A man of many parts, from LARPER (he wrote many of his own, you know) to actor to adventurer to military re-enactments to historical geologist...too much else to count, all delivered with schoolboy enthusiasm in a decidedly adult head. You are always an enjoyment, Lloyd. Thank you for your considerable efforts and varied subject matter.
Yes, I think Prince Hal would have slowed down his speech so that the Frenchy could understand him. Audible is for Englishmen and they can tell what he means.
“His jest shall savour but a shallow wit, when thousands more weep than did laugh at it.” well done mr Lloyd I've felt quite threatened, gave me goosebumps
You mention that Charles II had a bed installed next to the tennis court, so that he could 'spring straight into action'. I assume this would have been once he'd finished his tennis match...
Oh boy, Medieval tennis had better be played using a sword's pommel as a ball. *Edit* That was a really impressive performance, Nicholas. Not the backhand, the Shakespeare.
@@Evirthewarrior He made a video about his experience trying to get a tv show running I think. All I really remember is him describing how a lesbian got mad at him for sewing his own clothes.
I'm no connoisseur of Shakespeare but it's nice to hear someone deliver it at a slow pace so as to let the words sink in. Any time I've listened to or seen one of his plays, the actors seem to be in a hurry to spit their lines and GTFO the stage.
I thoroughly recommend the Hollow Crown, a BBC miniseries which covers three of the History plays. The actors are all great, and the lines are delivered with real feeling. Patrick Stewart plays John of Gaunt, which is a bonus.
@@myparceltape1169 That doesn't help as much as you might think. The problems are that the meanings of many of the word have changed and are unrecognizable to current people, and the pronunciations have changed enough that the rhymes don't always work well. You really need to spend a year or two studying Shakespeare's era for it to make sense, and nobody wants to waste their time doing that just to listen to some play that takes too long.
There might be problems with the clock scoring history, but it explains tennis points to me much better than any other way ever has. I'm going to remember it.
I think the clock origin makes sense though they probably were not using a literal clock - rather just thinking of minutes in an hour. Then again, the French language's 60-based numbering system may also have contributed.
That ball collection hole on the ground with the net is the single most amazing thing I've seen in a while. I want a ball basket hole on lawn tennis courts as well.
Just make sure it has a cover of some kind. It sure would suck to be in a hard-fought Doubles Rally, go for an around the net saving shot, accidently step in it and twist your ankle or something.
Fascinating how the rules for original tennis was like a modern day slot machine. Full of complicated rules for a jackpot and special bells and spots that can be hit for a payoff. Certainly it was developed with gambling in mind. Good thing I wasn't born in the olden days, I would as broke as the duke of York!
Its also modelled after a specific courtyard somewhere like those nets were balcony openings and that square board in the corner a window probably, the sloped areas balcony roofs.
The rules aren't that complicated. You score by hitting the windows, which means there's an offense and defense side. Chases aren't even all that complicated. If the ball gets knocked past you, you're charged with knocking it even further past your opponent when the two of you switch sides. That's the chase. You're chasing how far they got it past you. You don't win or lose the point until you switch sides and play the chase. Which means you can totally screw up and still get the point if your opponent screws up worse. And you switch either when both of you have a chase, or one of you is one point away from winning. Here ends the basic rules. It can also be advantageous to not hit a weak shot back to give yourself an easy chase. I don't think it's gambling. I think it's more like boring tennis meets medieval combat. There's just more strategy and attack and defense in this game then boring tennis. There are a few particulars I don't quite get yet. Like what happens if you're playing the chase and you just score normally. Does the chase stay? Or what happens if both of you are playing a chase and you win. Does the other guy's chase just go away? Can you have more than one chase in a game? I think the answer to that is yes.
@@lastEvergreen Only the first of which was about the rules. The rest was me talking about how the rules open up strategies you don't have in boring tennis. The last paragraph was me asking questions trying to figure out how far those strategies can get pushed.
That seamless transition from informative talk into Shakespearean monologue was superb! As was the acting! Is there any vids of Lloyd in a full production?
My favourite literary reference to court tennis is in Dumas' Three Musketeers. One of the Cardinal's guardsmen insults the play-style of the musketeers (I believe they were being mindful not to injure their faces because of an upcoming meeting with the king) and d'Artagnan invites him outside.
A good follow up video would be on Basque Pelota. Its a series of sports played in the Basque region first recorded in the 13th Century between France and Spain, that eventually spread to other Latin Countries, and it's existence can be directly attributed to the decline of Medieval Tennis. Whats truly interesting, is that you begin to see where the games got their inspirations, particularly on the Trinquet courts, which actually still uses the penthouses from Medieval Tennis on the side of the court.
At King Henry's disappointment over the gift/treasure, I was expecting a Lindybeige-style joke. I got a great Shakespearean performance instead. Not disappointed.
Hello Lindybeige. I had been exposed to Henry the 5th as a child, but all I remembered mostly was the battle of Agincourt. I remember seeing Kenneth Branagh's version of it and getting more of the plot, characters, and setting, since by that time I had learned more about history. But today, you've expanded my historical awareness about Tennis, it's ancient roots, and how it applies to Shakespear's play. Tennis is an exceptionally old game and would have been known to both Henry the Fifth, and Shakespear (who may have been a fan. One may never know), who sprinkled Tennis references into Henry's speach to the Fofan's Ambassador, early in the play. Darn it all... now you have me wanting to re-view Branagh's portrayal again! Excellent video Lindy. Keep it up.
