The Tournament of the Courtier

A Friendly five-part competition for gentlemen and gentlewomen, based upon the Book of the Courtier, by Baldessar Castiglione.

Part I: "To play well at fense upon all kinds of weapons."

Candidates will be required to show their fencing skill.

Note: The fencing tournament is open to non-courtier candidates.

Part II: "To be brought to showe his (or her)feates and qualities at the desire and request of others."

Each candidate shall be asked to demonstrate skill at some mode of entertainment of the candidate's choosing (eg. dance, juggle, sing, recite a poem, play an instrument, tell a tale, etc.). A candidate who has created an original work, may ask another to perform it.

Note: The bardic competition is open to non-courtier candidates.

Part III: "To be handesome and clenly in his (or her) apparaile."

The fencing garb of each candidate will be judged on the basis of comeliness and appropriateness.

Part IV: "To be meanly seene in the play at Chestes (chess), and not over cunninge.

Candidates will play matches of "Give Away" chess (the player who loses all of his or her pieces first wins).
Participants need only know how various chess pieces move and capture in order to play.

Note: The Chess competition is open to non-courtier candidates.

Part V: "To be well spoken and faire languaged "and " To be no envious or malitious person."

Each candidate will be asked to briefly speak extemporaneously upon the virtues of one of the other candidates (to be drawn at random).

Points are awarded reflecting each candidate's standing in each event at the end of the day. The candidate with the highest total is the winner of the Courtiers Tournament.