray, Henry Beaumont, Thomas Percy, Peter Courtenay and Thomas Clifford as his opponents.

Meanwhile Regnault de Roye was challenged by Sir Godfrey Setton. This was another brutal and hard fought bout which enhanced the reputation of both participants. Jean Froissart describes it in detail as well:

“Next came forward Sir Godfrey Seton, a gallant knight and a good jouster. He showed plainly, by the way he sat on his horse holding his lance, that he was eager to joust. He sent one of his squires to rap on the war shield of Sir Regnault de Roye. That knight responded, for he was ready mounted on his horse, with his shield at his neck. He took his lance and put himself in good jousting posture. The two knights spurred forward simultaneously and came together as squarely as they knew how, striking a violent blow on each other’s shields. Their lances were stout and did not break, but curved up, and the powerful thrusts by strong arms stopped the horses dead in their tracks. Both knights then went back to their own ends, without dropping their lances, which they carried freely in front of them before putting them again in the rests. Then they spurred their horses, which were good, strong and tough. They came again at each other, but crossed just as they met, through the fault of the horses, not of the riders. As they passed by each other to ride round to their own ends again, they dropped their lances. They were picked up by ready hands and given back to them. When they had them, they put them in the rests and spurred their horses, showing that they did not mean to spare themselves, for they had warmed to the work. The English knight hit Sir Regnault de Roye very hard near the top of his helm, but did no other damage to him; Sir Regnault hit him on the shield with such a firm, powerful thrust, delivered with so strong an arm - for he was one of the strongest and toughest jousters in France at that time and also he was truly in love with a gay and beautiful young lady, and this contributed greatly to his success in all his undertakings - that his lance pierced the left-hand side of the English knight's shield and went straight into his arm. As it did so, the lance broke, the longer part falling to the ground and the shorter part remaining in the shield with the steel point in the arm. Nevertheless, the Englishman completed his round and came back very briskly to his own end. His friends attended to him. The lance head was pulled out and the wound staunched and bound up, while Sir Regnault de Roye went back to his people and waited there, leaning on another lance which they had given him.”

Such injuries were common on tournaments and Froissart points out how the English did not get angry at seeing one of their knights getting injured:

“For this joust Sir Regnault was greatly admired by his own side, and equally by the English. Although he had wounded the other knight, not a single abusive remark was made to him, for such are the hazards of arms. One man comes off well, the other badly. And also they were jousting with the full armament.”

Regnault de Roye was challenged next by an English squire John Savage who had a reputation of being a good jouster. He was a squire of honor of the bodyguard of the Earl of Huntingdon. He sent a man to knock on the war shield of Regnault to initiate the challenge. Froissart describes their joust as “a fine and dangerous encounter”:

“Both men spurred at full speed towards each other until they met. They hit each other full on the centre of their shields, with such force that one or both must have fallen if the shields had not split.

This was a fine and dangerous encounter, although the jousters suffered no injury. After piercing the shields, their lances glanced off sideways, breaking off about one foot from the blades, which remained fixed in the shields, while the two men passed on with the broken shafts. The onlookers feared that they had wounded each other badly, and each side hurried to their man, but were glad to find that neither had suffered harm. They were told that they had done enough for that day, but John Savage was not satisfied by this, saying that he had not crossed the sea merely to run one lance. When this remark was repeated to Sir Regnault de Roye, he said ‘He is quite right. It is proper for him to be fully satisfied either by me or my companions-in-arms.’ They were got ready again and given new shields and lances. When each was in position on his mark, they eyed one another and clapped spurs to their horses simultaneously. They lowered their lances as they approached and expected to meet squarely, but were prevented by their horses running across. So they missed with their second lance, to their great annoyance, and returned each to his own end. Their lances, which they had thrown down in disgust, were handed back to them, and they put them in the rests, looked carefully at one another and spurred their horses forward. This time they hit each other on the helms, straight on the eye-slits; the points caught there in such a way that they unhelmed each other as they rode past. It was a fine thrust which all admired. Each returned to his own end. The English went up to John Savage and told him once more that he had done enough for that day and could leave off with honour, and that others besides himself must be given a chance to practise arms. He yielded to this advice, put down his shield and lance and, getting off his courser, mounted a rounsey to watch the others jousting.”

There was also a certain knight from Bohemia whom Froissart calls Herr Hans. He belonged to the personal guard of Anne of Bohemia, the Queen of England. He was considered a good jouster and expressed a wish to participate in the jousts. He was asked which of the three knights he wished to joust against. He chose Boucicaut and an English squire was sent to knock on Boucicaut’s war shield to formally challenge him. Boucicaut was already armed and mounted and eagerly responded to the challenge. But it seems that during their joust, this Bohemian knight dealt a foul blow which angered the crowd. This is an example of how at the time of this tournament, rules were already entrenched in tournament culture and there was a lot of pressure to abide them. Froissart describes the bout between Herr Hans and Boucicaut:

“They spurred their horses hard forward and came together, expecting to hit each other squarely, but this they failed to do. The Bohemian knight dealt a foul blow which was strongly condemned, for he struck my lord Boucicaut’s helm with an ugly sideways thrust before riding on. The English saw clearly that he was at fault and knew that he had forfeited his horse and armour if the French insisted on it. The French and English held a long discussion together about that improper thrust, but finally the three knights excused him, from a desire to please the English.”

Allowed to continue jousting, the Bohemian knight challenged Regnault de Roye next:

“Herr Hans begged to be allowed to run just one more lance and was asked whom he wished to challenge. He sent a squire to rap on the war shield of Sir Regnault de Roye. This knight, who was in his tent and had not yet jousted that day, came out fully armed and said that he would be glad to satisfy him, since such was the agreed procedure. His shield was buckled on, his lance was handed to him. He took it and put it in the rest and looked long and carefully ahead of him, so as to hit the Bohemian fair and square. Both spurred their horses. As they neared each other, they lowered their lances and struck one another full on their shields. Sir Regnault de Roye, who was one of the strongest and toughest jousters in France at that time, hit him so hard that he lifted him right out of the saddle and sent him flying to the ground with such force that they thought he was killed. The French knight passed on and rode round to return to his mark. Herr Hans’s men got him up with great difficulty and took him back among them. The English were very pleased that he had suffered this defeat, because of the unchivalrous way in which he had jousted on his first course. And need I say that he had no mind to joust again that day?”

The English knights who participated in early days of the tournament such as the Earl of Huntingdon and Lord Beaumont left after four days and thanked the French knights for the sport they had had. They promised that they would inform all the knights and squires from England about the tournament taking place at Saint-Inglevert, and encourage them to come to this trial of arms.

The jousts continued for the remainder of the thirty days. When the tournament was over, the three French champions and their retinues returned to Paris where they were welcomed as heroes, “for they had valiantly born and safeguarded the honour of the kingdom of France.” Boucicaut’s biography mentions that he was “received most jubilantly by the king and the whole court, and was deservedly feted and honoured by the ladies.”