Buzz
Everyone seeks excitement. For some, the thrill comes from small pleasures like an extra glass of wine. Others chase adrenaline through daring activities. Throughout history, humans have pursued heart-pounding experiences. Here are ten extreme sports from the past that prove our ancestors were ready to risk it all for a rush.
10. Land diving
Pentecost, an island in Vanuatu in the South Pacific, is home to a ritual that appears reckless to outsiders. Land Divers climb a 75-foot (25-meter) tower made of rough logs. At the top, they tie vines to their feet and leap off the platform.
This tradition is believed to be around 1,500 years old, though its origins are unclear. One legend tells of a wife fleeing her husband’s relentless advances by climbing a tree. To escape, she tied vines to her feet and jumped. Her husband, failing to do the same, fell to his death. Today, men perform the ritual to avoid repeating his mistake. Land Diving is also tied to the yam harvest, with the highest divers believed to secure the best crops.
Despite the obvious risks of Land Diving, injuries are uncommon. The vines are highly elastic, and the ground beneath the tower is softened to cushion any hard landings.
9. Ancient Polo
Polo is among the oldest team sports in history. In ancient times, cavalry often determined the outcome of battles. Mastering the ability to maneuver a horse and exploit openings could change the tide of war. Polo likely evolved from such cavalry training. While it might seem less dangerous than battle, polo’s history is filled with gruesome accidents.
Polo originated in the ancient Persian Empire before the sixth century B.C. and was a favorite pastime of warriors. When Alexander the Great prepared to invade Persia, King Darius sent him a polo mallet and ball, implying he should stick to games rather than warfare.
The sport expanded across Europe and Asia. The polo field of Tamerlane the Great remains visible in Samarkand. The Byzantine Empire also adopted a version of polo, using nets on poles instead of mallets.
Colliding horses at high speeds, wielding long sticks that could entangle their legs, and inadequate safety gear made the game perilous. Byzantine Emperor Manuel sustained a concussion during a match, though he was fortunate compared to others. Emperors Alexander and John of Trebizond both lost their lives while playing polo.
8. Anastenaria
In several towns across Greece and Bulgaria, an ancient ritual is performed annually. Today, the Anastenaria is a Christian celebration honoring Saints Constantine and Athanasius. Participants carry the saints’ icons and walk across burning coals.
According to legend, when a Bulgarian church caught fire, villagers heard the saints’ voices calling for help. Believing they were protected by divine intervention, the villagers rescued the saints’ icons and relics from the flames. Today, they reenact this act of faith, attributing their safe passage over the embers to the saints’ blessings.
Not everyone approves of the Anastenaria. Firewalking has been associated with the ancient worship of Dionysus, leading some to believe the ritual has pagan roots and is unsuitable for devout Christians.
7. Calcio Fiorentino
The Ancient Romans played a ball game called Harpastum, which resembled Rugby. Players passed a small ball and caught it mid-air without letting it drop. Roman scholars considered it excellent training for young men. Calcio Fiorentino, believed to have evolved from Harpastum, retains Rugby’s physicality but eliminates most of its rules.
Calcio Fiorentino, or Calcio Storico—Historic Football, was played in Florence’s central square during the 16th century. Teams of 27 players faced off, using any means necessary to get the ball over a fence at either end of the field. Wrestling, punching, and kicking were all fair game. To heighten the spectacle, a cannon was fired each time a goal was scored.
In the past, the winning team was rewarded with a cow. Today, the victors enjoy a free meal, while the losers nurse their wounds.
6. Knattleikr
Knattleikr was a Viking sport—and that alone hints at its intensity. While details about Knattleikr are scarce, clues from Viking sagas have allowed historians to piece together a rough idea of how it was played.
Two teams of sturdy Vikings would face off, armed with bats. These bats may have been designed to catch a ball, and the sagas mention they were sometimes smashed in fits of rage. The ball used was small and hard, capable of causing injury or knocking someone over if thrown with force. The playing surface is debated, with most accounts pointing to frozen ponds or flat winter grounds, though this wasn’t strictly necessary.
