E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Tournament or Tournay.
A tilt of knights; the chief art of the game being so to manœuvre or turn your horse as to avoid the adversary’s blow. (French, tournoiement, verb, tournoyer.)
1
Tournament of the Drum. A comic romance in verse by Sir David Lindsay; a ludicrous mock tournament.
2
Tournament of Tottenham. A comic romance, printed in Percy’s Reliques. A number of clowns are introduced, practising warlike games, and making vows like knights of high degree. They ride tilt on cart-horses, fight with plough-shares and flails, and wear for armour wooden bowls and saucepan-lids. It may be termed the “high life below stairs” of chivalry.
