The bowls playing field is a bowling green, a smooth lawn where competitors roll balls for points. The rules are to roll grapefruit-size balls toward a target ball that is slightly smaller than a tennis ball. Points are gained for how close players can place their balls to the target ball without actually striking the target ball. Players are also able to use their ball to knock out an opponent’s ball if it is close to the target ball.
Bowls historians believe that the game developed from the Egyptians. One of their pastimes was to play skittles with round stones. This has been determined based on artifacts found in tombs dating circa 5,000 B.C. The sport spread across the world and took on a variety of forms, Bocce (Italian), Bolla (Saxon), Bolle (Danish), Boules (French) and Ula Maika (Polynesian). The oldest Bowls green still played on is in Southampton, England where records show that the green has been in operation since 1299 A.D. There are scattered classical references, but the game’s key developments go back to late-medieval Europe as part of rural folk festivals
Certainly the most famous story in lawn bowls is with Sir Frances Drake and the Spanish Armada. On July 18, 1588, Drake was involved in a game at Plymouth Hoe when he was notified that the Spanish Armada was approaching. His immortalized response was that "We still have time to finish the game and to thrash the Spaniards, too." He then proceeded to finish the match, which he lost before embarking on the fight with the Armada, which he won. Whether this famous story really took place has been heavily debated
King Henry VIII was also a lawn bowler. However, he banned the game for those who were not wealthy or "well to do" because "Bowyers, Fletchers, Stringers and Arrowhead makers" were spending more time at recreational events such as bowls instead of practicing their trade. Henry VIII requested that anybody who wished to keep a green pay a fee of 100 pounds. However, the green could only be used for private play and he forbade anyone to "play at any bowle or bowles in open space out of his own garden or orchard".
The earliest documented use of the word 'Jack' in Bowls is either from 1611 "Was there euer man had such lucke? when I kist the Iacke vpon an vp-cast, to be hit away?" or alternatively Shakespeare used it in Cymbeline (thought to have been written in 1609) when he caused Cloten to exclaim, "Was there ever man had such luck! When I kissed the jack, upon an up-cast to be hit away."
There are competing theories as to etymological origin of the word "Jack". John P Monro, Bowls Encyclopaedia (3rd ed), gives that the name 'jack' is derived from the Latin word jactus, meaning a cast or a throw. A sport played by young men called "casting the stone" is mentioned by William FitzStephen, a close friend of Thomas à Becket, in the preface of his biography Vita Sancti Thomae written during the twelfth century. Casting of stones translates in Latin as "jactu lapidum" and was a game in which rounded stones were thrown at or bowled towards a target object and so some are persuaded that the modern word 'Jack' derives originally from this term.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Piquet
The game of Piquet or Cent , the game’s English name in period, has been played since at least the end of the 15th century. It is mentioned in literary and scholarly works as diverse as Rabelais’s Gargantua et Pantagruel (1534) and Girolamo Cardano’s Liber de Ludo Aleae (Book on Games of Chance, 1564), a treatise on probability theory. One of the earliest instruction manuals for a card game was Le Royal Ieu du Piquet Plaisant et recreatif, The Royal and Delightfull Game of Piquet.
• Piquet is a game for two players, using 36 cards (sixes through Aces). The dealer is called the younger; the other player is called the elder. Each hand of piquet is divided into five parts:
• Blanks and discards,
• ruffs,
• sequences,
• sets, and
• tricks.
The parts are played in that order. Scores are counted in each part of the hand; the first player to score 100 points is the winner. This may take several hands.
The players cut for the deal of each hand, and the holder of the low card is the dealer. Each player is dealt 12 cards in increments of 2 to 4 cards. The remaining stock of 12 cards is placed between the players.
• Playing the five parts of Piquet
Blanks and discards:
Each player may discard up to 8 cards, and draw as many from the stock. The elder discards and draws first, followed by the younger. Both players must discard and draw at least one card.
A hand with no face cards is called a blank. If the elder has a blank, the player may declare the blank and the number of cards he/she is going to discard. After declaring, the player shows their hand to the other player. The younger discards and draws his/her new cards if they do not have a blank. Then the elder discards, draws and receives 10 points. However, if the younger also has a blank, they declare and show it. No points are awarded, and play continues as though neither had a blank. The younger may not declare a blank independently.
Ruffs:
A ruff is the total number of points in a suit. Aces count 11 points, face cards count 10 points, and number cards count their number. The elder declares the number of points in her largest ruff. If the younger has an equal or higher ruff, the player declares his/ her points, too. If the ruffs are equal, then neither player scores. If not, the high ruff receives points for all cards in the hand. 1 point is scored for each 10 points in the hand. 1 to 4 points are rounded down, and 5 to 9 points are rounded up. The loser may ask to see the winning ruff.
Sequences:
A sequence is a group of three or more consecutive cards in a suit. The elder declares the number of cards in her longest sequence. If the younger has an equal or higher sequence, she declares it. If the sequence sizes are equal, both declare the largest card in the sequence. If both sequences are of equal length with the same high card, then neither player scores. Otherwise, either the longest sequence, or the sequence containing the largest card receives points for all sequences in the hand. Sets of three and four score 3 and 4 points, respectively. Sets of five and up score 10 points plus the number of cards in the sequence. The loser may ask to see the winning sequence.
Sets:
A set is three or more tens, Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces. The elder declares the number of cards in his/her largest set. If the younger has an equal or higher set, they declare it. If the set sizes are equal, the set card is declared. The largest set, or, if both have sets of equal size, the set with the highest card receives points for all sets in the hand. Sets of three score 13 points and sets of four score 14 points. The loser may ask to see the winning set.
Tricks:
Tricks are played like no-trump tricks in bridge. For the first trick, the elder leads a card, and the younger tries to play another, higher card in the same trick. The highest card in the "lead" suit wins the trick. The winner of the trick leads for the next trick, and so on until all cards are played. Tricks are scored both during and after play. Players receive 1 point for leading a ten or larger, 1 point for winning a trick, 2 points for winning the last trick with a ten or higher, or 1 point for winning the last trick with a nine or lower. After all tricks are played, each player counts the number of tricks they have won. A player with seven through eleven tricks receives 10 points; a player with all twelve tricks (known as a Capet) receives 60 points.
• Piquet is a game for two players, using 36 cards (sixes through Aces). The dealer is called the younger; the other player is called the elder. Each hand of piquet is divided into five parts:
• Blanks and discards,
• ruffs,
• sequences,
• sets, and
• tricks.
The parts are played in that order. Scores are counted in each part of the hand; the first player to score 100 points is the winner. This may take several hands.
The players cut for the deal of each hand, and the holder of the low card is the dealer. Each player is dealt 12 cards in increments of 2 to 4 cards. The remaining stock of 12 cards is placed between the players.
• Playing the five parts of Piquet
Blanks and discards:
Each player may discard up to 8 cards, and draw as many from the stock. The elder discards and draws first, followed by the younger. Both players must discard and draw at least one card.
A hand with no face cards is called a blank. If the elder has a blank, the player may declare the blank and the number of cards he/she is going to discard. After declaring, the player shows their hand to the other player. The younger discards and draws his/her new cards if they do not have a blank. Then the elder discards, draws and receives 10 points. However, if the younger also has a blank, they declare and show it. No points are awarded, and play continues as though neither had a blank. The younger may not declare a blank independently.
