Next, was the second of February, Candlemas, it was celebrated as the first day of spring, on this day all Christmas decorations were burned, in candlelight processions. It celebrated returning to work after the Christmas celebrations and the New Year. Holidays start with the first Monday after the twelfth night of January, Plough Monday. Holidays were a large piece of the celebrations to the large events that occurred during 1600’s Elizabethan England. (Terran, retrieved from Bear baiting Wiki) The dogs were replaced if wounded, tired, or killed. Bull and Bear baiting were similar with just different animals the animal would be tied to a post in a pit and dogs were set loose to fight the chained animal. Dog fighting was when two dog owners would place their dogs in an enclosed area and let them brawl it out until one dog died (Terran, retrieved from Dog fighting Wiki). (Niko, Retrieved from Elizabethan hawk fighting). They did this to increase the hawk’s smell and making it easier to find and to take down smaller birds. They blind it temporally by sewing its eyelids shut. But, some trainers use very cruel punishments to make the hawk do what they want it to do. Finally, they train the hawk to fly around and return to the owners hand for a reward without damaging the prey. Next, they train the hawk to land on the arm by feeding it small morsels of meat and food. This is important because if the hawk is not comfortable around humans then it may attack them. Then, they hang around until the eggs hatch and let the newborn hawk get used to humans. They seek out the mothers and find the nest. Hawking was the most popular with the wealthy majority of England, Elizabeth herself favored hawking. Hawk fighting was a sport that was popular during the Elizabethan era, it involved using a falcon or hawk to hunt small pray such as mice, voles, prairie dogs, rats, squirrels, ECT. This sport is now illegal in the US, Brazil, and most of Europe (Nick, retrieved from cock fighting wiki). The birds sometimes are even fitted with spikes and spurs on the legs to speed up the other’s death or retreat. The pit that the roosters fight in is appropriately called the cockpit. The roosters are given special attention until the age of 2, since this was the height of the rooster’s stamina. It also increases their aggressiveness towards other roosters. The roosters where specially bred to have increased stamina and resistance to the cold. The cockfights, or rooster fights, was a popular game among gamblers. (Nick, retrieved from Jousting Wiki)Īnimal sports that were played included Bear and Bull baiting, Dog fighting, cock fighting, hawk fighting, and hunting varieties of different animals (Terran, retrieved from Elizabethan era Wiki). Lastly, you didn't have to be of knighthood to participate in these events. These two events took place a little more often than the joust but placed in the top 2 or 3 in popularity. With the finishing blows there was no physical contact although mistakes did happen.
![Elizabethan Era Game Ball Elizabethan Era Game Ball](http://www.greydragon.org/library/bowls4.gif)
Strikes to the arms and knees were incapacitating blows which was considered a kill as the player could easily finish the match. The neck and a stab to the chest were considered killing blows. In order to win you had to “Strike” a critical blow which was typically the places that were not covered. Both players were given a metal sword and slice resistant armor to cover their chest, arms, knees, and head. Sword fighting tested your skills with a blade but also your immunity to pain.
![Elizabethan Era Game Ball Elizabethan Era Game Ball](http://www.tomecek.com/jay/Fencing.jpg)
There could be several matches to determine the winner. The Arrow closest to the middle won the match. Archery was a very simple sport to where all archers come up to a line and shoot at a set of targets down the range. Typically at the time when the Joust took place, archery and sword-fighting also took place. Last only a true knight could be in the joust as it was considered an honor. The lance also has a hand guard to protect the rider’s hand. The lance was a long wooden pole typically around 11 feet long with a blunt metal tip. The joust was also a very dangerous game as some people would hide a metal spear in the lance. The game was typically done on a seasonal holiday or event. 1 point was rewarded for hitting the target in the head, 2 for breaking the lance, and 3 for demounting the knight. The Joust was a tournament where two knights would run down a track, on horseback, and would try to knock the other knight off. Jousting was a violent sport, but still brought a lot of entertainment and joy to both the competitors, and the audience (Terran, retrieved from Elizabethan era Wiki).