Herr Wendelin Boeheim, in an article in the Zeitschrift für historische Waffenkunde,[22] says that the “old German Gestech” was far from having been introduced during the reign of the Emperor Maximilian I., as has often been supposed, but is of much earlier origin. This course depends much more on adroitness and skill than in the Italian joust, when the knights tilt with a barrier between them, and the rider gets no assistance from his charger, as the chanfrein is without ocularia, and sometimes its ears were stopped with wool. The lance, unlike that used in “rennen,” is tipped with a coronal.[23] The “Stechtarsche,” or small ribbed shield which is tied to the left shoulder by laces, affords grip to the coronal of the lance; and this is the point aimed at. The saddle used for this course has an upright front plate, but none behind, so that there was no impediment in “unhorsing.” Later, the front plate disappeared. The horse bears no bards beyond the chanfrein, but there is a cushion filled with straw fastened over the horse’s breast, as a protection against collision. There are several kinds of “Stechen,” but the rule in all is to have no leg armour, and this was in order to give the rider greater command over his seat: the lance hand bore no gauntlet. Quirin von Leitner gives a figure of the Emperor Maximilian I. armed for the German Gestech.
Fig. 4.—Sharfrennen at Minden, ran in 1545.
Fig. 5.—Suit at Dresden for Sharfrennen, date 1554.
Instead of the fifteenth century sallad, a “Stechhelm” was worn in the sixteenth; and it was shaped something like a bucket. Brassards were always used in this course, while jambs and sollerets were usually dispensed with.
Early examples of armour made for this course may be seen in two very fine suits on exhibition at Nuremberg. The ponderous lance-rest stands free by reason of the cuirass being flattened on the right side. The breastplate, which bears the date 1498 and the Nuremberg guild monogram, is in two pieces, one of which is a reinforcing plate for the extra protection of the lower body, and this is fastened on to the main plate by large screws with very big heads. The lance-rest is supplemented with a queue screwed on behind, and curving downwards to hold the butt end of the lance. The right arm has heavy brassards; while on the left the heavy vambrace and gauntlet are in one solid piece, and quite plain. There is an immense rondelle on the right side, with a bouche cut out of the lower part to make room for the lance. The older of these suits has a sallad, while the one that is rather later is provided with a “Stechhelm,” which is very heavy and in one solid piece with the mentonnière, and strongly fastened on to the breastplate by screws; while a permanent socket and screw attach it to the backplate. The helm is thus immovable when fixed; it is roomy, and permits the head to move about freely within. These suits are so heavy and ponderous that the combatants could do little more than hold their lances in position; and if unhorsed, lay like logs where they fell, being unable to rise without the assistance of their varlets. In arming, each piece required to be screwed on, one after the other. The later of these suits is taken for illustration in [Fig. 6], as it bears the more characteristic “Stechhelm.”
THE ITALIAN COURSE, OR “WELSCHES (ITALIAN) GESTECH,” ÜBER DIE PALLIA (OVER THE BARRIERS).
This course first appeared in Germany about 1510, but it doubtless originated in Italy, as its name implies, and the Italian name for barrier is “pallia.” It was fought with lances tipped with a coronal, the same as in “the German Gestech,” but the main difference between that course and the others under discussion is the presence of a wooden barrier about five feet high, along which the two riders charge, with it between them. In this course the legs and feet were generally armoured, though there were exceptions to the rule. There are very full particulars in Freydal, the book in which the tournaments of the reign of the Emperor Maximilian I. are drawn and described; and this form of tournament is figured in the tournament roll of King Henry VIII. preserved in the Heralds’ College. The knights in their career had to hold their lances on the left side of the horse’s head. Originally the main intention was to unhorse: still the splintering of lances was of more frequent occurrence than in the before-named courses, as the saddle here was furnished with high front and rear supports, rendering it in fact “well” shaped, so that the riders sat much more firmly in their seats than on the “renn” saddles, especially those which were without supports. Soon after the middle of the sixteenth century a change took place in the armour for tournaments; and with this came a modification in the lances also, which became lighter, so that they mostly splintered on impact, and in such cases the riders were but rarely hurled from their saddles. For the later Italian course harnesses were worn, as in [Fig. 7].