I grew up within a quarter mile of this place and passed it every day walking to school, but I've never seen inside it or understood its purpose. Many thanks Lloyd!
The explanation and demonstration of stringing the racquets and making the balls are just one more example of this man’s great vids. There’s just such a thoroughness to his presentations that isn’t seen in many others. Every single video is a “deep dive” Also, however, Did Lindy explain why the sloping sides were “penthouses”, and I missed it?
It’s from a Middle French word “pente” meaning slope, combined with a Middle English word “pentice” for a room at the top of a building that probably has a sloping roof, folk etymologized into “penthouse”.
if there's an afterlife you've made my father very happy - an actor who worked well into his 70's he often used that scene, and the onomatopoeic use of 'mock' as an example of Shakespeare's brilliance.
Lloyd, you are truly amazing. Watching you do the excerpt from Hen. V, I was absolutely transfixed. You, good Sir, have given us a tun of treasure with this posting. Well more than 3/4 of Wm Shakespeare's tennis allusions in Hen. V went straight over my head until today.
Wonderful to see an explanation of the game as I recall seeing such tennis courts at Lord's Cricket Ground and The Melbourne Cricket Ground where the tour guides could not answer any of my questions about the game.
My first thought when you showed the mysterious steps and ramp was: "Could it be for carriages?" The steps could be for a servant to quickly step up to open the carriage/assist the passengers, and the ramp for the passengers to gently descend?
I love how you can hear such a distinct difference in the audio when he is facing the camera vs when he turns away. It's really interesting how significant the difference is.
Yep, that sounds like a genuine British pep talk bit which I think even Churchill might have approved. Whereas I'm quite sure that the (rightfully highly respectable) "Great British Bulldog" would be utterly disappointed nowadays of the abysmal performance of his completely preposterous and worthless current successor a.k.a. Boris the Buffoon. So, pretty please (with a sprinkle sugar on top), fellow British _and European_ folks: please do get rid of those clowns (and the other stage hogs of the Brexit charade) and make an honest effort to reconcile any quarrels with us folks from The Continent in a way which is fair and square for the both of us. Because despite anything your (mostly "conservative") political leaders might have told you for decades: many of us Europeans actually _would_ like you to be part of the EU, because you always were a part of us right from the start (and in case you don't remember: you were in pretty early because Churchill already dreamed of the idea of the "United States of Europe" back in 1948). So, dearly fellow British blokes: if the Scots prefer their independence, let them have it. If the Northern Irish might someday decide to reunite with The Republic let then have their way, too. And if the Welsh may someday decide that them being independent might be a good idea, let then have their way also - because if you'll ever decide to come back and be true Europeans of English descendance, rest assured that we Europeans, the Scots, Irish and Welsh *shall* welcome you - as long as you agree to play by the rules. So come back, play nice as well as by the rules, and we all shall proit - sounds like a good plan, doesn't it? ;-)
I used to live at Hampton Court Palace when my father was the Chaplain there and played a bit of Real Tennis - one of the most enjoyable but fairly difficult ball games I've ever played. The Grille at Hampton Court has a portrait of Henry VIII in! lol
I hate grass yard tennis. But I love this video. The fact i clicked on this to watch Lindy talk, my thought was: it doesnt matter what it is, I'll learn something suprising and fun from Lindy.
Another brilliantly interesting video , the best thing is I don’t think you could make a duff one ,I have learned more about all types of history from you than I ever did from school in the 70s ,thank you
It is somehow like squash (rackets) meets "lawn tennis" - quite why "lawn tennis" became more popular than this original sport, is beyond me. Perhaps because a larger audience could watch? Less rules, easier to follow? I did try to find a link between the game of squash (rackets) and this original game of Tennis, but it seems the only one is ... a handy wall and a ball. Anyway, I'd much rather watch Wimbledon in this type of setting - imagine if "lawn tennis" had never been spawned? That this origin, this original, was the game we play today. So much more interesting and surely more exciting to watch. I can imagine far above the court itself - in modern times - a large audience peering down into the court and those with bigger wallets and more connections, having the prime viewing area on the sides of court. Fascinating stuff. Today I learned!
I never comment on youtube but this is so good. I have followed you for many years and this is the best thing i have seen you do. Just brilliant sir you had me glued throughout the entirety of the video
All this time we thought churches stone wears away from weathering, little did we know it was the monks playing ball games against them that left them in such a state
Well done Sir, an unexpected but very good Shakespere treat...in a Lindybeige video....you realky know how to pile it on. And you stuck it to the French too. Great stuff.
Speaking of word origins. Tambour lead me to hypothesize that it may be related to the word timbre. And after doing some quick work on the Garggler, I think there may be some weight to the idea. They both share the same latin root for drum. Medieval tennis (and thus, tambour) was seeing a brief revival and recognition at around the same time that the French timbre was beginning to shift from meaning drum to meaning several things, eventually settling on its modern musical meaning. Tambour are unique architectural irregularities in tennis courts which would have made each one unique which maps quite well onto our current definition of timbre. Nothing conclusive obviously. But maybe some enterprising linguist could take the idea and run with it.
Loved your Shakespearean acting - I feel you may have missed your vocation! We had a Real Tennis court at Canford when I as there. I used to watch, though I preferred rowing as an activity - I was not built for speed on the hoof!
Lindy-speare, Shakesy-beige whatever it is we need more of it! Do a series putting Shakespeare in historical context or something. Then you can give us more monologues!
