Information on Medieval Entertainment
Life in medieval times was brutal and rough. There was a sharp division between the few noble rich and the poor masses. Entertainment, sometimes dark or brutal itself, was an important release from everyday troubles.
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Medieval Times
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Medieval Europe, from the 5th through the 15th century, had only recently emerged from the Dark Ages. People found the need to enjoy art and to relax, in spite of the hardships of life. Kings and queens, long known for lavish entertainment, took even greater joy in pleasure, while peasants sought some greater meaning than drudgery. In spite of a church that often decried pleasure as sin, all found new ways to relax and enjoy life.
Entertainment and Entertainers
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Rich or poor, there was always an occasion close at hand to celebrate. Religious festivals provided opportunity for gaiety, and feasts were special events although mostly for the wealthy. The royal court hosted lavish events, providing dancing, jesters and drama; court jesters--a medieval form of comedians--were always popular. Poets, musicians and storytellers played whenever there was an audience to appreciate--and enough gold to survive on--however meager their existence. Jugglers, trained animals, and all sorts of entertainers not only traveled from town to town but also were sometimes employed by the wealthy. Even the church began to incorporate music into services, bringing beauty and pleasure to everyday lives.
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Sport and Games as Entertainment
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Jesters were a cherished court entertainer. In medieval times, even work or training became play. While the church "frowned upon the medieval tournament," an event that probably grew from training knights endured, it soon became a great source of entertainment and included contests such as archery, as Camelot International explains. Hunting, while helping people survive, also became a source of entertainment. Even modern games were born in medieval times; chess (a method of planning war), knuckles (an early version of dice) and other games were invented. Wrestling, horseshoes, feasts, laughter and dancing--it wasn't all work in medieval times.
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- Photo Credit knights jousting image by Clarence Alford from Fotolia.com venice carnival: black jester image by Tamara Kulikova from Fotolia.com
