mêlée (English spelling)

…It was a jousting tournament held by knights in the Middle Ages in Europe. It began in France in the mid-11th century. In the early days, it was a mêlée tournament in which a large number of knights competed in two groups. Eventually, a method called joust was developed in which knights competed one-on-one with a long spear to knock their opponent off his horse. In the 15th century, knights wore magnificent armor specially for the tournament and fought in front of spectators such as lords and ladies. The tips of swords and spears were rounded to prevent danger, but there were still many casualties. …

*Some of the terminology that mentions "mêlée" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…ヨーロッパ中世の騎士による馬上試合。11世紀中ごろフランスで始まり，初期にはおおぜいの騎士が2組に分かれて争うメレmêléeだったが，やがて1対1で長槍を使って相手を馬から落とすジョーストjoustという方法が生まれ，15世紀には領主や貴婦人の見物するなかを，試合専用のりっぱな甲冑を身につけて闘った。剣や槍の先は丸くして危険を防いだが，死傷者の出ることも多かった。…

※「mêlée」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報