Ruffs:
A ruff is the total number of points in a suit. Aces count 11 points, face cards count 10 points, and number cards count their number. The elder declares the number of points in her largest ruff. If the younger has an equal or higher ruff, the player declares his/ her points, too. If the ruffs are equal, then neither player scores. If not, the high ruff receives points for all cards in the hand. 1 point is scored for each 10 points in the hand. 1 to 4 points are rounded down, and 5 to 9 points are rounded up. The loser may ask to see the winning ruff.
Sequences:
A sequence is a group of three or more consecutive cards in a suit. The elder declares the number of cards in her longest sequence. If the younger has an equal or higher sequence, she declares it. If the sequence sizes are equal, both declare the largest card in the sequence. If both sequences are of equal length with the same high card, then neither player scores. Otherwise, either the longest sequence, or the sequence containing the largest card receives points for all sequences in the hand. Sets of three and four score 3 and 4 points, respectively. Sets of five and up score 10 points plus the number of cards in the sequence. The loser may ask to see the winning sequence.
Sets:
A set is three or more tens, Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces. The elder declares the number of cards in his/her largest set. If the younger has an equal or higher set, they declare it. If the set sizes are equal, the set card is declared. The largest set, or, if both have sets of equal size, the set with the highest card receives points for all sets in the hand. Sets of three score 13 points and sets of four score 14 points. The loser may ask to see the winning set.
Tricks:
Tricks are played like no-trump tricks in bridge. For the first trick, the elder leads a card, and the younger tries to play another, higher card in the same trick. The highest card in the "lead" suit wins the trick. The winner of the trick leads for the next trick, and so on until all cards are played. Tricks are scored both during and after play. Players receive 1 point for leading a ten or larger, 1 point for winning a trick, 2 points for winning the last trick with a ten or higher, or 1 point for winning the last trick with a nine or lower. After all tricks are played, each player counts the number of tricks they have won. A player with seven through eleven tricks receives 10 points; a player with all twelve tricks (known as a Capet) receives 60 points.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Colf, not golf
The elemental appeal of golf stems from one of man's primal instincts: the urge to strike an object with a stick. Indeed, reasonable skill in club swinging surely was key to the survival of the caveman. It's not hard to envision homo erectus hefting a sturdy tree limb to swat at stones or bones or whatever came into his path. In this sense, the notion-or at least the motion-of golf is older than civilization itself. Fundamentally, golf was not invented but was born within us. Across the English Channel, the French had taken to a rather genteel courtyard game called jeu de mail. Originally developed in Italy, it was a curious blend of billiards, croquet, and miniature golf, played with long-handled mallets and large wooden balls within a well-defined area. The object was to hit the ball through one or more iron hoops, using the fewest possible strokes.
Jeu de mail caught on briefly in England where it became the rage of the ruling class under the name "pall mall." It was first played in London on the street with the same name, which now runs between Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus. Back in 1629, King Charles I was an avid pall maller, and the court of St. James included an impressive one thousand-yard-long area for royal play.
By the eighteenth century, however, this game had played out except in southern France, where a more expansive version saw the Basques hitting over hill and dale to targets such as the sides of barns and pasture gates. Shades of golf there, for sure.
Meanwhile, in Belgium they were hooked on chole, a game with a delightfully spiteful quality. It was played cross country, usually in teams, with the players wielding heavy iron clubs to propel an egg-shaped wooden ball distances of up to four hundred yards. A target —a church door, a tree, almost anything—was established, sometimes as much as a mile away, and then the two teams bid on the number of shots needed to hit it. The low-bidding team led off by taking three strokes toward the target. Then the opponents—known as decholeurs—were allowed one stroke to send the ball into the nastiest possible trouble. Thereafter, the offense resumed pursuit with three more strokes, followed by one more for the defense, and so on until the bid was either hit or missed.
But whether these games of the Renaissance era bore any resemblance to golf is of little consequence, because by that time golf itself was well entrenched along the eastern coast of Scotland.
Indeed, the best candidate for a true forefather of the Scottish game comes from the people across the North Sea, the Dutch, who back in the thirteenth century were playing a game that bears a more than passing similarity to golf. And the name of that game? Colf, spelled c-o-l-f.
As early as 1296 the Dutch had a colf course, and a formidable one at that. It stretched forty-five hundred yards for just four holes-except that they weren't holes, they were doors-to a kitchen, a windmill, a castle, and a courthouse. Four-door models such as this were undoubtedly typical, but no target was off limits to the colf-crazed Dutchmen, who pursued their balls through churchyards, cemeteries, and smack through the centers of their own towns, often wreaking havoc with the local citizenry. The winners usually collected a barrel of beer from the losing side, which means the original "Nineteenth Hole" actually was the fifth.
Ultimately, when the toll of personal injuries and broken glass became insupportable, the "colfers" were banished to the countryside during the warmer months, and, in winter, to the frozen lakes and rivers where they directed their shots toward poles in the ice.
Numerous richly detailed landscape paintings done by the Dutch Masters show us that colf remained popular in Holland for at least four hundred years. By the early 1700s, however, the game had mysteriously vanished.
Where did it go? In all probability, to Scotland. After all, it doesn't take a Ph.D. in linguistics to make a connection between the words "colf" and "golf." The implements used were very similar, the balls nearly identical. And, above all, there is the compelling evidence of geography.
By 1650, golf—spelled the way we spell it today—was well-rooted in the fabric of a dozen or so cities along Scotland's east coast. One look at the map shows that the coast was but a short sail from more than forty commercial centers of Holland. Trade between the two countries was brisk, dating back to medieval times, and evidence exists that the Scots exported wooden colf clubs to the Dutch (along with wool and other products), while the Dutch returned with rudimentary colf balls. And there are numerous paintings of the period showing Scotsmen in kilts playing a ball-and-stick game on the ice as the Dutch did.
But, no matter where the seeds of golf were sown, without question it was the Scots who gave the game its unique character, the Scots who combined the elements of distance off the tee and deftness into the green, and the Scots who ingrained the notion of each player advancing independently toward the hole, without interference from his opponents. (The Scots were largely Calvinists, who knew that the greatest sins, deserving the greatest punishment, always came from within. How perfectly applicable to golf.)
From the very beginning, this game was dangerously addictive. Indeed, the first written evidence of golf is a parliamentary decree banning it for reasons of national security. In 1457, King James II of Scotland declared "that futeball and golfe be utterly cryit doune and nocht usit." Back then, the Scots were at war with England and the principal weapons of combat were the bow and arrow. But it seems the Scottish lads had been neglecting their archery practice in favor of golf.
Similar edicts were issued in the subsequent reigns of James III and IV . . . and were largely ignored. But when James IV married the daughter of England's King Henry IV, the conflict with the English suddenly ended-and so did the conflict with golfers. In fact, James IV himself became the first of a long line of royals who took to the links. In the account books of his court it is noted that funds were spent for the purchase of golf clubs and balls, and there also is the settling of a golf bet which the king lost. Legend also holds that in 1567 Mary Queen of Scots was so smitten with the game that she teed up the day after her husband, Lord Darnley, was murdered; this was, in fact, one of the charges leveled against her that eventually cost her the crown, her head, and a chance to win the rubber match.
