A Cultural History of Sport in the Renaissance (The Cultural Histories Series)

A Cultural History of Sport in the Renaissance covers the period 1450 to 1650. Outwardly, Renaissance sports resembled their medieval forebears, but the incorporation of athletics into the educational curriculum signalled a change. As part of the scientific revolution, sport now became the object of intellectual analysis. Numerous books were written on the medical benefits of sport and on the best way to joust, fence, train horses and ride, play ball games, swim, practice archery, wrestle, or become an acrobat. Sport became the visible sign of the mind's control over the physical body, such control often becoming an end in itself with some sports shaped more by decorum than exercise. The 6 volume set of the Cultural History of Sport presents the first comprehensive history from classical antiquity to today, covering all forms and aspects of sport and its ever-changing social, cultural, political, and economic context and impact. The themes covered in each volume are the purpose of sport; sporting time and sporting space; products, training and technology; rules and order; conflict and accommodation; inclusion, exclusion and segregation; minds, bodies and identities; representation. Alessandro Arcangeli is Associate Professor at the University of Verona, Italy. Volume 3 in the Cultural History of Sport set General Editors: Wray Vamplew, Mark Dyreson, and John McClelland Cover page 1 Halftitle page 2 Series page 3 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 CONTENTS 6 ILLUSTRATIONS 8 SERIES PREFACE 13 Introduction: Cultures of Sport in the Renaissance ALESSANDRO ARCANGELI 14 SETTING THE SCENE 16 HISTORIES OF RENAISSANCE SPORT 19 RENAISSANCE WRITING ON SPORT 21 A TALE OF TWO SPORTS 24 CULTURES, CIVILIZATION 27 DEVELOPMENTS AND TIMELINE 30 Notes 34 CHAPTER ONE The Purpose of Sport ALESSANDRO ARCANGELI 36 A WORLD OF WORDS 36 GOOD REASONS 41 SHAPING THE RENAISSANCE BODY 45 A CODA ON CHIVALRY 49 BACK TO SQUARE ONE 52 Notes 53 CHAPTER TWO Sporting Time and Sporting Space ANGELA SCHATTNER 56 HISTORIANS’ PERSPECTIVE 56 CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE 57 PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVE 61 PUTTING SPORTS IN PLACE 64 CONCLUSION 73 CHAPTER THREE Products, Training, and Technology ÉLISABETH BELMAS* 76 A “FLOURISHING SPORTS EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY” 77 LEARNING AND TRAINING 85 TECHNICITY AND TECHNIQUES OF THE “SPORTING” BODY 93 CONCLUSION 97 Notes 98 CHAPTER FOUR Rules and Order CHRISTIAN JASER 100 INTRODUCTION 100 GUIDING SPORTSMANSHIP: RULE BOOKS AND OCCASION-RELATED RULES 102 CONCLUSION: RULES AND ORDER IN CONTEXT 117 Notes 119 CHAPTER FIVE Conflict and Accommodation DIANE ROUSSEL 120 THE MORAL AND RELIGIOUS OFFENSIVE. LAWFUL VS UNLAWFUL RECREATIONS: WHERE IS SPORT IN ALL THIS? 122 LEGAL DISCOURSE: BETWEEN LAWFUL AND UNLAWFUL SPORTS, IS THERE A GRAY ZONE FOR SPORT? 125 ENCOURAGING AND PROMOTING “FUNCTIONAL SPORT” FOR MILITARY PURPOSES 127 SPORT UNDER SUSPICION: WHEN REPRESSIVE MEASURES SPREAD TO LAWFUL GAMES 131 REJECTING VIOLENCE, DISCIPLINING THE BODY 136 Note 143 CHAPTER SIX Inclusion, Exclusion, and Segregation MATTEO CASINI* 144 USE OF SPORT BY GOVERNMENTS AND ELITES 145 SPORT AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE 154 SPORT AND GENDER 161 SPORT AND AGE 163 CONCLUSIONS 165 Note 166 CHAPTER SEVEN Minds, Bodies, and Identities LAURENT TURCOT* 168 RELIGIOUS CONTEXT 170 EQUESTRIAN GAMES 174 DETERMINING SOCIAL NORMS 176 REBIRTH OF THE BODY 181 VIOLENCE IN THE RENAISSANCE 183 CONCLUSION 187 Note 188 CHAPTER EIGHT Representation ANTONELLA FENECH KROKE 190 THE RISE OF THE “SPORTIVE” BODY 194 SPORTIVE BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS FOR FINE GENTLEMEN 196 SPORTIVE PRACTICES BETWEEN POLITICS AND SOCIABILITY 201 NEW WORLD’S ATHLETIC BODIES 208 GESTURES AND RULES: TECHNIQUES OF THE BODY AND TECHNIQUES OF THE GAME 211 DID EARLY MODERN MEN ALREADY PRACTICE SPORTS? 214 Notes 217 BIBLIOGRAPHY 218 CONTRIBUTORS 240 INDEX 244 From gladiatorial combat to knightly tournaments and from hunting to games and gambling, sport has been central to human culture. A Cultural History of Sport presents the first extensive history from classical antiquity to today, covering all forms and aspects of sport. Chapter titles are identical across each of the volumes. This gives the choice of reading about a specific period in one of the volumes, or following a theme across history by reading the relevant chapter in each of the six. The themes (and chapter titles) are: The Purpose of Sport; Sporting Time and Sporting Space; Products, Training and Technology; Rules and Order; Conflict and Accommodation; Inclusion, Exclusion and Segregation; Minds, Bodies and Identities; Representation. The six volumes cover: 1 - Antiquity (800 BCE to 600 CE); 2 - Medieval Age (600 to 1450); 3 - Renaissance (1450 to 1650); 4 - Age of Enlightenment (1650 to 1800); 5 - Age of Industry (1800 to 1920); 6 - Modern Age (1920 to present). The page extent for the pack is approximately 1776pp. Each volume opens with Notes on Contributors and an Introduction and concludes with Notes, Bibliography, and an Index. A Cultural History of Sport is part of The Cultural Histories Series. Titles are available both as printed hardcover sets for libraries needing just one subject or preferring a one-off purchase and tangible reference for their shelves, or as part of a fully-searchable digital library available to institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access (see www.bloomsburyculturalhistory.com) A cultural history of sport in the Renaissance covers the period 1450 to 1650. Outwardly, Renaissance sports resembled their medieval forebears, but the incorporation of athletics into the educational curriculum signalled a change. As part of the scientific revolution, sport now became the object of intellectual analysis. Numerous books were written on the medical benefits of sport and on the best way to joust, fence, train horses and ride, play ball games, swim, practice archery, wrestle or become an acrobat. Sport became the visible sign of the mind's control over the physical body, such control often becoming and end in itself with some sports shaped more by decorum than exercise. A Cultural History of Sport presents the first extensive history from classical antiquity to today, covering all forms and aspects of sport. Chapter titles are identical across each of the volumes. This gives the choice of reading about a specific period in one of the volumes, or following a theme across history by reading the relevant chapter in each of the six. The themes (and chapter titles) are: The purpose of sport; sporting time and sporting space; products, training and technology; rules and order; conflict and accommodation; inclusion, exclusion and segregation; minds, bodies and identities; representation __A Cultural History of Sport in the Renaissance__ __Cultural History of Sport__ **Alessandro Arcangeli** __Cultural History of Sport__