... of the church was another dominant factor that shaped recreation before 1800. Prior to the 1800's, the lord of manor was exceptionally powerful and on frequent occasions would determine whether an activity or recreational event would commence or not. The main reason for this was that many labourers were strong Christians and depended on the lord of manors' approval when participating in recreational activities. The role of Combat Sports was mildly significant before 1800, as it was a way of preparing young men to be knights in service of their king/lord-it was also a way of training them for frequent wars. Jousting tournaments would often attract the most attention, as Knights would be suited up in tin garments, given a jousting stick (in which they used to remove their opponent) and a shield (which was used to withhold the attack from their opponent). The Knights never used to get paid for ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now