Jousting at the Rennaisance Faire: The Discomfort of Anachronism
Julia Zgurzynski
A few weekends ago, the class visited King Richard’s Faire, a Renaissance Faire in Carver Massachusetts, to experience one kind of contemporary medievalism, as a complement to our study of Victorian Medievalism. In the weeks leading up, I curated the perfect medieval-ish outfit, and looked forward to going back in time. My classmates and I entered the faire, a clearing in the woods filled with vendors and performers. Beyond the woods was the jousting field, consisting of a rectangular fence forming the arena, and a stage from which the king and queen were to watch. I sat down in the grass, and soon a set for four horses and riders paraded down a small hill and into the arena. The knights wore beautiful suits of armor, riding horses adorned with matching costumes. The four knights rode around the arena, waving at their supporters, who were really just the fair goers who happened to sit near their quadrant of the arena. The tournament began with catching rings on lances, proceeded to unhorsing their opponent, and finally to fight on the ground with swords.
Indeed, I was impressed by the skill of the horses and riders, but I admit that I could not fully enjoy the show. Each time the horses accelerated while running at each other, I felt a wave of fear and uneasiness. I worried that the animals might be scared to run at each other like that. I know they had been trained to act in this show, but I could not help feeling that this training must be interfering with their natural instinct to fear running at another horse. Further, it was all for the sake of a battle completely fabricated and choreographed for the entertainment of myself and the other fake supporters. In the middle ages, the horses would at least be trained to perform a helpful task, fighting in a war; and when they fought in tournaments, at least they would be working for the honor of their kingdom. In contrast, the audience was simply whoever came to the faire that day and sat on a particular side of the arena. I cheered for my assigned knight, and booed the others as instructed…but I felt sorry to boo the equally worthy knights, and I felt that my cheers were meaningless, since I had no connection to the red knight. As much as I tried to enjoy the medieval spectacle of the joust, I was held back by the feeling that the battle was thoroughly contrived and choreographed, and the mock fighting was unnatural to the horses. I know that the nostalgia of a renaissance faire is meant to be peaceful and comforting, but I admit that it had the opposite effect on me—the palpable sense of anachronism was honestly disquieting.