In 1604, the King of England appointed a royal clubmaker, and soon after that, a seven-hole course was laid out near London on the Black Heath by the River Thames. Nearly four hundred years later, Royal Blackheath still sits there, although it wasn't established as a club until 1766.
It was an informal, almost free-form activity back then, with no rules, few guidelines (although playing on the Sabbath was, for a time, illegal), and no tournaments or competitions except for casual matches among friends. All evidence suggests that the Scots played this disorganized brand of golf for at least three centuries.
Just as disorganized, certainly by modern standards, were the methods used to play the early game. Instead of one way to swing there were as many swings as there were villages with courses of their own. The townspeople tended to copy the technique of the local champion, who usually hit on a set-up and swing that allowed him to conquer the vagaries of his local weather.
The Scottish coast is constantly buffeted by sea breezes, so the most successful golfers learned to hit the ball on a low trajectory that kept it under the wind. To accomplish this, they learned to spread their feet far apart (as much as a yard), aim their bodies to the right of the target, position the ball well back in the stance, and bend their knees deeply. Then they whipped the club around their bodies (rather than up and down, as we do today) on a markedly horizontal plane that further encouraged low flight. The ball flew just a few feet off the ground, traveling only about 150 yards, and would then run a long way after hitting the hard turf of the windblown links.
As the game spread, more methods and champions developed. Word of great play traveled from town to town. And, inevitably, a desire arose to determine the best golfer in the land. It was at that point that the game as we know it began to take shape.
Meanwhile, in Belgium they were hooked on chole, a game with a delightfully spiteful quality. It was played cross country, usually in teams, with the players wielding heavy iron clubs to propel an egg-shaped wooden ball distances of up to four hundred yards. A target —a church door, a tree, almost anything—was established, sometimes as much as a mile away, and then the two teams bid on the number of shots needed to hit it. The low-bidding team led off by taking three strokes toward the target. Then the opponents—known as decholeurs—were allowed one stroke to send the ball into the nastiest possible trouble. Thereafter, the offense resumed pursuit with three more strokes, followed by one more for the defense, and so on until the bid was either hit or missed.
But whether these games of the Renaissance era bore any resemblance to golf is of little consequence, because by that time golf itself was well entrenched along the eastern coast of Scotland.
Indeed, the best candidate for a true forefather of the Scottish game comes from the people across the North Sea, the Dutch, who back in the thirteenth century were playing a game that bears a more than passing similarity to golf. And the name of that game? Colf, spelled c-o-l-f.
As early as 1296 the Dutch had a colf course, and a formidable one at that. It stretched forty-five hundred yards for just four holes-except that they weren't holes, they were doors-to a kitchen, a windmill, a castle, and a courthouse. Four-door models such as this were undoubtedly typical, but no target was off limits to the colf-crazed Dutchmen, who pursued their balls through churchyards, cemeteries, and smack through the centers of their own towns, often wreaking havoc with the local citizenry. The winners usually collected a barrel of beer from the losing side, which means the original "Nineteenth Hole" actually was the fifth.
Ultimately, when the toll of personal injuries and broken glass became insupportable, the "colfers" were banished to the countryside during the warmer months, and, in winter, to the frozen lakes and rivers where they directed their shots toward poles in the ice.
Numerous richly detailed landscape paintings done by the Dutch Masters show us that colf remained popular in Holland for at least four hundred years. By the early 1700s, however, the game had mysteriously vanished.
Where did it go? In all probability, to Scotland. After all, it doesn't take a Ph.D. in linguistics to make a connection between the words "colf" and "golf." The implements used were very similar, the balls nearly identical. And, above all, there is the compelling evidence of geography.
By 1650, golf—spelled the way we spell it today—was well-rooted in the fabric of a dozen or so cities along Scotland's east coast. One look at the map shows that the coast was but a short sail from more than forty commercial centers of Holland. Trade between the two countries was brisk, dating back to medieval times, and evidence exists that the Scots exported wooden colf clubs to the Dutch (along with wool and other products), while the Dutch returned with rudimentary colf balls. And there are numerous paintings of the period showing Scotsmen in kilts playing a ball-and-stick game on the ice as the Dutch did.
But, no matter where the seeds of golf were sown, without question it was the Scots who gave the game its unique character, the Scots who combined the elements of distance off the tee and deftness into the green, and the Scots who ingrained the notion of each player advancing independently toward the hole, without interference from his opponents. (The Scots were largely Calvinists, who knew that the greatest sins, deserving the greatest punishment, always came from within. How perfectly applicable to golf.)
From the very beginning, this game was dangerously addictive. Indeed, the first written evidence of golf is a parliamentary decree banning it for reasons of national security. In 1457, King James II of Scotland declared "that futeball and golfe be utterly cryit doune and nocht usit." Back then, the Scots were at war with England and the principal weapons of combat were the bow and arrow. But it seems the Scottish lads had been neglecting their archery practice in favor of golf.
Similar edicts were issued in the subsequent reigns of James III and IV . . . and were largely ignored. But when James IV married the daughter of England's King Henry IV, the conflict with the English suddenly ended-and so did the conflict with golfers. In fact, James IV himself became the first of a long line of royals who took to the links. In the account books of his court it is noted that funds were spent for the purchase of golf clubs and balls, and there also is the settling of a golf bet which the king lost. Legend also holds that in 1567 Mary Queen of Scots was so smitten with the game that she teed up the day after her husband, Lord Darnley, was murdered; this was, in fact, one of the charges leveled against her that eventually cost her the crown, her head, and a chance to win the rubber match.
In 1604, the King of England appointed a royal clubmaker, and soon after that, a seven-hole course was laid out near London on the Black Heath by the River Thames. Nearly four hundred years later, Royal Blackheath still sits there, although it wasn't established as a club until 1766.
It was an informal, almost free-form activity back then, with no rules, few guidelines (although playing on the Sabbath was, for a time, illegal), and no tournaments or competitions except for casual matches among friends. All evidence suggests that the Scots played this disorganized brand of golf for at least three centuries.
Just as disorganized, certainly by modern standards, were the methods used to play the early game. Instead of one way to swing there were as many swings as there were villages with courses of their own. The townspeople tended to copy the technique of the local champion, who usually hit on a set-up and swing that allowed him to conquer the vagaries of his local weather.
The Scottish coast is constantly buffeted by sea breezes, so the most successful golfers learned to hit the ball on a low trajectory that kept it under the wind. To accomplish this, they learned to spread their feet far apart (as much as a yard), aim their bodies to the right of the target, position the ball well back in the stance, and bend their knees deeply. Then they whipped the club around their bodies (rather than up and down, as we do today) on a markedly horizontal plane that further encouraged low flight. The ball flew just a few feet off the ground, traveling only about 150 yards, and would then run a long way after hitting the hard turf of the windblown links.
As the game spread, more methods and champions developed. Word of great play traveled from town to town. And, inevitably, a desire arose to determine the best golfer in the land. It was at that point that the game as we know it began to take shape.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Stoolball
The game we know as baseball may be relatively modern, but it has medieval roots. Many bat-and-ball games were played throughout the Middle Ages at religious festivals and events. One game, stool ball (sometimes possibly stow ball, or stob ball, or stump ball) dates back at least to the 14th century, and many historians believe that it is the common ancestor of both baseball and cricket. It was also the first bat-and-ball-type game known to have been played in North America (at Plymouth in 1621 at Christmastime, no less, much to the chagrin of Governor Bradford). In this game, the pitcher tries to hit a stool or stump with the ball, while the batter tries to defend the target using bare hands or a bat.
