Entertaining The Tudors: Amusement, Sport, And Game In Sixteenth-Century England

Often thought of as a time of hardship, political and religious upheaval, and near-constant danger, sixteenth-century England can seem a dark and unfriendly place to modern readers. It is true that this period endured its fair share of difficulties - often in ways in which we cannot possibly relate.

However, the people living in this time were connected to us in one very simple way: despite the hardships in their individual lives and the society in which they lived, they also knew how to have fun. It is a facet of everyday life that we do not often consider about those living in Tudor England.

In fact, the Tudors enjoyed themselves in a variety of ways - from playing sports to sharing stories, and from crowding bustling theatres to playing board games with friends. Gambling and debauchery were part and parcel of the social drinking culture that grew exponentially, as evidenced by the alehouses and taverns that preceded the modern-day pub.

There was merrymaking, feasting, and celebrating that ebbed and flowed along with the annual liturgical calendar - even as it was moulded and changed by the Protestant Reformation.

And while the many forms of entertainment for sixteenth-century English citizens spanned from the respectable gaming parlours and dance halls to the unsavoury animal baiting arenas and public execution venues, it is certainly true that there was something for everyone to enjoy. 'Entertaining the Tudors' challenges the notion that all was doom and gloom during this period, and invites the reader inside the world of sixteenth-century frivolity and fun.