--- description: In May 1952, LIFE chronicled the goings-on during a 'King Arthur tournament' at a small liberal arts college in West Virginia. title: Jousting Classes: Photos From a 1952 College Medieval Tournament image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0646ed8a6d80fdd8/6988472235ba6f47d8c0c4c6/11_1121728651.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [photography](/tag/photography/) ## photography Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # LIFE Goes to a College Joust, 1952 by [Ben Cosgrove](/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 21, 2014 8:51 PM CUT  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952.George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images by [Ben Cosgrove](/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 21, 2014 8:51 PM CUT It lasted roughly one thousand years (give or take a few centuries). It generated mind-boggling advances in science, technology and medicine. It saw magnificent cathedrals rise at Chartres, Salisbury, Florence and scores of other cities and towns. It witnessed the first rumblings of a kind of proto-democracy in England and elsewhere. It wholly transformed the political and economic underpinnings of an entire continent. In light of all that, it’s odd that the long, long period of European history commonly known as the [Middle Ages](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle%5FAges "undefined") should be associated in so many people’s minds with one rather simple phenomenon. Namely, jousting. Then again, maybe jousting’s preeminence in modern visions of the medieval world isn’t _that_ odd. After all, there’s a very good reason why movies, TV shows and even video games set in the Middle Ages routinely feature jousting — in its myriad guises — as a standard plot device. At some utterly elemental level, it’s just plain entertaining to watch people knock each other off of logs into rivers and streams, or to see someone splinter an enormous wooden pole against an opponent’s shield, helmet and breastplate while riding a huge horse decked out in full heraldic regalia. (Leave it to [_Game of Thrones_](http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones#/ "undefined"), meanwhile, to forgo the customary pageantry and chivalry and, instead, to feature — early in the show’s first season — an elaborate jousting scene that ends abruptly with a knight flat on his back, knocked from his mount, a foot-long splinter of wood sticking out of his neck as he bleeds to death in the dirt.) The medieval world, then, evidently has an enduring appeal. But as a LIFE feature from 60 years ago reminds us, the urge to celebrate and recreate those days of yore — complete with troubadours, falconry, greasy cooked meats, lively jousts and fair maidens in tall hats — is hardly a recent contrivance. In fact, in its May 19, 1952, issue the magazine treated its readers to an article on a “college joust” in West Virginia that makes clear people have been dressing up and quite happily getting Medieval on each other for a long, long time: --- > “” --- And not a jagged, jugular-puncturing splinter of wood to be seen anywhere in the entire proceedings. Well done, lords and ladies of Bethany. Well done, indeed. _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter_ [_@lizabethronk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk "undefined")_._  Caption from LIFE. "Procession, led by King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, started at campus hall, which doubled as castle, and ended at field three-quarters of a mile away." George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. "Egg-throwing contest was joined by two lady faculty members. Contestants were to catch eggs without breaking them. Seven persons were splattered." George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. "'Holy Quail,' a chicken bought from nearby farm, was hunted in a fenced-in area by blindfolded ladies of court. Peggy Bogelmann finally captured it. Her boyfriend offered to turn it into stewed chicken." George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. "Trumpeter, Jerry Garcy, with friend Bob Van Horne, climbs a tree to signal start of tournament." George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not published in LIFE. King Arthur Tournament, Bethany College, West Virginia, 1952. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. "King and Queen, Don LeVine and Shirley Elliott, ate feast in the medieval style without utensils." George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. "Strolling troubadour, Jeffrey Kimmel, entertains the banqueters with medieval ballads." George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  "Dancing dean of women, Eleanor Tyler, does version of Charleston with Bob Hodson, a student from Britain. Hodson's chain mail was made from scouring pads. Other students made mail by dipping dishcloths in aluminum paint." George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  "Lovestruck Lancelot, Charles Symanski, finally dances with his girlfriend, who, as queen, had to spend most of day with King Arthur. Situation duplicates legend in which Guinevere, though Arthur's wife, loved Lancelot." 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