Games could stretch over days, similar to modern Cricket. However, unlike Cricket, players could be tackled and roughed up while the ball was in play.
5. Chariot racing
The richest athlete in history was Gaius Appuleius Diocles, a charioteer who accumulated a fortune worth billions in today’s currency. Considering the dangers he faced, one might argue he earned every penny.
Chariot racing was a Roman obsession. Depictions of races adorned the city, and fortunes were wagered on the outcomes. The Circus Maximus, a massive arena in Rome, could host over 150,000 spectators. Chariots, drawn by two or four horses, raced seven laps around the track. Securing the inside lane was crucial for victory. Crashes were frequent, and studies of charioteer graves reveal an average lifespan of just 22 years.
Chariot racing is so perilous that even recreating it for films can be deadly. The 1926 movie Ben Hur included a chariot race scene that resulted in the deaths of five horses and one stuntman.
4. Water Jousting
Jousting was absurdly perilous. Participants wielded sharp sticks and charged at each other on horseback, aiming to unseat their opponents. At some point, this wasn’t deemed risky enough, so the thrill of potential drowning was added to the mix.
In 17th-century Southern France, teams of young men engaged in water jousting. Bachelors in a blue boat clashed with married men in a red boat, engaging in a chivalrous battle. The boats, powered by ten rowers, charged at each other at full speed while the champions, armed with shields and armor, stood on platforms trying to knock their rivals into the water.
On the Ancient Nile, water jousting had real-world consequences. Fishermen competed for access to prime fishing spots. Boat battles between fishermen are depicted in ancient reliefs, and these clashes were far from gentle. While most crew members maneuvered the boat, fighters used poles to knock opponents overboard. Once in the water, combatants faced the dangers of hippos and crocodiles.
3. Cretan Bull Leaping
In 1400 B.C., a mural at the Minoan palace of Knossos in Crete depicted a young man performing a backflip over a charging bull. Similar images, showing figures gripping a bull’s horns, have been discovered at various Minoan sites.
Some scholars argue these images represent myth rather than reality. Many Cretan artworks depict men using a bull’s horns to vault over its back, an act that appears incredibly dangerous. Others point to modern bullfighting traditions where young men leap over bulls. It’s plausible that bull-leaping was an actual ritual practiced in ancient Crete.
It’s worth noting that ancient Crete was the setting for the legend of the Minotaur—a half-bull, half-human creature that demanded human sacrifices. Could the bull-leaping ritual, which undoubtedly claimed many lives, have inspired the Minotaur myth?
2. Mob Football
From the 14th century onward in England, Shrove Tuesday became a day for young men to gather and play with a ball. These chaotic games laid the foundation for modern soccer and, unfortunately, football hooliganism. Players aimed to return an inflated pig bladder to their team’s village, essentially turning the event into a riot with a purpose. Injuries like broken bones were frequent, and fatalities were not unheard of.
Mob Football often involved hundreds of participants, especially when entire villages competed. In cities, rival groups of apprentices would chase the ball through narrow streets. In 1365, King Edward III outlawed the sport, citing its disruptive nature and its tendency to divert men from practicing archery. While the game honed combat skills, it wasn’t the kind of training the king had in mind.
In a notorious Mob Football match in Pont-l’Abbé, France, 40 men reportedly drowned when the ball landed in a pond.
1. Pankration
In Ancient Greece, Pankration was an Olympic event where two combatants engaged in a no-holds-barred fight with minimal restrictions. The only prohibitions were biting, eye-gouging, and attacks to the groin. Any other tactic was allowed if it led to victory, and defeat was declared when a fighter conceded.
Arrhichion achieved an extraordinary victory in the ancient Olympic Pankration. While trapped in a chokehold, he managed to break his opponent’s ankle, forcing a submission. However, it was later discovered that Arrhichion had died from suffocation. Despite this, his lifeless body was crowned the winner and celebrated in a public procession.
