8-4Sport

WHAT WERE POPULAR FORMS OF SPORT, AMUSEMENT, AND ENTERTAINMENT IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND? //Answer prepared by Hayley Gebhardt// The Elizabethan age had much excitement and entertainment. According to the Elizabethan era website, on the section of __Elizabethan Entertainment__, “Elizabethan’s enjoyed its literary and dramatic culture, its music and chivalry, and its sports. Some of the popular sports included tennis, bowls, and they would also hunt and ride horses. Some women would participate in these sports but they would also play musical instruments, draw, sew and embroider.” Hunting was one of the greatest pleasures they had. Elizabethan’s would hunt deer and stags, and once they were caught they would cut there throats. Hunting would take several hours to accomplish. Because of this Queen Elizabeth and her courtiers would often have a picnic in the forest. On the Spring Field school website, under the section of __Elizabethan Sports__ “Elizabethan’s had no concept of animal cruelty, so they would enjoy a whole manner of violent animal sports, such as bear baiting, cock-fighting, and dog fighting. Although they were used as entertainment they were also kept as pets.” Queen Elizabeth’s favorite pets were her horse. She also had a little dog that she loved very much, and who went everywhere with her.

The Queen herself loved to do many of these things. She liked to participate in sports but she also liked to watch them. She would occasionally watch the game of tennis, especially if one of her favorite courtiers was playing, Robert Dudley. He was a key person in her life that she did a lot with. Sometimes tournaments would be held, and from 1572 onwards, a very “grand tilt tournament” was held to celebrate the Queen's accession day. According Elizabethan era website, under the section of __Elizabethan Life,__ “ Elizabeth loved the outdoors, and especially enjoyed taking long walks in her beautifully ornate gardens. In one of her many palaces, she even had a terrace built so that she could walk away from any unwanted visitors. Queen Elizabeth also loved horse back riding. Although, many people thought that she was going to get hurt she still rode anyways.” She would terrified her Councilors, who thought that she would seriously injure herself, or even kill herself, from a fall. But Elizabeth was “undaunted”, and continued to ride as great speeds and distances. Even at the age of sixty she still could ride a distance of ten miles. Overall, the Queen love to watch and participate in sports.

Elizabethan Entertainment was extremely important to people who lived in the Elizabethan era. The lives of Elizabethans were hard, the mortality rate was high due to frequent outbreaks of the Bubonic Plague and life expectation was low. Elizabethan entertainment was popular whenever there was something to celebrate! A betrothal, wedding, victories and festivals was a away to have fun. Court entertainment was regular, often a nightly occurrence combined with feasts, jousts and banquets often accompanied by music and dancing. But the poor people enjoyed entertainment from acting troupes, tournaments, dancing, trained animals (horses, dogs, cats ect.), mummers (dancers), mystery plays, jugglers and strolling players. Also, the Elizabethan’s loved music and the same when to Queen Elizabeth. People would enjoy musical entertainment, encourage musicians and composers, and they especially enjoyed dancing. The musical instruments were loved my most Elizabethans, such as the violin, flute, viol and the most famous, the lute. They would also go to the inn-yards, theater and playhouses. These were all arena were plays were held, and many people went to.



=
Picture on the left: [] Picture on the right: [|www.conewago.k12.pa.us/ An%20Elizabethan%20Wed...] ======