Middle Ages Research

Ricardo Vazquez 

Encounters 6

Ms. Damante

April 17, 2025

The Medieval Times 

Introduction

Did you know that some sports in the Middle Ages involved murder? Feudalism was the government system of the Middle Ages. Shields played a huge factor in the Middle Ages. Sports in the Middle Ages were very intense and a lot of the sports played today were also played back then just with a little twist. The Middle Ages was a very interesting time.

Feudalism

Feudalism was the basic government and society that was used in Europe during the Middle Ages. In practice Feudalism was not run by kings but by lords, or barons. According to Britain Express,“In theory, the king was the chief feudal lord, but in reality, the individual lords were supreme in their own territory. Many kings were little more than figurehead rulers." (Middle…) In Feudalism little communities were formed around the manor and the local lord. In the feudal system land was traded for service.

The Feudal System was organized by ranks; there were kings, lords, knights, peasants, and serfs. The king is at the top of the hierarchy, but the land was run by lords. The lords ran manors, but they were also the king's knights and could be called into battle at any time. Peasants lived rough lives. Some peasants were able to own their own businesses, but that is not always the case. Other peasants were more like slaves, for they owned nothing and worked 6 days a week and often didn’t have enough food to survive. Another way it was organized was based on a relationship between lords and vassals.

Although Feudalism was a government system followed by all, most people didn’t benefit. The people who benefited the most were lords and kings. The kings benefited off of taxation and the lords benefited off of their control over land, wealth, and power. Although peasants didn’t benefit much, they had a slight benefit off of the lords providing them with protection. Feudalism ended whenever centralized monarchies rose. Another way Feudalism might have died out was because of The Black Death. The Black Death may have caused death to many of the people on the land, so when new settlers came in the government system may have changed.     

Shields

In Europe during the Middle Ages knights used their shields during battle. The shields were made of rawhide, wood, leather, basketry, metal, and cloth. These shields were often ½ or 1 inch thick and 75-90 cm long. But different shields were made in different ways, for there were different types of combat and different symbols were on knights' coats of arms. The shields were made like this to provide protection from spears, arrows,and swords. A technique that was often used was called a shield wall. This strategy was a defensive technique where knights would join their shields together to stop enemy charge and to advance on mounted archers while maintaining their defense.

In the Middle Ages shields were the decisive factor for wins especially in hand to hand combat. Shields in the middle ages not only allowed defensive tactics but they also allowed offensive tactics such as throwing opponents off balance and pushing opponents back. Opponents would often try to attack around the shields, maneuver to attack exposed body parts, and feigned attacks which is where you pretend to strike the shield to get a defender in a vulnerable position to strike him. To pull off this move the attacker had to have really fast reactions so that as soon as an opening in the wielder of the shield showed he could attack. If you were not fast enough to strike, the wielder of the shield would cover the spot back up causing you to hit the shield and you would possibly get struck. 

Shields in the Middle Ages were the most useful weapon to have mostly because of their versatility. With the right kind of shield you could do many things. You could use them while riding a horse, protecting yourself from arrows, attacking, protection from swords, and shield wall. The fact that all these strategies were used proves that opponents never knew what you might do.       

Sports

In the Middle Ages sports were mainly about increasing the fighting skills of men. Some of the sports played in the Middle Ages were Archery, Colf, Gameball, Hammer throwing, Shinty, Horseshoes, Quarter, Skittles, Stoolball, and Wrestling. Doing good in sporting events had a spectacular effect on the participants, for if a knight won he would become very wealthy to the point he could buy a castle and become more important in the land. If a peasant won he could win a purse, gain an important reputation and increase his value and position in life. This was amazing for the people who won the competitions. However, some sports involved killing one another.These sports were brutal and knights who participated risked their lives. So in these sports you either won big or lost everything. Based on this information you could probably tell that these sports were basically all or nothing. 

These sports usually took place at tournaments or Jousts which were known as big sporting events with games and sports. These sporting events were dangerous because some people were just brought to the events to be killed in some sports. According to The Finer Times Sports in the Middle Ages,“ Many contestants of these tournaments were used to be killed while playing those dangerous games.” ( Sports…) Some contestants would be put on the ground but not killed because the crowd may have liked their performance and signed for them to stay alive. To have a better chance at surviving these games some fighters would attend special training. According to The Finer Times Sports in the Middle Ages,“It was necessary for the participant of such tournaments and jousts to attain Quintain and Pell Training.”( Sports…) Another thing fighters did to prepare for these tournaments was practice riding horses while handling weapons such as lances, shields, and swords.   

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the Middle Ages is a very fascinating time in history. Feudalism, sports, and shields are very important to the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages is important to study because a lot can be learned from the Middle Ages and a lot of important events happened. 

Works Cited 

“ A Knight’s Coat of Arms.” Ducksters. www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/knight_coat 

_of_arms.php . Accessed 3 February 2025.

”Medieval Shields.” Medieval Life and Times. www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-sw 

ords-and-armor/medieval-shields.htm. Accessed 3 February 2025.

“Medieval Sports.” Middle Ages for Kids. www.lordsandladies.org/medieval-spor 

ts.htm#google_vignette. Accessed 18 February 2025. 

“Middle Ages Feudal System.” Ducksters. www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_feudal _system.php  

Accessed 22 February 2023. 

Ross, David. “Feudalism and Medieval Life.” Britain Express. www.britainexpress.com 

/History/Feudalism_and_Medieval_life.htm Accessed 7 February 2023.

“Sports in the Middle Ages.” Sports in the Middle Ages/The Finer times. 29 May 2012   

www.thefinertimes.com/sports-in-the-middle-ages. Accessed 18 February 2025