The Review

Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: Mosaic

Media Credit: Courtesy of Medieval Times [Click to enlarge]

"Kill 'em! Off with his head!"

The noise of the crowd begins to grow as the audience anxiously anticipates the beginning of the match. The spotlight illuminates the two combatants - braced for battle, ready for anything, circling each other, awaiting the first move.

Although this may sound like just another main event on the World Wrestling Entertainment's Monday Night Raw, this is the Medieval Times.

Since the restaurant opened in Majorca, Spain, 34 years ago, men have been portraying knights of the royal court. Trained performers in nine Medieval Times' castles across North America, from Florida to California and all the way up to Ontario, Canada, re-enact a story based on an actual medieval tournament from the 11th century five days per week.

But what is it like to be an actual knight, swinging swords, charging on horses with a lance and battling for the glory of the court?

According to Victor DeLara, the horse trainer and one of the original knights from Spain, it takes concentration, athletic ability and extreme discipline to go out each night wearing armor and put on a show. He works each week in the castle located in Hanover, Md.

"To be a knight, first you have to be tough," DeLara says with sincerity. "Second, you can't be a crying baby. Third, you're going to have a lot of girls."

DeLara has 25 years experience with the Medieval Times and says he could eventually see himself trying a new profession.

Head knight, Stephen Ager, who has been a part of the cast for the past 14 years, interrupts and explains that DeLara will never work anywhere else because he takes such pride in what he does.

"He's going to be doing this until he's dead," Ager says.

To become a knight, Ager says, applicants are chosen by physical ability as the job entails an immense amount of strain on the body.

Ager, who played football and soccer throughout high school, says it helped prepare him for the intense practices and performances of the rigorous schedule, sometimes performing multiple shows in a single day.

"Ninety-nine percent of us are former athletes," he says. "Imagine playing a game of football every day, it would be hard for your body to keep up, that's what we do."

Continued...

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