Tourney

1 PM & 4 PM Saturday and Sunday

During the medieval fair at Varberg’s Fortress royalty from Norway, Sweden and Denmark meet. The power struggle between the three kingdoms culminate in the tourney where the participants attempt to outshine one another in mounted combat. To the sounds of the cheering crowd the knights display their skills on horseback and meet with lance and shield. The tourney is included in the entry fee during the medieval fair.

We call it a “tourney”

During the medieval period a warrior class emerged. Known as knights, they excelled in mounted combat. When the knights were not fighting actual battles they practiced during so called tourneys where they fought eachother with sword and lance. The knight with the best horse usually won the tourney, due to the ability to outmaneuver their opponents. In the tourneys in the early days of the medieval period the knights usually fought in two teams. At times, as many as 100 competing knights could be participating in each team. By the end of the medieval period the so called joust became popular, where only two knights competed one-on-one. The goal of the joust was to break the most lances against the opponent’s shield or to cause the opposing knight to fall off his horse. Tourneys weren’t only a form of training, but also a sort of festivity which could draw large audiences. In the medieval text the “Eric chronicle” it is written that Erik Magnusson, who was Duke of Halland and lord of Varberg’s Castle, arranged a tourney with jousting to celebrate his wedding with Ingeborg Håkonsdotter in 1312.

Conflicts in Halland

The 14th century is a very tumultuous period in the history of Halland as the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian kings all fought over who would rule. It is this very story that the tourney during the Medieval fair wants to display. In the spring of 1366 Halland and Varberg’s Castle were part of the Swedish kingdom, and the king of Sweden was Albrecht of Mecklenburg. The king of Denmark was Valdemar Atterdag and he travelled with his army to Halland to scare Albrecht of Mecklenburg into surrendering northern Halland and Varberg’s Castle. Valdemar Atterdag wasn’t the only threat against Albrecht of Mecklenburg, however. King Håkon Magnusson of Norway was already at war with the Swedish king because Albrecht of Mecklenburg had captured King Håkon’s father, Magnus Eriksson.

A peaceful meeting?

During the medieval fair we take inspiration from the conflict between the three kings. In a fictional, but not impossible encounter, King Valdemar, King Albrecht and King Håkon all meet at Varberg’s Castle in the summer of 1366, to celebrate that they in a peaceful manner have come to the agreement that Halland and Varberg will become part of Denmark. But under the surface the anger brews between the three kings, and the peace won’t last for long…

At the tourney you will find out who wins the battle for Halland!