Stool ball was known for being played by both women and men together, and there are indications that it was a sort of springtime ritual, played at Easter time. Some of the poetic mentions of the game imply an undertone of sexuality; "playing at stool ball" was used at least once as a euphemism.
Equipment is simple. You need a very soft ball. (Not softball or a baseball!) A soft ball can be walloped pretty hard, but no gloves or helmets are necessary for safe play. You can use a medieval pattern that will provide a ball of just about the perfect softness, though if you don't have time to make a ball, you will probably be able to find a ball at a toy store that will work. A Nerf ball might work.
Rules
1.Swing as much as you want! There are no "strikes" or "balls". The batter stays at bat until a hit is made or the pitcher hits the Home with the ball.
2.Any contact is a hit. There are no "fouls" or "foul tips". RUN!
3.On hitting the ball, the batter must run counterclockwise around the outside of the Base. The batter may not stop on the Base -- once you start running, you have to run around the Base and all the way back home. You must touch the Home stool when you get there, but you don't have to touch the Base.
4.Batter is out when:
a. The pitcher hits Home with the ball while the batter is at bat
b. Any fielder catches the hit ball in the air, without a bounce
c. Any fielder hits Home with the ball while the batter is running to Base and back to Home. But…
5.Fielders must be on the Base side of the Batter's Line when throwing the ball at the Home target. So if the batter hits the ball behind Home (what in baseball would be a foul), the batter runs, and the fielders can go get the ball… but they can't throw it at Home and put the batter out until they get back on the other (Base) side of the batter's line.
6.Every player on the team gets one at-bat per inning. Each team gets the same number of innings at bat, but other than that the game can go on until the teams mutually agree to quit.
7.All players must have fun!
Stool ball was known for being played by both women and men together, and there are indications that it was a sort of springtime ritual, played at Easter time. Some of the poetic mentions of the game imply an undertone of sexuality; "playing at stool ball" was used at least once as a euphemism.
Equipment is simple. You need a very soft ball. (Not softball or a baseball!) A soft ball can be walloped pretty hard, but no gloves or helmets are necessary for safe play. You can use a medieval pattern that will provide a ball of just about the perfect softness, though if you don't have time to make a ball, you will probably be able to find a ball at a toy store that will work. A Nerf ball might work.
Rules
1.Swing as much as you want! There are no "strikes" or "balls". The batter stays at bat until a hit is made or the pitcher hits the Home with the ball.
2.Any contact is a hit. There are no "fouls" or "foul tips". RUN!
3.On hitting the ball, the batter must run counterclockwise around the outside of the Base. The batter may not stop on the Base -- once you start running, you have to run around the Base and all the way back home. You must touch the Home stool when you get there, but you don't have to touch the Base.
4.Batter is out when:
a. The pitcher hits Home with the ball while the batter is at bat
b. Any fielder catches the hit ball in the air, without a bounce
c. Any fielder hits Home with the ball while the batter is running to Base and back to Home. But…
5.Fielders must be on the Base side of the Batter's Line when throwing the ball at the Home target. So if the batter hits the ball behind Home (what in baseball would be a foul), the batter runs, and the fielders can go get the ball… but they can't throw it at Home and put the batter out until they get back on the other (Base) side of the batter's line.
6.Every player on the team gets one at-bat per inning. Each team gets the same number of innings at bat, but other than that the game can go on until the teams mutually agree to quit.
7.All players must have fun!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Shinty
Shinty is unique to Scotland and one of the oldest games in the world. The game is similar to games such as hockey and lacrosse in some aspects and has historical roots with golf and ice hockey. As with lacrosse the game is a fast moving aerial game where physical fitness is tested to the limits. However, different from both hockey and lacrosse as in Shinty, feet can be used to stop the ball but not the hands (unless you are the goal-keeper). You can carry the ball on your caman which can be also being swung above shoulder height. The fundamental difference between hockey and shinty is that in the game of shinty there is no restriction on the swing of the caman. Players can strike the ball with both sides of the stick - like ice hockey. However, handling and reaching for the ball is not allowed. The caman was originally made of ash or hickory cut from a tree with a natural bend, but nowadays modern sticks are made from strips of wood glued together. The shortage of high quality wood in some areas of the country led to experimentation with various other materials such as aluminum but players have always reverted back to the natural product.
The Ball is a similar size to a tennis ball. The interior is cork and worsted, with an outer cover of leather or a similar approved material. Originally blocks of wood or pieces of cork were used instead of the modern ball until the rules were formally accepted about 100 years ago and the cork ball became the standard.
Shinty is still a truly amateur sport, although the level of skill and athletic ability demands great things of the players. Some players travel huge distances to play and represent the club in competitions. The best teams and players play in the national premier league and there are different grades of the game from school teams to international games.
The Ball is a similar size to a tennis ball. The interior is cork and worsted, with an outer cover of leather or a similar approved material. Originally blocks of wood or pieces of cork were used instead of the modern ball until the rules were formally accepted about 100 years ago and the cork ball became the standard.
Shinty is still a truly amateur sport, although the level of skill and athletic ability demands great things of the players. Some players travel huge distances to play and represent the club in competitions. The best teams and players play in the national premier league and there are different grades of the game from school teams to international games.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
A Knights Shield
A knight's shield is not a game; however, a knight does need his shield in order to play his game. I found this rather interesting about the development of a knights shield.
The Medieval Shields designs will be diversified about the middle of the 12th Century, when the triangular shield was introduced. The new form was obtained by reducing the arched top of the kite to an almost straight line. This variety of Medieval Shields was also bowed or flat. And, though the earliest examples were as tall as the kite-shields of the 11th Century, the triangular target soon became much reduced in its height.
The round shield is of more rare appearance. It appears that it was in frequent use among the foot troops.
The kite and triangular shields were provided with straps for attachment to the arm and for suspension round the neck.
Once we enter the 13th Century, the ordinary Medieval Shields designs were based on the triangular shield. Notably, the dimensions of the triangular shield of this century are decreasing as the century advanced. It was also bowed or flat.
Other formats of the period were the kite-shaped, the heart-shaped, the round, and the quadrangular. The boss is still retained in some of the shields of this century. The materials of the shields were "wood, leather, and painting".
The 14th Century is maybe the century of the most sophisticated Medieval Shields designs. The shields of this century offer diversity of form, material and ornament. The principal forms are the triangular, the kite-shaped, heart-shaped, the circular, and the notched. The triangular shield can be flat or bowed. The usual materials were wood, steel, and leather, the latter frequently embossed, and exhibiting the heralding bearings of the knight.
The kite-shield is of rare occurrence, as well as the heart-shaped one. The curved shield appears in the second half of the century, sometimes notched, sometimes plain. The round shield is of two kinds: that born on the arm, and that held at arm’s length. The enarmes, or straps by which the shield was attached to the arm, were placed either horizontally or vertically. The shield was suspended round the neck by a strap.
