Round Table

A kind of tournament that was more structured than a hastilude or pas d’armes , where knights played the roles of historical or romantic characters, usually involving the Arthurian mythos. Modern tournament formats like the Seven Sins tourney are examples of highly effective and entertaining round tables. Ladies often enjoyed a prominent role in these festivals, and the pageantry was often very striking.

The informal title for the knights who accompanied King Arthur on his adventures and who served him at Camelot . In January 1, 1344, Edward III founded a new company by this name, commissioning a 200’ diameter round table. This order foundered and was reconstituted in 1348 as the Order of the Garter in commemoration of the successful French campaign.