[Ravensfort] The Church on Tournaments

[jamesnorthfolke at gmail.com]

Browsing through The Study of Chivalry: Resources and Approaches (Howell  
Chickering, Thomas H. Seiler, eds.) I came upon some text from various  
Church counsels regarding tournaments; notice the repetitious language:

Council of Clermont (1130), canon 9

We completely forbid those detestable fairs or festivals where knights  
customarily gather by agreement and heedlessly fight among themselves to  
make show of their strength and bravery, whence often result men's deaths  
and souls' peril. Should any one of them die on such an occasion, he should  
not be denied penance and the last rites if he asks for them, yet let him  
not enjoy Church burial.

again....

Council of Reims (1148), canon 12

We wholly forbid occasion for the heedless audacity of those knights who  
customarily gather by agreement for detestable fairs or festivals to make  
show of their strength, whence have often resulted the deaths of bodies and  
souls. Should anyone be killed or die on such occasion, penitence and the  
last rites should not be denied him; yet let him not enjoy Church burial.

maybe if we write it this way....

Lateran Council (1179), canon 20

Let there be no tournaments. In adherence to the precedent established by  
our predecessors, Pope Innocent of blessed memory and Eugene, we prohibit  
occasion for those detestable fairs or festivals, which are commonly called  
tournaments, where knights customarily go by agreement and heedlessly fight  
among themselves to make show of their strength and bravery, whence often  
result men's death and souls' peril. Should any one of them die on such an  
occasion, he should not be denied indulgence if he asks for it; yet let him  
not enjoy Church burial.

now this is interfering with corporate initiatives....

Lateran Council (1215)

...We are aware that tournaments have been widely forbidden by various  
councils on pain of certain penalties, but now, because they greatly impede  
the business of crusade, we prohibit them absolutely, on pain of  
excommunication, for three years....

James
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