Please help me welcome my friend, Jenna Jaxon! Isn't that cover to die for??? Jenna is here with an excerpt and even a giveaway! She talks about jousting, one equine event I've never been tempted to try!
Joust in Time!
Thank you so much, D’Ann, for hosting me on your blog
today! I hope you and your readers enjoy
this little look into the dangerous and delightful sport of jousting!
Knights on horseback, racing full tilt toward each other
with lances fixed may be the most iconic image most of us have of the middle
ages.
Jousting was one of the most popular and dramatic of
entertainments during the long medieval period.
They were major events at tournaments where knights were pitted against
one another for honor, for glory, and for prize money. These “sporting events” probably grew out of
military games or exercises and may even have roots in the Roman games at the
Coliseum.
But the jousting I’m talking about today is the form found
in the mid-14th century--the time period in which my medieval romance Betrothal,
Book I of Time Enough to Love is set.
At this point in its evolution, jousting was as much
training exercise as it was entertainment. A Vespers Tourney, held on the eve
of a major tournament, was a chance for young knights bachelor and their
squires to demonstrate their prowess before an assembly of more experienced
knights.
And the business of jousting
always gave knights a chance to hone their skills before a cheering audience.
On the opening day of a tournament, there was a formal
procession out to the lists (the barriers that defined the field of
combat). This procession could be quite
elaborate. I read an account (which I
cannot find at the moment) in which the procession consisted of 25 ladies on
horseback each accompanied by a knight in armor, tethered to the ladies by a
silver chain, who then walked from the castle out to the lists (at lease a
couple of miles).
Once out on the field, the spectators were seated in a
grandstand called a berfrois, built a story above the lists. The knights were assigned to brightly colored
tents, called pavilions, where they rested, waited, and got into their armor in
preparation for the joust. The armor
they wore weighted about 60 pounds and was actually so well articulated the
knights had much more mobility than we would believe. This Youtube video demonstrates the mobility
and shows a exhibition joust as well.
Just imagine the impact of that lance! Ouch!
The horses used in jousting were specially trained warhorses
called destriers. Originally brought to
England by William the Conqueror, this breed of horse had a rounded body with a
broad back bred for strength. They had
long, powerful legs trained to trample the bodies of fallen enemies (they would
also bite and kick on command). The
colors of these massive horses ranged from black to brown to bay and gray and
they measured up to 24 hands high.
For jousting, destriers were fitted with a covering called a
cloth comparison. The fabric covers the horse from head to tail and is
emblazoned with the knight’s colors and possibly his heraldic design. Check out this video demonstration of how to
dress a horse for a joust.
Once attired in the comparison, the horse and knight made
quite a sight racing down the lists, hurtling toward their opponent.
As with any contact sport, the potential for injury in
jousting was great. There were many documented deaths. The most famous was king Henry II of France,
who was killed when a lance broke on his helmet and a long wooden splinter
pierced his eye and entered his brain.
Eerily, just recently, a similar fate befell a modern day
jouster. Paul Allen, a re-enactor, was killed during the filming of a Time Team
segment on Edward III’s round table.
Allen, who had no jousting experience, suffered the exact same fate as
Henry II. His opponent struck him on the
helmet and a long sliver of the shattered balsa wood lance penetrated his
helmet and pierced his eye and brain.
With such a rich heritage of jousting, is it any wonder that
I incorporated a joust and as many details of it as possible into Betrothal,
my medieval romance? You’ll find the
procession--which becomes a serious conflict in the book--the joust itself, and
a stunning injury that threatens the happiness of the hero and heroine.
I hope you enjoyed this little look into one of the most
popular contact sports of medieval times!
If you leave a comment telling me what your favorite contact sport is,
you’ll be entered to win a book of your choice from my backlist today, and
entered in the Release Week giveaway of a $25.00 gift certificate. Please remember to leave your EMAIL ADDRESS! J
Blurb for Betrothal:
Lady Alyse de Courcy has
fallen in love with Lord Braeton, a nobleman in King Edward III’s court and a
man to whom she has barely spoken. Fate, however, has decreed her betrothal to
his best friend, Sir Geoffrey Longford—a handsome and imposing knight, yet
hardly the man she wants to wed.
