ANGER CASTLE, 24 JUNE A.D. 2023
"The Knights of Gniew Castle" are once again preparing to compete at the Gniew Castle Tournament Arena. They have repeatedly won tournament championship titles in Poland, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the USA or Canada. At the Gniew Castle Tournament Arena, the best knights from three continents crushed their kicks.
The King John III Tournament of Knights refers to the best models of knightly games, set in the reality of the second half of the 15th century, when they accompanied and honoured the most important events at the European royal and princely courts: baptisms of descendants, weddings or meetings of monarchs. They were an emanation of court culture, popularised the knightly ethos and allowed participants to achieve fame, prestige and wealth. They were also attractive entertainment and sporting events that heated the emotions of the nobility, the bourgeoisie and the simple folk alike. With time, they became real open-air spectacles, enriched by musical and theatrical settings.
The King John III Knights Tournament will be held in the Tournament Arena located in the southern bailey of Gniew Castle, overlooking the southern wing of Gniew Castle, the largest 13th-century Teutonic stronghold built on the left bank of the Vistula River. The main competition of the Tournament is the "chase with a lance" (joust), consisting in hitting with a lance with the aim of crushing it or knocking out of the saddle an opponent riding on the opposite side of the barrier, protected by full plate armour.
Another competition in which the 'Knights of Wrath' participate is the team 'meleé' tournament race, which involves a horseback battle in full armour using a wooden tournament mace. A bit of a respite from the combat clashes is offered by the equestrian "skill race" with lances, sword and spear. Here, the knights demonstrate to the tournament guests their equestrian craftsmanship and prowess in the use of weapons.
Tournament guests are always delighted by a competition played only at Castle Gniew, whose mysterious name is "gaciohurt", i.e. duels between knights or their squires dressed only in "gaciohurt", riding horses without saddles and fighting with light maces.
XXXII KNIGHTLY TOURNAMENT OF KING JAN III
ANGER CASTLE, 24 JUNE A.D. 2023
SATURDAY 24 JUNE
15.00 OPENING CEREMONY AND PRESENTATION OF THE KNIGHTS OF WRATH
16.00 PERFORMANCE RACES - horse performance races with sword, spear and lance
17.00 MELEĖ - tournament game of horse knights with maces
18.00 TURNING RACES OF THE KNIGHTS OF GNOME - clashes between mounted knights in armour, whose aim is to crush their knights and blast their opponents out of the saddle
19.00 GACIOHURT
Organisers:
Mayor of Gniew City and Municipality
Archaeological Museum in Gdansk
European Historical Park at Gniew Castle
Gniew Castle Sp. z o.o.
Knights of Gniew Castle
Partners:
POLMLEK Group
FREE ENTRY!!!
