There are so many different sports that people once played in the Middle Ages. This was a time before video games, Netflix, and other technological wonders of the present day. Men, women, boys, and girls all looked for ways to pass the time and have fun.
These aren’t your average sports — they’re more dangerous than they are challenging or strategic. Many of these activities would be considered “extreme” in today’s world… but that just makes them even more interesting! Which of these medieval sports is the most worth the risk?
Archery
Archery was originally an ancient sport, but it was also a useful skill for hunting, war, and even for practicing self-discipline. But in the Middle Ages, it became a sport in its own right. Archers would walk in a line and shoot at a target, while people cheered them on and placed bets on who would win.
This is one of the most dangerous sports that people played in the Middle Ages. You’d have to be a really good archer to hit the target given the limitations of the time. This is a sport that even the former inhabitant of the largest castle in the world played.
Bear-Baiting
Bear-baiting is one of the most gruesome sports on the list. It was a sport where people would bait a bear and try to kill it. They would do this with dogs, who would attack the bear.
Bears are extremely strong and powerful animals, so it’s no surprise that this was so risky. Bear-baiting was very popular in England, where a lot of people would go out of their way to watch it.
It was so popular that it was even part of royal events and holidays.
Bull-Running
Bull-running was a popular sport in Spain and Portugal. There were several rules, but the main one was that people had to run from a very angry bull.
Bull-running became so popular that there were even bull-running festivals where people would compete against each other. These festivals sometimes even turned deadly as people got injured or died. Apparently, it was worth the risk! The bulls were injured or killed in these events as well.