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America has the most modern army in the world, yet millions
flock to see youthful dreams of medieval jousting become reality.
By Norman J. Fulkerson
Medieval Times are unique restaurants that
attract almost 2,200 people a day. Since opening their first "castle"
in 1983, they have entertained more than twenty-five million people
at seven locations nationwide.
The moment you enter the European-style castle,
it is as if you returned in time to the eleventh century. King Alfonso
and Queen Inez graciously invite you to enter the breathtaking Hall
of Arms, where colorful medieval banners hang from the ceiling with
the coats of arms of prestigious families. Two elaborately dressed
trumpeters then herald you into the Ceremonial Arena to enjoy a
feast fit for a king and the main attraction, a medieval joust.
How can members of a nation with the most
modern and sophisticated army in the world be interested in a style
of warfare that hearkens to a time some disdainfully label the "Dark
Ages?" The underlying factor involved here is a fascination
Americans have for notions of honor, so well displayed in the medieval
knight. This could explain the enthusiasm shown for the New York
City firemen and the heroism they displayed on September 11. Those
firemen, like knights of old, placed honor above everything, even
life itself, and in so doing, won the adulation of a nation.
An outside observer might find the appreciation
for knightly honor odd in a country that some months ago debated
giving POW status to a group of dishonorable terrorists at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba. Such actions are par for the course in a pluralistic
nation.
One knight facing another in mortal combat,
with all the magnificent trappings of that epoch, is not very pluralistic,
however, and this is what makes jousting in America a classic "Only
in America" paradox. The warfare of terrorists lurking in the
dark, waiting to attack innocent people, stands in stark contrast
to the knight who throws down the gauntlet and faces his adversary
in a manly way.
"Chivalry is not dead."
Randy Bernhurdt is one of the knights as well
as the show manager at Medieval Times' Lyndhurst, New Jersey, castle.
Also a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, he showed
nothing but enthusiasm for his job. "I was born way too late,"
he said. "I should have been born a few hundred years ago."
 People
of all ages come to watch Randy perform. While adults often appear
in period costume, children are usually happy wielding a plastic
swords. These miniature knights also write fan-mail letters to their
favorite knights with such innocent questions as, "What is
your horse's name?" Randy has even had children come up to
him before the show with hand-drawn pictures of knights slaying
dragons. "Here, I drew this for you," they say. This type
of reaction is not surprising since, as Mr. Bernhardt explains,
"all of us [Americans] wanted to be knights when we were kids,
the stereotype knight in shining armor, battling dragons, and saving
damsels in distress. We just lucked out, we got to do it."
"Chivalry is not dead," Michael
Shepard chimed in. He is the head knight in Lyndhurst and admitted
that it is the reaction of children to the show which makes the
job worthwhile. "Their eyes just light up," he said.
Guess what the State sport of Maryland
is?
Such enthusiasm for chivalry, honor, and courage,
expressed so well in the medieval joust, goes far beyond a mere
dinner show. We do not simply recreate another era for a group of
nostalgic people. Americans take jousting very seriously.
Jousting is a popular sport in many parts
of the country, and what was once simply a boyhood dream has become
reality for many Americans. Matt Machtan of San Jose, California,
for example, placed 3rd in the 1999 National and 2000 World Jousting
Championships.
"I was the kid that fought with cardboard
weapons and
plastic armor on the front lawn," he said. "The Middle
Ages...have always had a special draw for me. We'd invite other
kids in the neighborhood and get all dressed up in whatever armor
we could find or make out of grocery bags. By the end of the battle,
the lawn would be littered with bits of paper. It was glorious."1
Being a fierce competitor, he even thinks jousting will one day
be featured in the Olympics.
Maryland could win the Gold if that ever
happens. The Terrapin State was the first to adopt jousting as the
official state sport, back in 1962. It is a family affair for Marylanders
whose jousting skills are frequently passed from one generation
to the next. Tournaments have been held in Maryland since early
colonial times but became increasingly popular after the Civil War.
Retaining the pageantry and customs of medieval tournaments, modern
competitors are still called "knights" or "maids."
One such knight is on the great seal of Maryland.
He is adorned in medieval armor and seated upon a charging horse.
The Freelancers professional jousting
troupe
Jousting is one of the main attractions at
the yearly Renaissance Fair near Baltimore.
Roy and Kate Cox are owners of the Freelancers,
a professional jousting troupe that entertains crowds of over 5,000
at the fair. Like Matt Machtan, jousting for Roy Cox is serious
business, and he expects nothing less from his troupe. "Don't
tell me you're a jouster and then get out there and play shield
tag. I joust for one reason," Cox growls; "I like to hit
things."2 Roy has been doing
this for years and demands a lot from his men, who have a complete
training manual for knights and squires with a code of conduct and
even dress codes.
Terry Whittaker, of Sarasota, with the Freelancers
since last April, has been studying the Middle Ages his whole life.
"The time period has always been interesting for me,"
he said, "because there was a certain amount of honor."
The kings did not "lead men from an ivory tower," he continued.
"They were out there on the battlefield."
"It is my reason for living."
One of the squires for the Freelancers is
Ian Humphrey. At 14 years of age, Ian expressed desires similar
to the boy Matt Machtan. Squiring is very important for him since
it is the beginning of a process which will one day lead to knighthood,
as it did for Matt.
 "It
is what I look forward to every year," Ian said, "It is
my reason for living right now. I have wanted to be a knight since
I could read. I studied about knights and their history, like Sir
Lancelot, Arthur, and Galwain."
"The world we live in right now has
forgotten history," he continued. "We need to bring that
back again. That is what this [jousting] is all about. And I really
want to be a part of it."
Ian does not mention his dreams to schoolmates
because "they wouldn't understand. You have to be in it to
understand."
What Ian does not realize is that many boys
like him also dream of one day being knights.
Medieval dreams of knightly jousts are daily
becoming a reality in the most modern nation on earth. Millions
of Americans wait to see grown men fulfill boyhood dreams of being
knights in shining armor.
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