Kipper (medieval tournament)
Encyclopedia
In medieval tournaments
a kipper was a person employed by a knight
, usually a vassal of the knight such as a slave
, serf
, or peasant
. Kippers might also be fighters of non-knightly status, who therefore did not fight on horseback.
The function of the kipper was to follow his knight in combat and retrieve armour
or arms from fallen adversaries. If the adversary was not completely subdued and ready to surrender these, the kipper would bang on the armour-clad opponent with various blunt non-lethal instruments, like heavy sticks or clubs, to knock him unconscious for the purpose of gathering the spoils without further protest.
It was the right of a knight to seize the armour and weapons of a fallen adversary during a tournament. In the early days, tournament fighting was not much different from open war
fare, with few rules and none of the pomp and ceremony of the later tournaments. In this chaotic mêlée
, kippers were therefore mere foot soldier
s of the tournament, and it was not their function or intention to participate in the fighting.
In the later Middle Ages
, when tournaments no longer resembled actual warfare and the chivalric
code became more popular, kippers were frowned upon. Less warlike and more honorable tournament conduct was encouraged.
The word kipper is cognate with Icelandic kippa ("to pull, snatch"), Danish kippen ("to seize"), and a Middle High German word that means "to beat or kick".
Tournament (medieval)
A tournament, or tourney is the name popularly given to chivalrous competitions or mock fights of the Middle Ages and Renaissance . It is one of various types of hastiludes....
a kipper was a person employed by a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
, usually a vassal of the knight such as a slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, serf
SERF
A spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
, or peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
. Kippers might also be fighters of non-knightly status, who therefore did not fight on horseback.
The function of the kipper was to follow his knight in combat and retrieve armour
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
or arms from fallen adversaries. If the adversary was not completely subdued and ready to surrender these, the kipper would bang on the armour-clad opponent with various blunt non-lethal instruments, like heavy sticks or clubs, to knock him unconscious for the purpose of gathering the spoils without further protest.
It was the right of a knight to seize the armour and weapons of a fallen adversary during a tournament. In the early days, tournament fighting was not much different from open war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
fare, with few rules and none of the pomp and ceremony of the later tournaments. In this chaotic mêlée
Mêlée
Melee , generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. A melee ensues when groups become locked together in combat with no regard to group tactics or fighting as an organized unit; each participant fights as an individual....
, kippers were therefore mere foot soldier
Foot Soldier
The term foot soldier may refer to:* A generic term for members of the infantry* Characters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series belonging to the Foot Clan* The Foot Soldiers, a comic book originally published by Dark Horse Comics...
s of the tournament, and it was not their function or intention to participate in the fighting.
In the later Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, when tournaments no longer resembled actual warfare and the chivalric
Chivalry
Chivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood which has an aristocratic military origin of individual training and service to others. Chivalry was also the term used to refer to a group of mounted men-at-arms as well as to martial valour...
code became more popular, kippers were frowned upon. Less warlike and more honorable tournament conduct was encouraged.
The word kipper is cognate with Icelandic kippa ("to pull, snatch"), Danish kippen ("to seize"), and a Middle High German word that means "to beat or kick".