It surprises me that this sport was so popular in medieval times, considering it seems to require an indoor court with rather specific features. Were these purpose-built at the time, or were they modifications of existing buildings that could be thrown together quickly after the day's work was done so you could get a few games in before you ran out of daylight?
the court looks astonishingly like half an outdoor courtyard with a covered gallery around the edge, and then a washing line strung up halfway along. the flat wall (and optional tambour) is about all one would have to add
This is modelled after an outdoor courtyard, likely early games were a real courtyard of a monastery so they varied in layout according to where they were played.
Loved the uke! How does he do this, every episode, with no prompts, in one take? With infectious enthusiasm. In depth no less. No apparent limits to his interests. He's just amazing.
I can understand why this version of the sport fell out of fashion. Modern tennis just needs a court, a net and for covenience some fencing around the court so the balls aren't lost. This needs a whole building around the court to play in.
@@Kneong lol you don't get it, the point is not to watch the game the point is to drink beer and bet on the game and the more rules there are the more bets can be made. You sweet summer child. Most of the spectators will be talking to each other anyway.
BRILLIANT INTERPRETATION! “Cherchez-vous à épater la galerie ?” Make great impression in French (or to be a bit show off as well, a commonly expression used as well, originally from this game). Furthermore I used to play tennis in France and I read in french history books that in lawn tennis a server moved forward after each point won (like 15 feet, 30 and so on) which was obviously a great advantage near the net. I confirm that a french king died by bumping into the pediment of an arch while going to the loo during an event. This king was not very tall and was not used to bend under a doorway! I have to mention that almost nobody in France knows the battle of Azincourt (maybe because it was a long time ago or maybe because it was an humiliating and choking defeat, idk). Best regards.
Salutations cher concitoyen. Juste pour dire que si probablement beaucoup de Français ne connaissent rien à la bataille d'Azincourt, ceux qui s'intéressent au moyen-âge ont tous un minimum de connaissances sur cette bataille, qui avec celles de Crécy et de Poitier sont les trois batailles durant lesquelles la chevalerie Française à pris ses plus grosses déculottées. Greetings dear fellow citizen. Just to say that while probably many French people don't know anything about the Battle of Agincourt, those interested in the Middle Ages all have a minimum of knowledge about this battle, which with those of Crécy and Poitier are the three battles during which the French knighthood took its biggest pants down (it is the term which designates in French a bare butt spanking, sorry I do not know the analogous expression in English).
Drove past that building and still do occasionally for years and never gave it a thought I knew there was a real tennis court in Newcastle somewhere but had no idea where or that it still existed , thanks for sharing .
How wonderful to see a proper introduction to tennis, which captures the history, challenge and plain ridiculousness of this wonderful game. Thank you!
The number of important topics I skip because the videos are too long but lindy manages to make me watch 30 minutes of history about ancient tennis. It’s nothing less than wizardry
The years of Anne Boleyn were measured in millimeters ( converted to feet-inches). We live in the 2 meter era now. That's 6'-7" for those who have not succumbed to the French.
23:15 Holy crap, I never understood this. Just thought the English are weird as usual :D It would actually be great if Tennis scores are displayed like that. Would be a nice way to a) explain and b) maintain tradition.
As a small addition to the possible origins of the scoring, another theory looks to gambling. As the french had their currency split up into 60 cents instead of 100, every point the players would put 15 cents on the line and so could get to 1 franc in 4 won points.
Hi Nicholas, great video in fact I half expected Henry VIII to step into frame at any moment. A question about the equipment; can you play with your own balls or is it preferable to play with your opponents balls or did they just toss to decide? I ask as the variation in handmade balls would surely be an advantage to play with your own?
Initially I assumed you had so many balls because you were demonstrating the game, the original game is far more exciting & tactical than our modern version. Thank you for the quick response, I learn something new from every video you produce including the rants!
@@leddielive The traditional set is 60, different professionals make the balls differently (within minimum and maximum size and weight parameters). Wayne Davies once told me that the chaise of balls was more important than the choice of court, even with the Hobart and New York courts being so different.
33:10 The explanation of the word tennis as having its origin in the French "tenez" which is still a basic word in modern French (and BTW, very accurately pronounced by Lindybeige), is almost certainly correct. At least this is the explanation commonly given in France for the name of the game. Its meaning is indeed "take this" (or "hold this") when you are speaking to a group of people (plural), but also when addressing a single person, since in French, the plural can be used as a way to convey your respect or acknowledge social distance (i.e. addressing someone you are meeting for the first time) to the individual person you are speaking to. So it makes perfect sense in the context of this "gentleman's game" as a form of polite warning to your opponent that you are about to serve. People playing the game would probably say it each time they were about to start playing a point, so there could be no chance of catching the opponent off guard, which undoubtedly would have been seen as unsportsmanlike or ungentlemanly conduct.
It has the silly randomness of any game invented by unsupervised 10 year old boys, save these had stacks of servants to actualise every half-baked dribbling. What a gift to have Shakespeare write your dialogue after the fact. I'm guessing the actual response was, 'Well, screw you too, Frenchy.'
Yeah, like the Ambassador was going to remember all that by the time he got back to Paris. He probably just said "The King was pissed at your joke. His army is on the way."
Nice! Just started the video but it's gonna be a good one I'm sure. I played "Real" Tennis for a bit during university -- maybe 4 or 5 years ago -- and that was at Middlesex University in London! We were lucky to have one of the small number of remaining courts right there in the university.
