mêlée

mêlée, ancient and medieval game, a predecessor of modern football (soccer), in which a round or oval object, usually the inflated bladder of an animal, was kicked, punched, carried, or driven toward a goal. Its origins are not known, but, according to one British tradition, the first ball used was the head of an enemy Dane. The games were played by large numbers of people with few rules and often became violent. By the 11th century in Britain, Shrove Tuesday, a day of festival before Lent, had become the day on which most of the mêlées took place; among the more notable were those at Chester, Derby, Corfe Castle, Alnwick, Bromford, Cross of Scone, and Midlothian. The term mêlée is also used as part of the chivalric tournament.