The Medieval Shields designs will be diversified about the middle of the 12th Century, when the triangular shield was introduced. The new form was obtained by reducing the arched top of the kite to an almost straight line. This variety of Medieval Shields was also bowed or flat. And, though the earliest examples were as tall as the kite-shields of the 11th Century, the triangular target soon became much reduced in its height.
The round shield is of more rare appearance. It appears that it was in frequent use among the foot troops.
The kite and triangular shields were provided with straps for attachment to the arm and for suspension round the neck.
Once we enter the 13th Century, the ordinary Medieval Shields designs were based on the triangular shield. Notably, the dimensions of the triangular shield of this century are decreasing as the century advanced. It was also bowed or flat.
Other formats of the period were the kite-shaped, the heart-shaped, the round, and the quadrangular. The boss is still retained in some of the shields of this century. The materials of the shields were "wood, leather, and painting".
The 14th Century is maybe the century of the most sophisticated Medieval Shields designs. The shields of this century offer diversity of form, material and ornament. The principal forms are the triangular, the kite-shaped, heart-shaped, the circular, and the notched. The triangular shield can be flat or bowed. The usual materials were wood, steel, and leather, the latter frequently embossed, and exhibiting the heralding bearings of the knight.
The kite-shield is of rare occurrence, as well as the heart-shaped one. The curved shield appears in the second half of the century, sometimes notched, sometimes plain. The round shield is of two kinds: that born on the arm, and that held at arm’s length. The enarmes, or straps by which the shield was attached to the arm, were placed either horizontally or vertically. The shield was suspended round the neck by a strap.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Quarter Staff
The quarterstaff was closely identified with sport and civilian self-defense, as a weapon of expedience used by travelers or in formal duels. By the early 1700s the weapon was commonly employed in public prizefights, with the winner receiving both gate-money and the proceeds of wagering. The famed English stage gladiator James Figg promoted the art, along with backswording and pugilism, in bouts at Southwark Fair, and after his retirement from the stage in 1735 he taught it to young aristocrats at his own School of Arms in London's Oxford Street.
There do not appear to be any records of recreational quarterstaff-play between 1748 and 1870, probably because during this period armed prize fighting was virtually replaced by the new sport of boxing. Quarter staffing was militarily obsolete and does not appear to have been a popular rural pastime, so it is possible that the art effectively became extinct.
The traditional English staff was a sturdy weapon of oak or similar hardwood, difficult to maneuver with any regard for a sparring partner's safety. It's important to remember that Figg and his contemporaries were professional fighters, willing to risk injury in un-armored, full-contact bouts with weapons (although it was suspected at the time that some professionals fixed their fights, in the manner of modern pro-wrestlers.) The danger of fencing with oak staves may have dissuaded amateurs from taking up the art recreationally, in contrast to the gladiators who fought to earn their living.
Bamboo was introduced into England around 1827. Bamboo poles were light enough that players could strike to the body at full speed and risk only a welt or bruise, and a slender eight-foot length was flexible enough to absorb impact without splitting. British cavalrymen employed bamboo training weapons in lance maneuvers, following the example of Indian soldiers they encountered during the "Raj" period, beginning in 1858, and bamboo quarter staves are recommended in all of the surviving Victorian-era manuals.
As Britain entered the Industrial Age, there arose a relatively affluent urban middle-class with time to pursue sports and other diversions. Supply meets demand, and the first sporting equipment companies were established, leading to a rapid evolution in sporting equipment design and manufacture.
Even armed with lightweight bamboo weapons, the knees and shins, groin, hands, temples, throat, and eyes were still vulnerable to serious, even if accidental, injury. By 1870, however, amateur quarterstaff fencers could choose from a diverse range of protective equipment designed for other sports.
Tragically, many young English athletes gave up their lives in the trenches of the First World War, and the generation that might otherwise have perpetuated the new sport of quarterstaff fencing was all but lost. Many other Victorian-era combat arts and sports were similarly afflicted, some experiencing a brief revival in the 1920s (such as quarter staffing as practiced by the Boy Scouts) before finally succumbing during the Great Depression and then World War Two. Similarly, the homogenizing effect of the international Olympic movement caused many obscure sports to fade from memory through lack of publicity and funding. It is only in comparatively recent years that these activities have been researched and, in some cases, brought tentatively back to life.
There do not appear to be any records of recreational quarterstaff-play between 1748 and 1870, probably because during this period armed prize fighting was virtually replaced by the new sport of boxing. Quarter staffing was militarily obsolete and does not appear to have been a popular rural pastime, so it is possible that the art effectively became extinct.
The traditional English staff was a sturdy weapon of oak or similar hardwood, difficult to maneuver with any regard for a sparring partner's safety. It's important to remember that Figg and his contemporaries were professional fighters, willing to risk injury in un-armored, full-contact bouts with weapons (although it was suspected at the time that some professionals fixed their fights, in the manner of modern pro-wrestlers.) The danger of fencing with oak staves may have dissuaded amateurs from taking up the art recreationally, in contrast to the gladiators who fought to earn their living.
Bamboo was introduced into England around 1827. Bamboo poles were light enough that players could strike to the body at full speed and risk only a welt or bruise, and a slender eight-foot length was flexible enough to absorb impact without splitting. British cavalrymen employed bamboo training weapons in lance maneuvers, following the example of Indian soldiers they encountered during the "Raj" period, beginning in 1858, and bamboo quarter staves are recommended in all of the surviving Victorian-era manuals.
As Britain entered the Industrial Age, there arose a relatively affluent urban middle-class with time to pursue sports and other diversions. Supply meets demand, and the first sporting equipment companies were established, leading to a rapid evolution in sporting equipment design and manufacture.
Even armed with lightweight bamboo weapons, the knees and shins, groin, hands, temples, throat, and eyes were still vulnerable to serious, even if accidental, injury. By 1870, however, amateur quarterstaff fencers could choose from a diverse range of protective equipment designed for other sports.
Tragically, many young English athletes gave up their lives in the trenches of the First World War, and the generation that might otherwise have perpetuated the new sport of quarterstaff fencing was all but lost. Many other Victorian-era combat arts and sports were similarly afflicted, some experiencing a brief revival in the 1920s (such as quarter staffing as practiced by the Boy Scouts) before finally succumbing during the Great Depression and then World War Two. Similarly, the homogenizing effect of the international Olympic movement caused many obscure sports to fade from memory through lack of publicity and funding. It is only in comparatively recent years that these activities have been researched and, in some cases, brought tentatively back to life.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Skittles
Skittles or Nine Pins has long been played in the Inns of England. In general, players take turns to throw wooden balls down a lane at the end of which are several wooden skittles in an attempt to knock them all over. There are a number of skittle games across England and there have been many more in the past. In Germany, in the 3rd or 4th century monks played a game with a kegel, which was a club, carried for self-defense. In the game, the kegel represented a sin or temptation and the monks would throw stones at it until they knocked it over.