Awesome to finally see a well-researched video about real tennis. I haven't had a chance yet to play a game of it, but the topic has caught my attention way back during my studies at university when one of my professors was the late Heiner Gillmeister who happened to have written "Tennis: A cultural history"...
Lloyd came to our annual dinner last weekend on the real tennis court in Newcastle and was very good company. It’s great to see our remarkable game being showcased by him to so many on UA-cam.
A good delivery of tennis balls and a masterful delivery of the bard all in one show. What more entertainment can an Englishman ask for. Well played sir.
I love how he casually breaks into incredible acting, then goes back to monologue, then cuts to the ad Jingle, you're a legend Lloyd
I want to see a play in a theatre where lindy plays some role in Shakespeare
Oh, let it be Macbeth!!
Truth. Better than half of Hollywood for sure.
A man of many parts, from LARPER (he wrote many of his own, you know) to actor to adventurer to military re-enactments to historical geologist...too much else to count, all delivered with schoolboy enthusiasm in a decidedly adult head. You are always an enjoyment, Lloyd.
Thank you for your considerable efforts and varied subject matter.
i loved that section. it should deffo make it onto a best of video in the future. ahahaha. genius!
Unexpected Shakespeare is always welcome 😁👌
What is unexpected is him making a video about a medieval French sport
and beautifully done too!
Yes, I think Prince Hal would have slowed down his speech so that the Frenchy could understand him.
Audible is for Englishmen and they can tell what he means.
The follow up ukulele solo was also a pleasure.
A dedicated Shakespeare series would be very welcome. Lloyd has hidden, thespian talents!
“His jest shall savour but a shallow wit, when thousands more weep than did laugh at it.” well done mr Lloyd I've felt quite threatened, gave me goosebumps
Also that vein in his temple... That meant business...
I honestly can't stand most Shakespeare but that line is scrumptious
You mention that Charles II had a bed installed next to the tennis court, so that he could 'spring straight into action'. I assume this would have been once he'd finished his tennis match...
Hahahaha 🤣 probably
Love it 😂😂
Considering everything else about Charles II, probably,
Oh boy, Medieval tennis had better be played using a sword's pommel as a ball.
*Edit* That was a really impressive performance, Nicholas. Not the backhand, the Shakespeare.
didnt laugh
@@rexcentx2254 Good, Tennis isn't a laughing matter. Though it might be when you play.
@@SquireComedy im not laughing yet, make me laugh
@@rexcentx2254 he isn't under any obligation to, as unlike you he isn't a clown.
@@sirdiesalot2975 Now that made me laugh.
Everything lindy talks about is immedietely interesting
He should probably apply for a job at Audible and read us stories then. Turn that talent into money.
@@1973Washu pretty sure he makes money off youtube videos too
He could talk about paint drying and make it interesting
@@webz3589 barf
yer just bored... 13th century tennis is a fringe topic
Lloyd’s acting chops are pretty serious.
He is constitutionally incapable of taking anything less than seriously.
I vote for a dedicated, Shakespeare series! Lloyd has hidden, thespian talents that must be shown!
Not so hidden if you ask me!
He must have practiced in order to do it in a double take. Not to mention that he has a decade of practice in making monologues entertaining
How he has not made it on TV or into movies is beyond me.
@@Evirthewarrior Poor mans, (early), Hugh Laurie - Sorry Lindybeige!
@@Evirthewarrior He made a video about his experience trying to get a tv show running I think. All I really remember is him describing how a lesbian got mad at him for sewing his own clothes.
Remember never marry a tennis player.
To them, Love means nothing.
Lmao
Ba dum dum diss
@@jasonflay8818 I love how Google is trying to translate this.
to them, love means "the egg"
@Andy Tyrrell
Well played, Good Sir.
It’s not even an hour old and it’s already classic. What a legend Hoid is … I mean Loyd!
Deal with your own planet. Don't make me come over there and slap you around again!
@@StephenDeagle There’s always another secret
I'm no connoisseur of Shakespeare but it's nice to hear someone deliver it at a slow pace so as to let the words sink in.
Any time I've listened to or seen one of his plays, the actors seem to be in a hurry to spit their lines and GTFO the stage.
Well said - it can get very 'samey' and the actors forget they are to impart the meaning of the words, not just speak them.
its because traditionally it is spoken with iambic pentameter, (?) so a there was rhythm to it
I thoroughly recommend the Hollow Crown, a BBC miniseries which covers three of the History plays. The actors are all great, and the lines are delivered with real feeling. Patrick Stewart plays John of Gaunt, which is a bonus.
@@ssshsien You could get hold of a play and recite to yourself. That might give you the feel of what the actors were thinking.
@@myparceltape1169 That doesn't help as much as you might think. The problems are that the meanings of many of the word have changed and are unrecognizable to current people, and the pronunciations have changed enough that the rhymes don't always work well. You really need to spend a year or two studying Shakespeare's era for it to make sense, and nobody wants to waste their time doing that just to listen to some play that takes too long.
There might be problems with the clock scoring history, but it explains tennis points to me much better than any other way ever has. I'm going to remember it.
I think the clock origin makes sense though they probably were not using a literal clock - rather just thinking of minutes in an hour. Then again, the French language's 60-based numbering system may also have contributed.
I don't care, I'm going with it. and it would be a great learning tool for someone who wants to learn tennis.
That ball collection hole on the ground with the net is the single most amazing thing I've seen in a while.
