Gloria et Virtus: Hastiludium in Ruthenian Lands and Beyond ХІІ-ХV centuries

<div> <div> <div> <p>The spread of hastiliudi (military competitions) in the Rus’ is an un- explored issue in modern medieval studies. A comprehensive analysis of Rus‘ian and European sources shows that Ruthenian warriors were good at jousting and military competitions. The study indicates that the Rus’ian term игра (igra) is the equivalent of the Latin hastiludium. The first mention of hastiludium in Kyiv dates back to 1150, but it refers to competitions between Hungarian warriors. In the middle of the 13th century, the first hastiludi were recorded, in which Ruthe- nian princes took part. At the same time, during the reign of the Romanovids dynasty, there were successful military campaigns in Europe. This influenced the emergence of the image of the Ruthenian king as an active participant in tourna- ment competitions in European literary works. Since the 14th century, Ruthenian warriors have been participating in the Hungarian and Polish kingdoms’ hastiludi. This paper opened a new perspective on the spread of jousting culture in Rus‘ and defined the image of Rus’ warriors as skilled in European tournaments.</p> </div> </div> </div>