There are two 14th century manuscripts which show a game called club Kayles and which depict a skittles game in which one skittle is bigger, differently shaped, and in most cases positioned so as to be the most difficult to knock over. The throwers, in the pictures, are about to launch a long club-like object at the skittles underarm. The large skittle is presumably a king pin as featured in some of the modern versions of skittles. The fact that the thrower is not using a ball is not at all unusual - the Skittles cousins, Aunt Sally, and various games played on a court in Northern Europe still uses a baton shaped stick to chuck at the doll and many modern skittles games throw a object called a "cheese" instead of a ball. A cheese is any "lump" which is used to throw at the skittles and shapes can vary from barrel shaped to cheese shaped. There is no doubt that Skittles has been one of the most popular sports in England since at least medieval times. Many old pictures and books mention it. A study of old pictures of the Thames Frost fairs shows that Nine Pins was consistently one of the entertainments.
There are two 14th century manuscripts which show a game called club Kayles and which depict a skittles game in which one skittle is bigger, differently shaped, and in most cases positioned so as to be the most difficult to knock over. The throwers, in the pictures, are about to launch a long club-like object at the skittles underarm. The large skittle is presumably a king pin as featured in some of the modern versions of skittles. The fact that the thrower is not using a ball is not at all unusual - the Skittles cousins, Aunt Sally, and various games played on a court in Northern Europe still uses a baton shaped stick to chuck at the doll and many modern skittles games throw a object called a "cheese" instead of a ball. A cheese is any "lump" which is used to throw at the skittles and shapes can vary from barrel shaped to cheese shaped. There is no doubt that Skittles has been one of the most popular sports in England since at least medieval times. Many old pictures and books mention it. A study of old pictures of the Thames Frost fairs shows that Nine Pins was consistently one of the entertainments.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Medieval Games of Chance
The Medieval Games of chance were always popular, although they were forbidden both by ecclesiastical and royal authority. New laws were continually being enacted against them, especially against those in which dice were used, though with little avail. It appears more likely that dice were first forbidden by the Church, and then by civil authorities, on account of the fearful oaths uttered by those players who had a run of bad luck. It was very common for people to ruin themselves at this game, and, as a proof, the poems of troubadours are full of imprecations against the fatal chance of dice.
The games of cards like Triomphe, Piquet, Trente-et-un were much in fashion in France, and as much forbidden as dice. However, they were played in taverns and even at the court. Loaded dice and false cards were not uncommon, as many were cheating for a living.
On the opposite side were the games requiring skill and calculation. Generally known as Tables, they comprised all the games played on a board, particularly chess, draughts, and backgammon.
In France, it was Charles V who first thought of giving a more serious and useful character to the Medieval Games, and who, in a celebrated edict forbidding the games of chance, encouraged the establishment of companies of archers and bowmen. These companies, to which was subsequently added that of arquebusiers, still exists, especially in the French Northern provinces.
The games of cards like Triomphe, Piquet, Trente-et-un were much in fashion in France, and as much forbidden as dice. However, they were played in taverns and even at the court. Loaded dice and false cards were not uncommon, as many were cheating for a living.
On the opposite side were the games requiring skill and calculation. Generally known as Tables, they comprised all the games played on a board, particularly chess, draughts, and backgammon.
In France, it was Charles V who first thought of giving a more serious and useful character to the Medieval Games, and who, in a celebrated edict forbidding the games of chance, encouraged the establishment of companies of archers and bowmen. These companies, to which was subsequently added that of arquebusiers, still exists, especially in the French Northern provinces.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Hammer Throwing
Hammer throwing, one of the throwing events in track and field, was developed into a sport centuries ago in Ireland, Scotland, and England. Legends trace it to the Tailteann games held in Tara, Ireland, about 2000 D.C., and tell of the Celtic hero Cuchulainn who gripped a chariot wheel by its axle, whirled it around his head, and threw it father than did any other mortal. Wheel hurling was later replaced by throwing a boulder attached to the end of a wooden handle. Among the ancient Teutonic tribes forms on hammer throwing were practiced at religious festivals honoring the God Thor.
The event was popularly contested throughout the Middle Ages; a statue of Joseph O'Hanrahan portrays a half-clad Irish giant hurling the hammer. A 16th century drawing shows King Henry VIII throwing a blacksmith's sledgehammer, the implement from which the event derived its name.
Since 1866 the hammer throw has been a regular part of track and field competitions and England, Scotland, and Ireland. The hammers were made of forged iron, had no prescribed weight, and their handles varied to in length between 3 and 3 1/2 feet. The athlete swung the hammer around his head and threw from a standing position to a distance measured from his forward foot. Later the hammer was thrown a line marked on the field. The best distances achieved were between 130 and 140 feet.
The English standardized the event in 1875 by establishing the weight of the hammer at sixteen pounds and its length at 3 feet six inches and by requiring that it be thrown from a circle seven feet in diameter. For a decade these restrictions reduced the distances, but slowly gave rise to a technique utilizing one or two body turns before the delivery. In 1887 the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States adopted the seven-foot circle and the sixteen-pound hammer, but set is overall length at four feet.
In 1895, A. J. Flanagan of Ireland, using three jumping rotations on the ball of his left foot, originated a new school of hammer throwing. In 1896 he immigrated to the United States and proceeded to improve his world record over the next thirteen years from 147 feet to 184 ft. 4 inches. By a then, the implement had undergone changes resulting in the replacement of the wooden handle by a steel wire connecting the iron ball with a pair of grips.
The event was popularly contested throughout the Middle Ages; a statue of Joseph O'Hanrahan portrays a half-clad Irish giant hurling the hammer. A 16th century drawing shows King Henry VIII throwing a blacksmith's sledgehammer, the implement from which the event derived its name.
Since 1866 the hammer throw has been a regular part of track and field competitions and England, Scotland, and Ireland. The hammers were made of forged iron, had no prescribed weight, and their handles varied to in length between 3 and 3 1/2 feet. The athlete swung the hammer around his head and threw from a standing position to a distance measured from his forward foot. Later the hammer was thrown a line marked on the field. The best distances achieved were between 130 and 140 feet.
The English standardized the event in 1875 by establishing the weight of the hammer at sixteen pounds and its length at 3 feet six inches and by requiring that it be thrown from a circle seven feet in diameter. For a decade these restrictions reduced the distances, but slowly gave rise to a technique utilizing one or two body turns before the delivery. In 1887 the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States adopted the seven-foot circle and the sixteen-pound hammer, but set is overall length at four feet.
In 1895, A. J. Flanagan of Ireland, using three jumping rotations on the ball of his left foot, originated a new school of hammer throwing. In 1896 he immigrated to the United States and proceeded to improve his world record over the next thirteen years from 147 feet to 184 ft. 4 inches. By a then, the implement had undergone changes resulting in the replacement of the wooden handle by a steel wire connecting the iron ball with a pair of grips.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Archery
The definition and description of a Medieval Archer can be described as a bowman, one skilled in the use of the bow and arrow. However, there were also other types of archers during the period, the longbow man and the crossbowman. A maker of the Medieval Bow and Arrow and other archery goods was called an Artillator. Special places were assigned for the archery training called "The Butts".
"The Butts" was an area used for archery training during the Medieval times by Archers especially using the longbow weapon. The word "Butts" is derived from the Anglo French word "bouter" meaning to expel. IT is now virtually obsolete, but still lives on in English place names such as Newington Butts in South London. The areas designated for archery training during the Medieval times, "The Butts", are described as follows. Archers has to develop skill in using the Medieval longbow which took many years. The first Medieval Archer Law was passed in 1252 when all Englishmen between the ages of 16 to 60 years were ordered, by Law, to equip themselves with bow and arrows. The second archer Law of 1363 made it and obligation for Englishmen to practice their skills with the longbow every Sunday.
