27. Fisherman’s Joust
Many of you will be familiar with jousting during Medieval Times. But there was a very similar game in ancient Egypt along the Nile River that few people are aware of. Fisherman’s Joust was the sport of two men going on a boat, and rowing at each other at full speed. Then, they would stand up in their boats hit each other with their oars, attempting to push their opponent into the water. The last man to remain standing in his boat wins. The rules of this game are pretty straightforward, and there are modern reenactments of Fisherman’s Joust played today.
With all of the bloodshed happening on the Nile River, crocodiles and hippos living in the waters would often enter the scene, making the stakes even higher. While some of the losers could swim to shore, others would surely get eaten by the predators. Some people like to compare Fisherman’s Joust to battles between the Gladiators, because these games took place in front of the Pharaoh for his amusement. Few men would willingly go into a game knowing that only one of them was going to come out alive.