The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-10-03
Tournaments-..Their Origin, History
and Purpose.

IOurnameQlSsssluclI
and Purpose.
We are indebted to the Greenville
(Ala) Ne,os, for the following valuable
historical paper:
The revival of these exhibitions, en-
gagements, labors, or whatever they be,
have induced many Of our patrons to
request of us an explanation of their or
igin, history and purpose. We APP
proach the subject with difidence for
it is so involved with mystery and in
comprehensibility that we greatly fear
it is beyond our powers of explanation
and research. We will, however, do
our best, promising that where SO many
have differed in opinion, and criticised
so astutely, it must be expected that
there shall be variety of sentiments.
The Tournament" is composed of
three words, turn mana fool, I'M
derstood.
In the early ages of the world,
species of insanity seized upon mankind,
called knight errantry. 1t was like the
hydrophobia which attacks dogs, ex-
cept that instead of attacking men with
the tooth, it produced disposition to
cut with swords, and run long pixies,
armed with iron spears, through mems
bodies.
The most ancient and distinguished
head of the concern was an old Spanish
gentleman, named Don Quixote, who
rendered himself famous by fitting
against wind-mills. The invention Of
fitting hoops, and the imitation of petit
coats of the present times, is doubtless
the exciting, if not the remote cause of
the revival of the affection now. One
can see readily the connection. To run
against the wind mill was to tilt against
the wind mill, and if the wind mill tur-
ned and cracked knights skull, ten
chances to one he became crazy. TWAS
therefore saidit was to turn man fool,
so when in view of filter skirt knight
breaks lance, he is said to fight wind
mill, and kipd of wind mill that al
ways turns man fool.
The customs of this order are peculiar.
A man dresses himself as iackass, and
instead of calling himself plain "John
Smith" or Sam JONES'" he takes the
"knight of the red cross" or of the
"night of the moon.n In the first
case he has sewed on his back two pieces
Of red flannel, one across the other,
which means that he is red or fiery cross
when he gets mad. In the other he
stretches piece of hide on hoop,
which he calls his shield, and on which
he paints moon, to show that he is
moon struck, and that the man who
strikes him is moon struck too.
When they exhibit, the girls all set
round, while the knights, on long tail
and short tail horses, prance round in
the ring, and after charging about and
thrusting their poles hither and thither
and yon, ride up to some of the pretti-
est girls on the benches, and get down,
when the prettiest girls put on the
knights heads wreaths of flowers.
The disease is contagious, and gener-
ally ends in making the girls as crazy
as the men. If any Of the girls marry
or are housekeepers, the infection be-
comes Immediately apparent by the
young woman making up cabbage and
turnips into nosegays and boiling the
roses and geraniums for dinner. This
is called the romance of married life.n
Some foolish people think it a very
foolish thing for a dozen great fat.
bearded young fellows, five feet six to
six feet two, to stick pasteboard helmets
on their heads, to dress in tights, with
doublets, all ornamented with ribbons
and tinsel, and caper round on lean hor-
ses, and charge about as they do; but
nothing that the ladies approve can be
foolish, and then in this there is some
thing SO much more improving and in
tellectual than in dramatic entertain
mennts, the only use of which is to quote
on such occasions, the beautiful extract
from Shakespeare:
81 saw young John Smith with his paste
board on,
His false calves on his legs, CALAMITY armed
Rise like tarred and feathered clown,
And vault upon the back of yonder bobtail
ed pony,
As if monkey dropped down from the
trees,
To kick and spur his faded Pegasus,
Which all the world declared was but ar
ASH