The Medieval Butts were usually located on the outskirts of the villages or towns on common land so that villagers were not injured during training. They were situated on a flat area of land up to 200m long. Targets were originally made of a number of circular, turf-covered target mounds with flat tops. The mounds provided a level platform for the targets and ranged between 2-8m across and 1-3m high. Archers practiced commands and motions which could be carried out automatically in battle; the cries of "Nock! Mark! Draw!" would resonate across the Medieval battlefields. The draw weight of a longbow was up to 120 pounds, and a trained archer was expected to shoot 12-15 arrows per minute. He was also expected to hit a target at minimum of 200 yards with an ordinary bow, but the range of a long bow was about 400 yards, and could pierce armor at ranges of more than 250 yards.
"The Butts" was an area used for archery training during the Medieval times by Archers especially using the longbow weapon. The word "Butts" is derived from the Anglo French word "bouter" meaning to expel. IT is now virtually obsolete, but still lives on in English place names such as Newington Butts in South London. The areas designated for archery training during the Medieval times, "The Butts", are described as follows. Archers has to develop skill in using the Medieval longbow which took many years. The first Medieval Archer Law was passed in 1252 when all Englishmen between the ages of 16 to 60 years were ordered, by Law, to equip themselves with bow and arrows. The second archer Law of 1363 made it and obligation for Englishmen to practice their skills with the longbow every Sunday.
The Medieval Butts were usually located on the outskirts of the villages or towns on common land so that villagers were not injured during training. They were situated on a flat area of land up to 200m long. Targets were originally made of a number of circular, turf-covered target mounds with flat tops. The mounds provided a level platform for the targets and ranged between 2-8m across and 1-3m high. Archers practiced commands and motions which could be carried out automatically in battle; the cries of "Nock! Mark! Draw!" would resonate across the Medieval battlefields. The draw weight of a longbow was up to 120 pounds, and a trained archer was expected to shoot 12-15 arrows per minute. He was also expected to hit a target at minimum of 200 yards with an ordinary bow, but the range of a long bow was about 400 yards, and could pierce armor at ranges of more than 250 yards.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Preperations for Jousting and Rules
When preparing for Jousting tournaments one had to be formally planned and prepared, and the preparations are numerous. First a Cry Tournament must arise, this consisted of an announcement sent via heralds to notify nobles that a jousting tournament was to be held at a specific time and place. Then the rules of pas d'armes was published in advance of the jousting tournament. Announcements of the jousting tournaments were made from the castles, and town criers made the announcements in the towns and from the towns the word spread to the villages. The news of a jousting tournaments was always greeted with great excitements and the banners of the knights were hung from the windows where they lodged or by their supporters.
The Jousting Rules were circulated prior to a jousting tournament or pas d'armes. The jousting rules and terms included the following.
When and where the tournament would be held.
Who was sponsoring the tournament.
The specific styles of combat which were expected to be fought.
The weapons allowed.
The ceremony of observed at Jousting Tournaments consisted of a Vespers Tourney. This is a tournament held on the eve of a larger event where the younger knights and squires had an opportunity to demonstrate their prowess before the experienced knights and assembled gallery. Opening day processions where judges and contestants rode in formal procession. The ceremony used to start a tournament or pas 'darmes was called the Invocation. The second day of the ceremony included the display of the helms of knights who had fought in tournaments. The ladies inspected the helms and denounced acts of un-chivalrous behavior. The third day of the ceremony was when the Chevalier d'honneur was chosen, they performed the rule of an umpire. On the last day of the tournament the ceremony for awarding the tournament prize was conducted. The combatants met in the center of the lists, and embraced each other in the true companionship of chivalry. And then after the awards the tournament ended with a feast, music, and dancing.
The Jousting Knights represented their liege lord, or were entering the tournament in order to win the purse, or prize money. In early tournaments the losing knight would forfeit his armor and his horse, which would be claimed by the victor. Fame and Glory were also good reasons for the jousting knights to enter the tournament.
The Jousting Rules were circulated prior to a jousting tournament or pas d'armes. The jousting rules and terms included the following.
When and where the tournament would be held.
Who was sponsoring the tournament.
The specific styles of combat which were expected to be fought.
The weapons allowed.
The ceremony of observed at Jousting Tournaments consisted of a Vespers Tourney. This is a tournament held on the eve of a larger event where the younger knights and squires had an opportunity to demonstrate their prowess before the experienced knights and assembled gallery. Opening day processions where judges and contestants rode in formal procession. The ceremony used to start a tournament or pas 'darmes was called the Invocation. The second day of the ceremony included the display of the helms of knights who had fought in tournaments. The ladies inspected the helms and denounced acts of un-chivalrous behavior. The third day of the ceremony was when the Chevalier d'honneur was chosen, they performed the rule of an umpire. On the last day of the tournament the ceremony for awarding the tournament prize was conducted. The combatants met in the center of the lists, and embraced each other in the true companionship of chivalry. And then after the awards the tournament ended with a feast, music, and dancing.
The Jousting Knights represented their liege lord, or were entering the tournament in order to win the purse, or prize money. In early tournaments the losing knight would forfeit his armor and his horse, which would be claimed by the victor. Fame and Glory were also good reasons for the jousting knights to enter the tournament.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Jousting
Jousting is defined as a fight between mounted knights wearing armor and using lances. This was a favorite form of entertainment in the Middle Ages. Jousting contests took place at Medieval tournaments which provided a venue for Knights to practice various form of combat to the delight, and for the amusement of crowds of onlookers. The tournaments kept the knight in excellent condition for the role he would need to play during Medieval warfare. Skill with the weapons and supreme strength and fitness were necessary to knights of the Middle ages. Tournaments were exciting and colorful pageants which displayed different forms of combat. Jousting was one of the events shown at a tournament. Jousting was an individual event where as the Melee was a team event where teams of kings fought on horseback.
There were two types of Jousting events during the Middle Ages, the Joust a plaisance and the Pas d'armes
Joust a plaisance - A series of emlimiation jousting contests which were held over several days. An overall jousting winner would be determined.
Pas d'armes or passage of arms Jousting event - A Knight would send out a proclamation that he would take on all jousting challengers at a specific time and place.
Jousting were major events in the tournaments. or tourneys. of the Middle Ages. Medieval jousting tournaments were the training grounds for Knights of the Middle Ages, but they were also great entertainment for all of the locals. Jousting tournaments were usually held on a field in close proximity to a castle called the Lists. To be in the lists meant to be competing in the tournament. People would view the jousting and other events from the battlements of the castle or sit alongside the Jousting tournament field. A grandstand called a Berfrois, was built a full story above the level of the lists. This grandstand housed the ladies and other noble spectators. Pavilions were erected around the area of the jousting tournaments. Pavilions were the name given to the bright, round medieval tents of alternating colors which housed combatants, and surgeons of a jousting tournament. Jousting tournaments teemed with spectators and combatants including royalty, nobles, Knights, ladies, and commoners.
Tune in next week for more info on Jousting.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Medieval Entertainment
The medieval ages lasted a long period of time between in European history the 5th and 15th century, this time period being the longest and most remote period for musical history...fun fact.