I want a ball basket hole on lawn tennis courts as well.
Just make sure it has a cover of some kind.
It sure would suck to be in a hard-fought Doubles Rally, go for an around the net saving shot, accidently step in it and twist your ankle or something.
@@666kingdrummer more like snap your leg in half...
I've watched Lloyd for around a decade now and I believe this is the first time I've ever seen him acting. A wonderful performance.
Ah finally! I’ve been rewatching old videos for about 3 weeks now! Just this morning I watched the Sir Sidney Smith video for the 5th time!
There is scarcely a better way of cheering up one's day than to appreciate the storied heroes of Britain's glorious past.
7:09 - The height of Anne Boleyn joke made me laugh so much I had to stop watching for a bit.
Cruel it was
He said it so casually that at first i just went "ah okay i know her...wait what did he say?" 😂
It's a shame he didn't follow through and give the heights of Mary, Queen of Scots and Charles I before and after execution.
That one went right over my head, pun attempt intended, thanks for that.
hearing lindy saying "that was legit" is like hearing your grandfather saying "Poggers"
What's "poggers"?
@@perperson199 young people speak
Surely give a time stamp
@@perperson199 some weird internet word
@@perperson199 twitch lingo
Fascinating how the rules for original tennis was like a modern day slot machine. Full of complicated rules for a jackpot and special bells and spots that can be hit for a payoff. Certainly it was developed with gambling in mind. Good thing I wasn't born in the olden days, I would as broke as the duke of York!
Also like pinball
Its also modelled after a specific courtyard somewhere like those nets were balcony openings and that square board in the corner a window probably, the sloped areas balcony roofs.
The rules aren't that complicated. You score by hitting the windows, which means there's an offense and defense side. Chases aren't even all that complicated. If the ball gets knocked past you, you're charged with knocking it even further past your opponent when the two of you switch sides. That's the chase. You're chasing how far they got it past you. You don't win or lose the point until you switch sides and play the chase. Which means you can totally screw up and still get the point if your opponent screws up worse. And you switch either when both of you have a chase, or one of you is one point away from winning. Here ends the basic rules.
It can also be advantageous to not hit a weak shot back to give yourself an easy chase.
I don't think it's gambling. I think it's more like boring tennis meets medieval combat. There's just more strategy and attack and defense in this game then boring tennis.
There are a few particulars I don't quite get yet. Like what happens if you're playing the chase and you just score normally. Does the chase stay? Or what happens if both of you are playing a chase and you win. Does the other guy's chase just go away? Can you have more than one chase in a game? I think the answer to that is yes.
@@jeremymain7303 You just typed four paragraphs.
@@lastEvergreen Only the first of which was about the rules.
The rest was me talking about how the rules open up strategies you don't have in boring tennis. The last paragraph was me asking questions trying to figure out how far those strategies can get pushed.
The inclusion of Anne Boleyn’s height change at 7:10 is one of the funniest things I have ever seen.
That seamless transition from informative talk into Shakespearean monologue was superb! As was the acting! Is there any vids of Lloyd in a full production?
I tried to be a tennis player, but that just wasn't my racket.
Then I became a bowler, and that was right up my alley.
You are the worst. Have the dad joke award.
Very clever
Yeah the door is right there
@@Destroyer_V0 no, German sausages are the wurst!
@David DiRusso
Good point, although sports do have one little disadvantage: you won't be able to get baked every time after you manage to score.
I have missed you, silly man, please do not disappear for a long period ever again, and your Shakespeare was very well done.
brilliantly done and very entertaining!
It never really matters what he talks about. He always makes everything so interesting. Even ladders and tennis.
And beds, and hats.
Badminton is a sport of kings and competed in the Olympics too. It's also played drunk during summer barbecues. Good times
Ahhh! So that where I was going wrong - forgot the liquid ingredient!
My favourite literary reference to court tennis is in Dumas' Three Musketeers. One of the Cardinal's guardsmen insults the play-style of the musketeers (I believe they were being mindful not to injure their faces because of an upcoming meeting with the king) and d'Artagnan invites him outside.
A good follow up video would be on Basque Pelota.
Its a series of sports played in the Basque region first recorded in the 13th Century between France and Spain, that eventually spread to other Latin Countries, and it's existence can be directly attributed to the decline of Medieval Tennis.
Whats truly interesting, is that you begin to see where the games got their inspirations, particularly on the Trinquet courts, which actually still uses the penthouses from Medieval Tennis on the side of the court.
At King Henry's disappointment over the gift/treasure, I was expecting a Lindybeige-style joke.
I got a great Shakespearean performance instead.
Not disappointed.
Hello Lindybeige.
I had been exposed to Henry the 5th as a child, but all I remembered mostly was the battle of Agincourt. I remember seeing Kenneth Branagh's version of it and getting more of the plot, characters, and setting, since by that time I had learned more about history.
But today, you've expanded my historical awareness about Tennis, it's ancient roots, and how it applies to Shakespear's play. Tennis is an exceptionally old game and would have been known to both Henry the Fifth, and Shakespear (who may have been a fan. One may never know), who sprinkled Tennis references into Henry's speach to the Fofan's Ambassador, early in the play.
Darn it all... now you have me wanting to re-view Branagh's portrayal again!
Excellent video Lindy. Keep it up.
I grew up within a quarter mile of this place and passed it every day walking to school, but I've never seen inside it or understood its purpose. Many thanks Lloyd!
