Running at the ring or tilting at the ring was an equestrian tournament activity practiced at European royal courts. Participants rode at full speed to thrust the point of the lance through a ring or to hook a ring and carry it off. A performer was allowed three attempts. The French author and riding master

Antoine de Pluvinel Antoine de Pluvinel (1552, Crest, Dauphiné - 24 August 1620) was the first of the French riding masters, and has had great influence on modern dressage. He wrote ''L’Instruction du Roy en l’exercice de monter à cheval'' ("instruction of t ...

published descriptions and the rules. This version of a lance game or quintain could be played in teams, and the riders sometimes dressed in exotic fancy costume as a spectacle at weddings or other court festivals. There are several records of running at the ring at the Scottish court. A tournament of tilting at the ring continues to be held in Denmark at

Sønderborg (; german: Sonderburg ) is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Sønderborg Municipality (Kommune). The town has a population of 27,766 (1 January 2022), It is also a tradition to have variations of this game at summer get-togethers in small Danish villages. Here they will often use anything but a horse, such as bike, lawnmower, tractor or even other people.

Tudor tournaments

Costume fabrics for

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

to run at the ring at

Greenwich Palace Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

in January and February 1516 included velvets, damasks, satins, and sarcenets. He performed at

Richmond Palace Richmond Palace was a royal residence on the River Thames in England which stood in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Situated in what was then rural Surrey, it lay upstream and on the opposite bank from the Palace of Westminster, which w ...

for the Venetian ambassador in May 1517.

John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1504Loades 2008 – 22 August 1553) was an English general, admiral, and politician, who led the government of the young King Edward VI from 1550 until 1553, and unsuccessfully tried to install Lady Ja ...

wagered and lost a valuable velvet cap to Jakes Granado, running at the ring at

Westminster Palace The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

on 6 June 1550. Jacques Granado and his brother Bernardine were Squires of the Stable to

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...

. In 1655

Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester (9 March 1602 or 9 March 16033 April 1667), styled Lord Herbert of Raglan from 1628 to 1644, was an English nobleman involved in royalist politics, and an inventor. While Earl of Glamorgan, he was sen ...

included an artificial horse, for running at the ring, a "ring horse", in his ''Century of Inventions''.

Scottish records

In December 1561, René, Marquis of Elbeuf, with

John Stewart, Commendator of Coldingham John Stewart, Commendator of Coldingham (1531–1563) was a Scottish landowner. He was a son of Elizabeth Carmichael (1514–1550) and James V of Scotland. His mother later married John Somerville of Cambusnethan. Career As a child, John Stewar ...

Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney and Lord of Zetland (Shetland) (spring of 1533 – 4 February 1593) was a recognised illegitimate son of James V, King of Scotland, and his mistress Eupheme Elphinstone. Robert Stewart was half-brother to M ...

, and others, performed in a tournament on the sands of

Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by '' Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...

, probably to celebrate the birthday of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

. There was running at the ring, with two teams of six men, one team dressed as women, the other as exotic foreigners in strange masquing garments. In October 1579

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

took up residence at

Holyroodhouse The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...

. Sand was brought to lay out a course for running at the ring, under the direction of

William MacDowall William MacDowall (died 1580) was a Scottish priest and Master of Works to Mary, Queen of Scots, her mother Mary of Guise, and James VI of Scotland. The title 'sir' was used in Scotland by a priest without a master's degree. The name appears var ...

who had supervised works in the palace garden for three decades. The rings were suspended from a "potence". The lances used may have been hollow and lighter than those used for combat. Stirling Castle From The Old Town Cemetery (5897174687)

Stirling Castle From The Old Town Cemetery (5897174687)

Elizabeth Stewart married

James Stewart, 2nd Earl of Moray James Stewart (later Stuart), 2nd Lord Doune, 2nd Earl of Moray (c. 1565 – 7 February 1592) was a Scottish nobleman, the son of James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune and Margaret Campbell. He was murdered by George Gordon, Earl of Huntly as the ...

in January 1581. The wedding was celebrated in Fife with a tournament of "running at the ring" and James VI took part. Two day after the party came to

, where a water pageant culminated with an assault on a pasteboard Papal

Castel Sant'Angelo The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant'Angelo (; English: ''Castle of the Holy Angel''), is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausol ...

, built on boats on the

water of Leith The Water of Leith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Uisge Lìte'') is the main river flowing near central Edinburgh, Scotland, and flows into the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth. Name The name ''Leith'' may be of Britto ...

