.........LANGUEDOC.JOUSTS..............................

 

For more information, a booklet and CD are available, “La musique des joutes languedociennes”, see the page on “CDs / Shop” on this site.

We believe that they originate in Aigues Mortes (Southern France), where the crusaders waiting to board, also trained up. Moreover we know that a jousting tournament took place at Sète in 1666, year of the town's foundation. This traditional game has today become a sport, with its own national association. It is practised from Béziers to the Grau du Roi, but it's around the salt-water lake of Thau and especially Sète where the tradition is best maintained, with an unbeatable enthusiasm. Arguably the best tournament is that of the monday of Saint Louis at Sète, which now gathers thousands of spectators. The principal, to push one's adversary into the water with a lance and a pavois (shield made of wood), is not unique to the Languedoc region; we also find it in other regions, but the Languedoc jousts differ on several points: the size of the boats, their propulsion by at least 8 rowers, the height of the 'tintaines' (the board on which the jouster stands), the iron trident (the épure) located at the end of the lance, the white costumes worn by all participants, and of course the omni-presence of its traditional music, responsible for accompanying the parades and for enlivening the tournament with the feeling of the charge : “Maridats, tenètz-vos ben” (Married men, beware). This song evokes past history where the jousts set the team of singles, or youngsters (blue) against those married, in red. These days it is an individualist sport and the colours are purely decorative.