Anybody else notice Anne Boleyn's height change from 5'2"-4'1" along with her birth-death? I love his humor!!
There's a similar 'bit' in Monty Python's song about Oliver Cromwell.
I’m embarrassed at how long it took me to ‘get’ the joke. But now I have, it’s going to make me giggle unexpectedly all day…
It’s amazing the things you can learn on the internet. I had no idea that Anne Boleyn was born fully grown!
I don't get it
Is it about beheading? Does the head really take a whole foot of height?
@@maddockemerson4603 7:08 It’s the dates of her reign as Queen, not her birth and death…she wasn’t killed at 3 years old!
The explanation and demonstration of stringing the racquets and making the balls are just one more example of this man’s great vids. There’s just such a thoroughness to his presentations that isn’t seen in many others. Every single video is a “deep dive”
Also, however, Did Lindy explain why the sloping sides were “penthouses”, and I missed it?
It’s from a Middle French word “pente” meaning slope, combined with a Middle English word “pentice” for a room at the top of a building that probably has a sloping roof, folk etymologized into “penthouse”.
As soon as Lloyd masters his basket making skills he's going to tackling making tennis balls
@@alisaurus4224 Thank you!
As an avid Real Tennis player, thanks Lindybeige for shining some light on this great game!
Two chases, change ends!
if there's an afterlife you've made my father very happy - an actor who worked well into his 70's he often used that scene, and the onomatopoeic use of 'mock' as an example of Shakespeare's brilliance.
I was just thinking there hasn't been a lindybeige video for awhile. I could watch him talk about anything.
Agreed. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't watch a video about Tennis if it wasn’t presented by someone as inherently interesting as Nicholas.
Lloyd, you are truly amazing. Watching you do the excerpt from Hen. V, I was absolutely transfixed. You, good Sir, have given us a tun of treasure with this posting. Well more than 3/4 of Wm Shakespeare's tennis allusions in Hen. V went straight over my head until today.
Wonderful to see an explanation of the game as I recall seeing such tennis courts at Lord's Cricket Ground and The Melbourne Cricket Ground where the tour guides could not answer any of my questions about the game.
Right off the bat, I appreciate the switch fro. lapel mic audio to camera audio dramatically emphasizing words such as "KINGS".
My first thought when you showed the mysterious steps and ramp was: "Could it be for carriages?" The steps could be for a servant to quickly step up to open the carriage/assist the passengers, and the ramp for the passengers to gently descend?
thats exactly what i thought.
I love how you can hear such a distinct difference in the audio when he is facing the camera vs when he turns away. It's really interesting how significant the difference is.
HALLELUJA FINALLY a new lindybeige video!
"The pandemic will end and there will be dancing again."
Thanks for those words of hope!
Yep, that sounds like a genuine British pep talk bit which I think even Churchill might have approved.
Whereas I'm quite sure that the (rightfully highly respectable) "Great British Bulldog" would be utterly disappointed nowadays of the abysmal performance of his completely preposterous and worthless current successor a.k.a. Boris the Buffoon.
So, pretty please (with a sprinkle sugar on top), fellow British _and European_ folks: please do get rid of those clowns (and the other stage hogs of the Brexit charade) and make an honest effort to reconcile any quarrels with us folks from The Continent in a way which is fair and square for the both of us. Because despite anything your (mostly "conservative") political leaders might have told you for decades: many of us Europeans actually _would_ like you to be part of the EU, because you always were a part of us right from the start (and in case you don't remember: you were in pretty early because Churchill already dreamed of the idea of the "United States of Europe" back in 1948).
So, dearly fellow British blokes:
if the Scots prefer their independence, let them have it. If the Northern Irish might someday decide to reunite with The Republic let then have their way, too. And if the Welsh may someday decide that them being independent might be a good idea, let then have their way also - because if you'll ever decide to come back and be true Europeans of English descendance, rest assured that we Europeans, the Scots, Irish and Welsh *shall* welcome you - as long as you agree to play by the rules.
So come back, play nice as well as by the rules, and we all shall proit - sounds like a good plan, doesn't it? ;-)
It will end when we've decided it's ended.
I used to live at Hampton Court Palace when my father was the Chaplain there and played a bit of Real Tennis - one of the most enjoyable but fairly difficult ball games I've ever played. The Grille at Hampton Court has a portrait of Henry VIII in! lol
I hate grass yard tennis. But I love this video. The fact i clicked on this to watch Lindy talk, my thought was: it doesnt matter what it is, I'll learn something suprising and fun from Lindy.
Another brilliantly interesting video , the best thing is I don’t think you could make a duff one ,I have learned more about all types of history from you than I ever did from school in the 70s ,thank you
I agree, Lindy is a natural & just leaves the viewer thirsting for more, have you watched the rants play list, I highly recommend it?
It is somehow like squash (rackets) meets "lawn tennis" - quite why "lawn tennis" became more popular than this original sport, is beyond me.
Perhaps because a larger audience could watch? Less rules, easier to follow?
I did try to find a link between the game of squash (rackets) and this original game of Tennis, but it seems the only one is ... a handy wall and a ball.
Anyway, I'd much rather watch Wimbledon in this type of setting - imagine if "lawn tennis" had never been spawned?
That this origin, this original, was the game we play today.
So much more interesting and surely more exciting to watch.
I can imagine far above the court itself - in modern times - a large audience peering down into the court and those with bigger wallets and more connections, having the prime viewing area on the sides of court.
Fascinating stuff. Today I learned!