. White satin and taffeta oufits, "play claithis", were bought for James VI, his master stabler, and a page. In February 1581 a payment was made for painted spears supplied to James VI and sand delivered to Holyrood to build a course or track called a "carear" or career. Jousting at the court of James VI was celebrated by the poet

Alexander Montgomerie Alexander Montgomerie (Scottish Gaelic: Alasdair Mac Gumaraid) (c. 1550?–1598) was a Scottish Jacobean courtier and poet, or makar, born in Ayrshire. He was a Scottish Gaelic speaker and a Scots speaker from Ayrshire, an area which wa ...

in ''A Cartell of Thrie Ventrous Knights'', which seems to be a pageant prologue for an actual tournament:

To prove thy knights. We dout not bot they dare,
In play or ernest, be bold to brek a tre. (tree = lance)
And so I trou, dare ony of yon thrie:
Bot they are not come heir for sik a thing;
Bot rather, for thair Ladyes sake, to se
Quha fairest runis, and oftest taks the ring.
Go to than, schirs, and let us streik a sting.
Cast crosse or pyle, wha sall begin the play;
And let the luifsume Ladyis and the King
Decerne, as judges, wha dois best, this day.

The

Earl of Leicester Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837. Early creations ...

sent James VI a

pied A piebald or pied animal is one that has a pattern of unpigmented spots (white) on a pigmented background of hair, feathers or scales. Thus a piebald black and white dog is a black dog with white spots. The animal's skin under the white backgro ...

horse, and

Roger Aston Sir Roger Aston (died 23 May 1612) of Cranford, Middlesex, was an English courtier and favourite of James VI of Scotland. Biography Aston was the illegitimate son of Thomas Aston (died 1553), Thomas Aston (died 1553). Scottish sources spell his n ...

wrote to him that James rode "right bravely" for a golden ring on 10 June 1580, when six riders challenged all comers during a royal progress at Dundee. At the baptism of Prince Henry in August 1594 at

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...

, there were three teams of riders. One team was dressed as the Christian Knights of Malta, one in Turkish fashion, and three men dressed as

Amazons In Greek mythology, the Amazons (Ancient Greek: Ἀμαζόνες ''Amazónes'', singular Ἀμαζών ''Amazōn'', via Latin ''Amāzon, -ŏnis'') are portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercules, ...

. A fourth team, to be dressed as Africans called "Moors" did not show up. The event was held in the valley by the castle, and watched by the queen,

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional fo ...

, with her ladies-in-waiting, and the ambassadors. The audience was swelled by a large crowd of young men from Edinburgh armed with muskets. The "Christian Knights" were James VI; the

Earl of Mar There are currently two earldoms of Mar in the Peerage of Scotland, and the title has been created seven times. The first creation of the earldom is currently held by Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, who is also clan chief of Clan Mar. The ...

; and Thomas Erskine of Gogar. The "Turks" were the

Duke of Lennox The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton, was first created in 1581, and had formerly been the Earldom of Lenno ...

;

Lord Home Earl of Home ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1605 for Alexander Home of that Ilk, 6th Lord Home. The Earl of Home holds, among others, the subsidiary titles of Lord Home (created 1473), and Lord Dunglass (1605), i ...

; and Sir Robert Kerr of Cessford. The "Amazons" were the

Lord Lindores The title of Lord Lindores was a Lordship of Parliament in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created on 31 March 1600 for Patrick Leslie. Since the death of the eighth lord in 1813, the lordship has remained unclaimed, i.e. it has been dormant si ...

Penthesilea Penthesilea ( el, Πενθεσίλεια, Penthesíleia) was an Amazonian queen in Greek mythology, the daughter of Ares and Otrera and the sister of Hippolyta, Antiope and Melanippe. She assisted Troy in the Trojan War, during which she w ...

; the Laird of Buccleuch; and the Abbot of Holyroodhouse. These all bore devices or ''imprese'' pertaining to the themes of the festival. Anne of Denmark gave diamond rings to the victors. The rules of the Stirling tournament were: * 1 That all the persons of this pastime compere masked, and in such Order as they come into the Field, so to run out all their courses. * 2 That None use any other Ring but that which is put up: and use no other Lance but that which they have brought for themselves * 3. He that twice touches the Ring, or stirs it, winneth as muche as if he carried away the ring * 4. He that lets his lance fall out of his hand is deprived of all the rest of his courses * 5. That every one run with loose reins, and with as much speed as his horse hath * 6. That none after his Race, in up-taking of his Horse, lay his Lance upon his shoulder, under the pain of losse of that which he hath done in his course * 7. He that carrieth not his Lance under his arme, loseth his course * 8. That none, until his three courses be ended, change his horse, if he be not hurt, or upon some other consideration moved to change him.Samuel Pegge, ''Curialia'' (London, 1791), pp. 37-8, from Fowler's ''True Reportary''. Some people were not pleased at the idea of the king and his companions dressed as the Catholic "Knights of the Holy Spirit". The intended interpretation was perhaps that the knights would be seen as Protestants overcoming "Turks" who represented the Catholic church. Spears were bought for James VI to run at the ring and "run at the glove" at Perth in August 1601.

Carpet knights

After the

Union of the Crowns The Union of the Crowns ( gd, Aonadh nan Crùintean; sco, Union o the Crouns) was the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of the Kingdom of England as James I and the practical unification of some functions (such as overseas dip ...