What did people do in the middle ages for entertainment? Types of Medieval Entertainment varied according to status but included feasts, banquets, jousts, and tournaments. There were also entertainers that would do their best to entertain the king and all of his guests they were called Jesters or fool. The king was so privileged to have obtained these guys for his private form of entertainment.
The other form of entertainment was that of a Mummer, and they were entertainers for the village mostly, dancing at festivals and usually elaborately costumed.Then there were acrobats, jugglers, and Troubadours, and Minstrels. The Troubadours were originally a traveling musician. The early Troubadours traveled from one village to the next and many also traveled abroad. Some traveled to major cities of Europe while other troubadours traveled to the Holy Land accompanying the people who went on Crusade. The traveling of early Troubadours allowed them to spread the latest news. The themes of the songs sung by the troubadours mainly dealt with chivalry and courtly love, like romance ballads. They would also play for royalty nobles, and when they ran out of songs to sing they would tell stories of far lands and historical events.
Minstrels were servants first employed as a castle or court musician. The name "minstrel" means "little servant". These guys often created there own ballads but they were also famous for memorizing long poems based on myths and legends. The Minstrels were then replaced by Troubadours, and started to move around; and thus were known as "Wandering Minstrels". They pretty must followed in the footsteps of their fellow Troubadours.
What did people do in the middle ages for entertainment? Types of Medieval Entertainment varied according to status but included feasts, banquets, jousts, and tournaments. There were also entertainers that would do their best to entertain the king and all of his guests they were called Jesters or fool. The king was so privileged to have obtained these guys for his private form of entertainment.
The other form of entertainment was that of a Mummer, and they were entertainers for the village mostly, dancing at festivals and usually elaborately costumed.Then there were acrobats, jugglers, and Troubadours, and Minstrels. The Troubadours were originally a traveling musician. The early Troubadours traveled from one village to the next and many also traveled abroad. Some traveled to major cities of Europe while other troubadours traveled to the Holy Land accompanying the people who went on Crusade. The traveling of early Troubadours allowed them to spread the latest news. The themes of the songs sung by the troubadours mainly dealt with chivalry and courtly love, like romance ballads. They would also play for royalty nobles, and when they ran out of songs to sing they would tell stories of far lands and historical events.
Minstrels were servants first employed as a castle or court musician. The name "minstrel" means "little servant". These guys often created there own ballads but they were also famous for memorizing long poems based on myths and legends. The Minstrels were then replaced by Troubadours, and started to move around; and thus were known as "Wandering Minstrels". They pretty must followed in the footsteps of their fellow Troubadours.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Comm 344 Game Ideas Cont'
I've found working with the three game exercise how difficult creating a game and rules can be. First off when creating a game I feel as if we (being the game creator) automatically assume that the players of the created game already understand how the game is played.
It is interesting to see what other people have come up with using their limited resources, and not only are these resources limited they're compatibility with the other items is as far from perfect as we can get. This is what makes the creating of the game so much fun; it's the flexing of the creative muscle that we so rarely use.
This exercise is assisting in the development of ideas for what meaningful play means to me, and what kind of games I truly enjoy. It also makes me wonder how long the creators of games spend on creating games like Trouble, and Tic Tac Toe. Also, my appreciation for games has greatly increased in the few short weeks of class.
It is interesting to see what other people have come up with using their limited resources, and not only are these resources limited they're compatibility with the other items is as far from perfect as we can get. This is what makes the creating of the game so much fun; it's the flexing of the creative muscle that we so rarely use.
This exercise is assisting in the development of ideas for what meaningful play means to me, and what kind of games I truly enjoy. It also makes me wonder how long the creators of games spend on creating games like Trouble, and Tic Tac Toe. Also, my appreciation for games has greatly increased in the few short weeks of class.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
COMM 344 Ideas
I have run across several game ideas, but am still unsure of what I would desire to dedicate my research to. Thus, I have come up with this...Mid-Evil games. I was curious as to why they in fact called them games, due to the fact, that the ending result was to die tryin. This provided a bit of a challenge for those participating in these "games."
So, here is my idea...research several different types of Mid-Evil games such as jousting; also how, and why they came up with these forms of entertainment. Not only that, but also who qualified as the brave individual to embark on these heroic events, and did they really get the girl in the end. Granted I still have some research to do, but this is just an idea.
Another point about games I find to be interesting is the process by which the human brain works to enjoy these games. Be it horseshoes, monopoly, or drinking games I'm just curious as to what it is about strategy, teamwork, and winning that makes us yearn for more defeat or success. Could it be that we are adrenaline junkies, or that we are hardwired to have that competitive streak? This enjoyment that we rely on from Nintendo, Cards, and Hasbro, among others, has existed for centuries and will continue to captivate us until the end of time. But not only do we enjoy to play these games, some individuals are just as content to observe these actions that are taking place, be it on television or up close and personal the crave still exists! But how can this be? Stay tuned.
So, here is my idea...research several different types of Mid-Evil games such as jousting; also how, and why they came up with these forms of entertainment. Not only that, but also who qualified as the brave individual to embark on these heroic events, and did they really get the girl in the end. Granted I still have some research to do, but this is just an idea.
Another point about games I find to be interesting is the process by which the human brain works to enjoy these games. Be it horseshoes, monopoly, or drinking games I'm just curious as to what it is about strategy, teamwork, and winning that makes us yearn for more defeat or success. Could it be that we are adrenaline junkies, or that we are hardwired to have that competitive streak? This enjoyment that we rely on from Nintendo, Cards, and Hasbro, among others, has existed for centuries and will continue to captivate us until the end of time. But not only do we enjoy to play these games, some individuals are just as content to observe these actions that are taking place, be it on television or up close and personal the crave still exists! But how can this be? Stay tuned.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Analyze Exisiting website part 2
Florida’s Lost Tribes Museum Art Gallery
This website wasn’t what I had expected it to be. I had anticipated a website specifically dedicated to all of the lost tribes all over the world, but this is just a simple artist who paints what he believes the lost Indian tribe of Florida would have looked like, thus I became intrigued.
What a relief to be able to find my way through a website, and have the luxury to place my desired items in a shopping cart, have updates about this interesting art sent to me, I feel so spoiled. I really like how the background is an earthy tone of green, and the letters jump out in this vibrant white. There is a bit of information on the lost tribes of Florida near the bottom of the page, but I believe I would include more information on these tribes that compel this artist to dedicate his time and effort on.
The artist placed all of his art neatly and described each painting, with the exception of the giclee prints. In which I had no clue what that word even meant, so I had to look it up and discovered this would means a new method of scanning and printing paintings for a cheaper price. The artist would probably sell more if he included this definition, as well as a description alongside these cheaper versions.
I’m not sure if the artist was just tired of painting these incredibly interesting Indians or if he believes that Theodore Roosevelt, Humphrey Bogart, and Earnest Hemingway are Indians underwater. This seems to have nothing to do with what the website entailed in the first place, this change of pace so to speak made me as the viewer wonder if I was in fact still on the same website. This teaches me not to venture off subject when creating my own website. Again this website was also a bit wordy when it came to the description of the artist and his accomplishments; on the other hand the artists did post a resume. I also enjoy the fact that the navigation tabs are at the top of the page as well as the bottom of the page…how convenient.
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