Really interesting video, had no idea Tennis traced that far back!
I remember seeing Henry VIII & Charles Brandon playing it in one of the first few episodes of The Tudors, or i wouldn’t either!
I never comment on youtube but this is so good. I have followed you for many years and this is the best thing i have seen you do. Just brilliant sir you had me glued throughout the entirety of the video
Next video: playing historically accurate Roman gladiator fights
Honestly, Lindybeige does the best Henry the V i've ever seen!!
All this time we thought churches stone wears away from weathering, little did we know it was the monks playing ball games against them that left them in such a state
The serious tone of "Quakers aren't supposed to swear" got a solid giggle out of me.
Well done Sir, an unexpected but very good Shakespere treat...in a Lindybeige video....you realky know how to pile it on.
And you stuck it to the French too.
Great stuff.
I always knew he could prattle on for hours without a script, but that sudden Shakespeare was a surprise to be sure
But a welcome one
Speaking of word origins.
Tambour lead me to hypothesize that it may be related to the word timbre.
And after doing some quick work on the Garggler, I think there may be some weight to the idea.
They both share the same latin root for drum.
Medieval tennis (and thus, tambour) was seeing a brief revival and recognition at around the same time that the French timbre was beginning to shift from meaning drum to meaning several things, eventually settling on its modern musical meaning.
Tambour are unique architectural irregularities in tennis courts which would have made each one unique which maps quite well onto our current definition of timbre.
Nothing conclusive obviously.
But maybe some enterprising linguist could take the idea and run with it.
That's exactly the stuff that I come to the Beigeman for. Very interesting and entertaining!
That bit with Anne Boleyn and her heights about killed me! What a note!
Loved your Shakespearean acting - I feel you may have missed your vocation! We had a Real Tennis court at Canford when I as there. I used to watch, though I preferred rowing as an activity - I was not built for speed on the hoof!
This is so convoluted, it feels like a role playing game system turned into a sport.
Lindy-speare, Shakesy-beige whatever it is we need more of it! Do a series putting Shakespeare in historical context or something. Then you can give us more monologues!
This is the kinda content i dig Lindy for, i knew about courtyard tennis, but this is a deeper dive into specifics.
It surprises me that this sport was so popular in medieval times, considering it seems to require an indoor court with rather specific features. Were these purpose-built at the time, or were they modifications of existing buildings that could be thrown together quickly after the day's work was done so you could get a few games in before you ran out of daylight?
the court looks astonishingly like half an outdoor courtyard with a covered gallery around the edge, and then a washing line strung up halfway along. the flat wall (and optional tambour) is about all one would have to add
This is modelled after an outdoor courtyard, likely early games were a real courtyard of a monastery so they varied in layout according to where they were played.
Loved the uke! How does he do this, every episode, with no prompts, in one take? With infectious enthusiasm. In depth no less. No apparent limits to his interests. He's just amazing.
I never knew learning about tennis could be so much fun. You're awesome.
Try playing it. It gives you a whole new perspective and respect.
"Gunstone" (or "gonnestone" for what was probably a more period-accurate spelling) is a term I haven't come across before.
I like it.
I can understand why this version of the sport fell out of fashion. Modern tennis just needs a court, a net and for covenience some fencing around the court so the balls aren't lost. This needs a whole building around the court to play in.
I can also see why it's still alive in England. You can still play even if it's raining outside. Spectators get to stay dry too.
Or a narrow medieval street _around_ you. I suppose there was always a version where kids just played in their backyard with their own rules.
It's also not very practical for spectating, not to mention the overcomplication of the rules compared to lawn tennis
@@Kneong lol you don't get it, the point is not to watch the game the point is to drink beer and bet on the game and the more rules there are the more bets can be made. You sweet summer child. Most of the spectators will be talking to each other anyway.
It is also a lot more complicated and has a lot more areas in which to dispute calls.
BRILLIANT INTERPRETATION! “Cherchez-vous à épater la galerie ?” Make great impression in French (or to be a bit show off as well, a commonly expression used as well, originally from this game). Furthermore I used to play tennis in France and I read in french history books that in lawn tennis a server moved forward after each point won (like 15 feet, 30 and so on) which was obviously a great advantage near the net. I confirm that a french king died by bumping into the pediment of an arch while going to the loo during an event. This king was not very tall and was not used to bend under a doorway! I have to mention that almost nobody in France knows the battle of Azincourt (maybe because it was a long time ago or maybe because it was an humiliating and choking defeat, idk). Best regards.
Salutations cher concitoyen. Juste pour dire que si probablement beaucoup de Français ne connaissent rien à la bataille d'Azincourt, ceux qui s'intéressent au moyen-âge ont tous un minimum de connaissances sur cette bataille, qui avec celles de Crécy et de Poitier sont les trois batailles durant lesquelles la chevalerie Française à pris ses plus grosses déculottées.
Greetings dear fellow citizen. Just to say that while probably many French people don't know anything about the Battle of Agincourt, those interested in the Middle Ages all have a minimum of knowledge about this battle, which with those of Crécy and Poitier are the three battles during which the French knighthood took its biggest pants down (it is the term which designates in French a bare butt spanking, sorry I do not know the analogous expression in English).
@@Gilbrae bonjour, totally agree!
HUZZAH! Lindybeige upload!
Henry the Eighth's favourite game, after hunting fauna and women..
I have goosebumps all over. I really love it when you do historic quotes, especially Shakespeare. THAT WAS GLORIOUS and entirely unexpected!