When Sir Geoffrey is bound in
betrothal by his father, he could not have expected the beautiful stranger to
win his heart the moment they meet. Nevertheless, the fascinating Lady Alyse
has done exactly that, and his feelings for her only grow as he learns more of
her gentle yet spirited nature. But Alyse’s infatuation with his friend casts
doubt on whether she can ever return his regard and their wedding day is fast
approaching…
Will he have time enough to
win her love?
Excerpt for Betrothal:
“What do you require of me, Majesty?” Her mouth so dry she
could taste sand, Alyse fought to speak in a normal tone. With a sigh of
relief, she dropped into a deep curtsy, hiding her face in the folds of her skirt.
If only she could remain bowed thus before His Majesty for the remainder of the
evening.
King Edward laughed. “Obedience, Lady Alyse, as I require of
all my subjects. As your father requires of his daughter.”
Her heart thumped wildly in her breast. That could mean but
one thing.
“Rise, my lady.”
She did so on unsteady feet. “I am ready, as always, Your
Majesty, to obey my father as I would you.”
Holy Mary, let it be
Lord Braeton.
King Edward lifted an eyebrow toward Alyse. “A very pretty
answer, my lady. And are you ready to accept your father’s decree for your
betrothal? His messenger has today reached me with the contract, as I am to
stand in his stead in this matter.”
Alyse took a deep breath and hoped her voice did not
tremble. “Yea, Majesty, I will obey my father.”
King Edward nodded and leaned over to whisper something to
Queen Phillipa, who sat beside him, heavy with their twelfth child.
Mere seconds before she learned her fate. She could scarce
affect an indifferent pose before the court when inside every inch of her
quivered with anticipation of the name. His
name, pray God, on the king’s lips.
Thomas.
In her mind, she heard the word.
The king straightened, glanced at her then at the man by her
side.
“What say you then, Sir Geoffrey? Does the lady not speak
fair? I vow she will make you a proper wife and a dutiful one as well.”
Alyse turned, until that moment unaware that Geoffrey
Longford stood beside her. Chills coursed down her body as the king’s words
echoed in her mind. The sensation of falling backward assailed her, as though
she rushed away from the tall man at her side even as his figure loomed larger
and larger in her sight.
Not Lord Braeton.
Her numbed brain repeated the phrase, trying to comprehend
that instead he would be her husband.
Geoffrey Longford.
God have mercy on me,
for by the look of him, this man will not.
Fearful, she cringed as her gaze climbed higher, over his
chest, over his chin, finally resting on the dark blue eyes turned toward her.
Geoffrey returned her appraisal, his gaze sweeping her
figure as a smile crept over his face. “Your Majesty.” He spoke to the king but
his attention remained fixed on Alyse. “When my father told me of the betrothal
contract before I left his home, I resolved to play the dutiful son. Now,
however, I find I do not wish to act that role after all.” His eyes held hers
as he paused.
Dear God, does he mean to renounce me here before the
entire court?
Alyse stared at the man beside her, willing herself to
remain upright, despite the waves of ice and fire alternating through her body.
“Now I find I would rather play the ardent lover.”
An amused murmur ran through the Hall at his words. Sir
Geoffrey grinned, his eyes sparkling with humor and something more. Despite the
uneven light, Alyse saw an unfathomable promise in their dark depths. She took
a shaky breath and looked away.
Author Bio:
Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of
historical and contemporary romance. Her historical romance, Only Scandal Will Do, the first in a series
of five interconnecting novels, was released in July 2012. Her contemporary
works include Hog Wild, Almost Perfect, and 7 Days of
Seduction. She is a PAN member of
Romance Writers of America as well as a member of Chesapeake Romance Writers.
Her medieval romance, Time Enough to Love, is being published this
summer as a series of three novellas.
The first book, Betrothal, released on April 19th.
Jenna has been
reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic
herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense,
a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own
stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of
pets. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the
theatre, working with local theatres as a director. She often feels she
is directing her characters on their own private stage.
She has
equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she
starts she just can’t stop.
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