5. Arenas Were Built to House Spectators
In the early days of trial by combat, the fighters would battle on a public green on a piece of measured leather that dictated the field of combat. However, as the popularity of public trials grew cities began to build more and more elaborate stages to house spectators. These arenas allowed the higher ranking members of a community to have a bird’s-eye view of the carnage, while poorer seats were reserved for lower status witnesses. In England, arenas became known as ” the lists” a term associated with later jousting practice in which knights attempted to join “the lists.”
The same rules applied within these platforms and the fighting was mostly unchanged; it merely created a more magnificent public spectacle around the fights. Presumably, some cities charged admission to the new arenas, and one can only imagine that enterprising merchants found ways to sell snacks and trinkets to the gathered crowds. When one envisions a circus or outdoor concert, packed with barkers selling t-shirts, posters, beers, and so on, it isn’t far off from the packed, jubilant affairs that were medieval trials by combat.