, the courtier

Roger Wilbraham Sir Roger Wilbraham (4 November 1553 – 31 July 1616) was a prominent English lawyer who served as Solicitor-General for Ireland under Elizabeth I and held a number of positions at court under James I, including Master of Requests and survey ...

wrote a summary of his impressions of the entertainments at court in January 1604, including the masque of ''

The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses ''The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses'' was an early Jacobean-era masque, written by Samuel Daniel and performed in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace on the evening of Sunday, 8 January 1604. One of the earliest of the Stuart Court masqu ...

'' and ruuning at the ring; "King James was at his court at

Hampton Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia *Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria Canada * Hampton, New Brunswick *Ha ...

, where the French, Spanish, and Polonian ambassadors were severallie solemplie feasted, many plaies & daunces with swordes, one mask by English & Scottish lords, another by the Queen's Maiestie & eleven more ladies of her chamber presenting giftes as goddesses. These maskes, especially the laste, costes £2000 or £3000, the aparells, rare musick, fine songes, and in jewels most riche £20,000, the least to my judgment, & ewels forher Majestie £100,000, after Christmas was running at the ring by the King & 8 or 9 lords for the honour of those goddesses & then they all feasted together privatelie." James VI and I competed with his brother-in-law

Christian IV of Denmark Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian monar ...

at running at the ring in August 1606.

Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to: People *Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father *Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460) *Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...

competed at running at the ring with foreign visitors and diplomats including

Louis Frederick, Duke of Württemberg-Montbéliard Louis Frederick of Württemberg-Montbéliard (29 January 1586 in Montbéliard – 26 January 1631 in Montbéliard) was the founder of a cadet line of the House of Württemberg known as the Dukes of Württemberg-Montbéliard. Louis Frederick o ...

in April and May 1610. On Monday 15 February 1613, after the

wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Frederick V of the Palatinate The wedding of Princess Elizabeth (1596–1662), daughter of James VI and I, and Frederick V of the Palatinate (1596–1632) was celebrated in London in February 1613. There were fireworks, masques (small, choreography-based plays), tournam ...

there was a tournament of tilting and running at the ring at

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It is the main ...

. Anne of Denmark,

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

, and aristocratic women watched from the Banqueting House. King James rode first.

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

did particularly well. The performances of expert riders were appreciated for taking the ring with "much strangeness".

Philip Massinger Philip Massinger (1583 – 17 March 1640) was an English dramatist. His finely plotted plays, including ''A New Way to Pay Old Debts'', ''The City Madam'', and '' The Roman Actor'', are noted for their satire and realism, and their politi ...

in his play ''

The Maid of Honour ''The Maid of Honour'' is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy written by Philip Massinger, first published in 1632. It may be Massinger's earliest extant solo work. Performance Firm data on the play's date of authorship and initial t ...

'' wrote of " carpet knights" who "thought to charge, through dust and blood, an armed foe, Was but like graceful running at the ring".

William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, KG, KB, PC (25 December 1676) was an English courtier and supporter of the arts. He was a renowned horse breeder, as well as being patron of the playwright Ben Jonson, and the intellectual gr ...

built a magnificent riding school and stable at

Bolsover Castle Bolsover Castle is in the town of Bolsover (), in the north-east of the English county of Derbyshire. Built in the early 17th century, the present castle lies on the earthworks and ruins of the 12th-century medieval castle; the first structure of ...

. As a young man he had frequently taken part in equestrian sports and running at the ring at the royal court.

Spanish Match

The Spanish word for running at the ring was ''sortija''. There were tournaments including running at ring in Madrid in 1623 when

visited in pursuit of his

Spanish Match The Spanish match was a proposed marriage between Charles I of England, Prince Charles, the son of James I of England, King James I of Great Britain, and Infante, Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, the daughter of Philip III of Spain. Negotiations too ...

. News from Spain was brought to the English court at

Theobalds Theobalds House (also known as Theobalds Palace) in the parish of Cheshunt in the English county of Hertfordshire, was a significant stately home and (later) royal palace of the 16th and early 17th centuries. Set in extensive parkland, it was a r ...

by Richard Graham, Master of Horse. After his Royal Entry to Madrid, Charles and the

Marquess of Buckingham Marquess of Buckingham may refer to: * George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592–1628) Marquess of Buckingham from 1618 until elevated to Duke of Buckingham in 1623 * George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham (1753–1813), ...

were invited to view the course from a high window with

Philip III of Spain Philip III ( es, Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621. A member of the House of Habsburg, Phi ...

and his sister. When they went down to take part themselves, Charles saw the Infanta

Maria Anna of Spain , house = Habsburg , father = Philip III of Spain , mother = Margaret of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Linz, Austria , burial_place = Imperial Crypt , ...

for the second time, watching his run from the same window. He "took away" the ring, and was the only successful rider that day. The early biographer of James VI and I, Arthur Wilson, includes brief version the same story.Arthur Wilson, ''History of Great Britain: Being the Life and Reign of King James'' (London, 1653), pp. 228-9.

References

{{Reflist Court of Mary, Queen of Scots Court of James VI and I Jousting Material culture of royal courts