The Joust of the Deceased Knights

Dark story of Gauntlets

Programming / to stage.

Continuing my quest for links between the world of entertainment and the world of great video games, I find myself today – not at all by chance – in the theme of singular fights.

This is no longer even a video game theme: it’s an obvious one.
On the other hand… on the other hand, on the show side…. there is a contemporary gap.
So, where to look? In the Times when fighting was an obviousness, an obligatory passage – in the Middle Ages.
So here I am, in the middle of my great Knight Stories: I’ll tell you right away, there are plenty of them.

For this first proposed adaptation, I have chosen an almost historical narrative:

The Joust of the Deceased Knights

We are in Luxembourg, in the 13th century. Do you know Luxembourg? It is a very small duchy on the borders of France and Germany, all built on small steep mountains. To get there, you will cross these immense forests of black firs, so tight that the light does not penetrate. In times gone by, the howls of wolves accompanied your journey.

The story takes place at the time when the Counts of Salm were still valiant warriors, noble and honored. The last count, Henry VI, loved the game of arms and fighting more than anything else in the world. As a young man, he was formidable – and feared. Always undefeated. Every year, he held great feasts in the fortress of the Counts of Salm.
Parties with jousting.
The Count grew old – became less skillful. But out of love for him, out of deference, the young knights who fought against him got into the habit of letting him win.
But one day, a very young knight, who was not from the country, entered the castle. The rule was explained to him. He found it unbearable.

He refused to fight old Henry. The count was so obstinate and enraged that he almost threw his gauntlet in the face of the young man.

That would have meant fighting to the death.

Seeing this anger, the young knight, Aldebert, accepted the joust. And won it.

The old count thought he would die of spite. He said nothing. He stopped laughing.
At nightfall, he managed to kill, unfairly, this young virgin who had dared to beat him.

The years passed. Henry’s daughter became an adult, she chose a husband: a young and valiant knight – like her father.
On the wedding day, there was a joust, of course.
A knight presented himself, visor down, with black arms.
He threw his gauntlet at the old Count’s feet: a fight to the death.

The old man was not afraid: he always won.

Then when the old man, bewildered, heard the knight’s voice calling for the Judgment of God and accusing him of having killed, by felony, the only knight who had beaten him, he felt he was going to hell.
The stranger raised his visor.
He raised his sword to end the Count’s days.
Legend says that the old man was dead before the sword touched him: facing him was the ghost of Aldebert.

Every year, on this funeral anniversary, you will be able to witness this fight to the death between two long dead knights.

As for the Salm…. branch, it died with the old man – his daughter did not survive the atrocious emotions of her wedding day.

And I, Altair, have a pearl of history just the way I like it.
A story that is relatively simple to stage – with a quality of atmosphere that allows all the spectators to stick to their chairs – not too much dialogue – a lot of choreography – staging – music –
And a fabulous link with my video games…

So it was a dark story of Gauntlets… & a great story to stage.

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