In a land of knights and kings, the largest tournament (military contest) ever took place in Lagny-sur-Marne on All Saints Day in 1179.
Although it might differ from what we see in movies (yes, we know you're thinking of A Knight's Tale!), the extraordinary event still made history thanks to its unprecedented size.
Likely what we might consider the Medieval equivalent of a Super Bowl, the celebration is believed to have gathered a colossal group of around 3,000 knights participating in the mock fights and duels.
It set a new benchmark for public events of the time which was never quite reached again.
The off-the-scale celebration was held in one of the most popular French spots for tournaments and it honored the coronation of King Philip II of France.
Taking place just outside of Paris, not everybody knows that Disneyland Paris now sits on a large portion of the fields once used for the great tournament.
Although the later Field of the Cloth of Gold (the famous celebration held in 1520 to celebrate a peace treaty between England and France) was a grander spectacle, with tens of thousands of people involved, the actual tournament was much more modest in size.
For the 1520 celebration, the number of participants is estimated to have ranged between 220 and 300 men.
The main source when it comes to the tournament is the posthumous biography of William Marshal, a seasoned knight who took part in the celebration.
Sir William was also mentor and close friend to Henry, nicknamed "the Young King": the eldest son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, who became king of England in 1170.
Although the biography was commissioned after Marshal's passing, in 1219, the zealous work of his biographer offers to modern historians a snapshot of the tournament: its majestic size, the knights that fought on the day, the many mock battles and how they unfolded.
"It is not possible to resume in a sentence the whole course of a tournament, or the blows dealt there," the biography reads.
"Anyway, at the point where the King was thus making off, Sir Herluin de Vancy, who was the seneschal of Flanders, had at least thirty knights with him, outside the press of battle."
Considering the detail of the chronicle and how closely he described every banner and notable figure present at the event, it is likely possible that Marshal had access to some sort of official report on the event.
While the precise number of 3,000 participants might be a bit of an exaggeration, there are many reasons to believe that this unique joust was indeed extraordinary in size and importance.
Much like the more recent Field of the Cloth of Gold, the diplomatic significance of the event attracted noblemen from all corners of Europe.
Notably, the four most avid tournament supporters of that era — Henry the Young King of England, Philip, Count of Flanders, Baldwin V of Hainault, and Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy, all carefully pictured in Marshal's report — made an appearance at the tournament with their courts and knights.
To put it into perspective, Young Henry's retinue alone consisted of roughly 200 knights ready to engage in mock fights.
Other than praises from the crowd and their companions, the bravest knights would also gain rich money prizes at the end of the tournament.
"The knights who were there to tourney were estimated at more than three thousand or so," writes Marshal's biographer. "Some with the King, some with the count."
"I shall not spin out my tale further: they armed, joined in combat, and did what they had come to do."
Read about more records like this in the Medieval Mayhem spread in Guinness World Records 2024.
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