Medieval Entertainment - Medieval Games, Gambling, Recreation
In medieval times people made their own entertainment. They had to. The many mediums for entertainment that we use and take for granted today simply had not been invented then.
For example ....
Indoor entertainment today offers us television, radio, computers, the internet, electronic games, etc.
Outdoor entertainment today offers a wealth of outdoor activities, sports and spectacles. We can go to music concerts, theatre productions, firework displays, sporting venues to watch everything from football, cricket, to stock car racing - just to name a few!
We still of course can make our own entertainment without the aid of 'modern world' inventions. Playing card games is a good example, as is playing board games such as chess. Strangely enough, card games and chess actually date back to medieval times as does gambling with dice, though they actually used animal knuckle bones shaped into dice-like cubes rather than dice as we know them. The longevity of these forms of entertainment and recreation is testimony to a strength of appeal that we have long forgotten. Standing the test of time over a period of about 700 years is not a common thing! Indeed you can even play medieval games online today.
In medieval times - that is the four centuries from William the Conqueror through to the age of the printing press - entertainment was a very popular and necessary part of people's lives. We take a look at medieval entertainment in the 14th century - the era most commonly associated in people's minds with the word 'medieval' as it was the time of knights, jousts, chivalry and the crusades. We invite you to take a look at the indoor games and entertainment that people enjoyed as well as outdoor recreation.
Medieval Gambling, Indoor Games ~ Medieval Entertainment Outdoors ~ Medieval Jester, Medieval Juggler