27:29 never change Lindy.
It´s a boarding ramp , isn´t it?
I never thought I'd appreciate the history of tennis so much. Thanks for the visit and the lesson, Lloyd!
love watching it from time to time
very interesting game
Drove past that building and still do occasionally for years and never gave it a thought I knew there was a real tennis court in Newcastle somewhere but had no idea where or that it still existed , thanks for sharing .
Shakespeare would be proud...good performance
How wonderful to see a proper introduction to tennis, which captures the history, challenge and plain ridiculousness of this wonderful game. Thank you!
"This game was big, REALLY big." *cavernous Lindybeige voice for emphasis*
The number of important topics I skip because the videos are too long but lindy manages to make me watch 30 minutes of history about ancient tennis. It’s nothing less than wizardry
One of the best Bard Bill renditions ever!
Finally, I understand why I have never liked tennis. Because it wasn’t proper tennis, which looks like a thoroughly enjoyable game!
Jeu de paume even came to Sweden. The Swedish King Erik XIV had a tennis hall built in 1627. Love his name, by the way.
As a Geordie that why aye man warmed the cockles of my heart. Also that game looks incredibly fun. Like a tennis version of squash.
Babe wake up, new Lindy just dropped
The years of Anne Boleyn were measured in millimeters ( converted to feet-inches). We live in the 2 meter era now. That's 6'-7" for those who have not succumbed to the French.
23:15 Holy crap, I never understood this. Just thought the English are weird as usual :D
It would actually be great if Tennis scores are displayed like that. Would be a nice way to a) explain and b) maintain tradition.
Hold on, it's not at all a proven fact. At least not with the usage of clocks.
As a small addition to the possible origins of the scoring, another theory looks to gambling. As the french had their currency split up into 60 cents instead of 100, every point the players would put 15 cents on the line and so could get to 1 franc in 4 won points.
Hi Nicholas, great video in fact I half expected Henry VIII to step into frame at any moment. A question about the equipment; can you play with your own balls or is it preferable to play with your opponents balls or did they just toss to decide? I ask as the variation in handmade balls would surely be an advantage to play with your own?
The court provides the balls. They have sets of fifty.
Initially I assumed you had so many balls because you were demonstrating the game, the original game is far more exciting & tactical than our modern version. Thank you for the quick response, I learn something new from every video you produce including the rants!
@@leddielive The traditional set is 60, different professionals make the balls differently (within minimum and maximum size and weight parameters). Wayne Davies once told me that the chaise of balls was more important than the choice of court, even with the Hobart and New York courts being so different.
choice
33:10
The explanation of the word tennis as having its origin in the French "tenez" which is still a basic word in modern French (and BTW, very accurately pronounced by Lindybeige), is almost certainly correct. At least this is the explanation commonly given in France for the name of the game.
Its meaning is indeed "take this" (or "hold this") when you are speaking to a group of people (plural), but also when addressing a single person, since in French, the plural can be used as a way to convey your respect or acknowledge social distance (i.e. addressing someone you are meeting for the first time) to the individual person you are speaking to.
So it makes perfect sense in the context of this "gentleman's game" as a form of polite warning to your opponent that you are about to serve.
People playing the game would probably say it each time they were about to start playing a point, so there could be no chance of catching the opponent off guard, which undoubtedly would have been seen as unsportsmanlike or ungentlemanly conduct.
It has the silly randomness of any game invented by unsupervised 10 year old boys, save these had stacks of servants to actualise every half-baked dribbling.
What a gift to have Shakespeare write your dialogue after the fact. I'm guessing the actual response was, 'Well, screw you too, Frenchy.'
i like that one better
Yeah, like the Ambassador was going to remember all that by the time he got back to Paris. He probably just said "The King was pissed at your joke. His army is on the way."
Nice! Just started the video but it's gonna be a good one I'm sure. I played "Real" Tennis for a bit during university -- maybe 4 or 5 years ago -- and that was at Middlesex University in London! We were lucky to have one of the small number of remaining courts right there in the university.
Please get back to playing the brilliant game!
I love how Lindy's sport kit is Chenos and a dress shirt
The key to Lindy’s sartorial elegance is the colour beige.
Awesome to finally see a well-researched video about real tennis. I haven't had a chance yet to play a game of it, but the topic has caught my attention way back during my studies at university when one of my professors was the late Heiner Gillmeister who happened to have written "Tennis: A cultural history"...
What an coincidence, i was researching the subject right now, Gott Bless.
The Henry V monologue was superb. And nicely introduced by the Blessedesque cameo: Tennis balls, my Lord.
Shakespeare had tennis? Didn't know that. Good recitation!
Stoppard too...
Lloyd came to our annual dinner last weekend on the real tennis court in Newcastle and was very good company. It’s great to see our remarkable game being showcased by him to so many on UA-cam.
I love the little smile on your face when you realise you're just about to launch into an amusing tangent.
The production in this video is amazing. The editing is on point. Good work mate. I really enjoyed.
I love how he knew he was going to play tennis and still chose to show up in a long-sleeve shirt and slacks.
traditional tennis dress.
As was the style at the time.
@@Jivvi What time?
@@julianscaeva4334
THE time
If you can dance in it, you can play sports in it.
A good delivery of tennis balls and a masterful delivery of the bard all in one show. What more entertainment can an Englishman ask for. Well played sir.
I'd never considered standing ukelele surface to belly friction until today. Great Henry V rendition.