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Hi, Hive Mind... I recently had my head snapped off re. the subject of the "reverse" side of Banners of Arms..... Now.. That's Banners of Arms; basically the arms, as you would see from a shield, but on a banner.... Not military banners or standards or all the other post-medieval, Victorian -21stC d...

I am hearing of (and have occasionally experienced) the situation at medieval events where Reenactors are being refused service in beer tents (even service of soft drinks or "a half 'o shandy") during the "public hours" of the event... No big deal in itself, says I - and if that is how the beer tent...

19thC pic of 17th century Streltsy from "A Historical description of the clothes and weapons of Russian troops" A. V. Viskovatov.

Might be of interest to WW1 folk: Archaeologist Martin Brown has just has published a report on the WW1 trenches & other fieldworks (training, defensive & demonstration). See link.

http://research.historicengland.org.uk/ ... px?i=15654

Given the "closed-shop" approach at Hastings this year.. Anyone up for a costumed "flash-mob" at the "real" battlefield site at Crowhurst.... I'm sure the Press would be keen...

Cheers for that...

(P.S. I had a secret little bet with myself about who would most likely know/come back with the first answer with the detail to make me think; "Yep. Sounds like that's it".... I won.. Thanks again..)

I have been told that the pleating we see in some high-status outfits is called "poncing" (pic)...... Anyone know if this is true (or has someone been pulling my leg) and if true, any known derivation..? Cheers..

Given that mercenaries will follow the money (hence English mercenaries in 14thC Italy, Spain, Turkey and North Africa, Scandinavians & Saxons in Constantinople earlier, Spanish in 15thC Scotland, Genoese, Scots and Irish all over the place etc.) I see no economic reason why mercenaries from Germany...

I'll ask Sapper at our end (SCUM/Free Company) - our source for German Mercenary stuff, though I doubt if there are any muster lists.... I suspect it will be more of a case of establishing at your/the German end whether there is documentation/a tradition indicating that your ancestors listed/marched...

No, not a bizarre garden sport in dubious taste, but a query (to which I think I know the answer, but will throw it up for our gentle readers......). I blame the wool, but my hose is getting thin around the you-know-where, and first thought (as with non-reenactment gear) was "sew a leather patch on"...

Generally agree (despite some severe local let-downs) - esp. re. quality of materials, fitting etc. . It's just the old "do you have a pattern issue?" has come up before for some non-standard bespoke items (answer "no") and the fact that I've been seeing Italianesque/Burgundian kit that looks as if ...

End of the season blues & reflections for next year - inc. biting the bullet over new kit/concepts/characters - and the fact that my sewing & patterning just isn't really up to scratch...... Anyone had any dealing with/have any experience of these folk or thoughts on their products (am mainly lookin...

Yes, I agree with the shields thing... I posted a query re that last year, 'cos I was having just that problem - sourcing contemporary images of non-knightly infantry shields for this period..... Blank would have been better IMHO, but we ran up against de Montfort's battle badge order and the fact t...

Cheers Biro.. Your opinion much respected (been looking at your page on working out how a Morgan Bible ventail works recently. Really interesting...). Yeah, I agree re the heraldry... Would have preferred without, but the white cross on the chest (deliberately ragged/makeshift & crudely sewn on) and...

Trying to put together kit for Battle of Lewes in May, but not my period.. Had to cobble something together for a quick photoshoot (pic) for the Baron's army. Apart from the obvious (hose too loose, shield too small, spear too long, sword-belt too tight, coif not up, too fat and the fact that I'm no...

I was puzzling over this when trying to dye some padded arms in a hurry for a "snap" photoshoot the next day... Didn't want wet padding for a couple of days, so used well-watered-down acrylic paint literally painted onto the outer surface... Worked brilliantly and dried in no time - and, as I was af...

Not that I've ever used this as an excuse for something "exotic" on my Living History display (oh, no... ) But...
http://www.medievalists.net/2014/03/24/ ... -painting/

Horseshoe fungus and King Alfred's cake (another fungus) act like charcloth and are totally natural, though I have no problems using charcloth m'self for all the reasons rehearsed above.

Another interesting article from the medievalists: http://www.medievalists.net/2013/10/29/ ... dentified/

You are right, context is all. Was only quoting from the article...

You can tell it's a rainy day.. here's another (different subject).
http://www.medievalists.net/2012/11/14/ ... r-mystery/

Another interesting article on the Medievalists re. "elites" and portable property 650-1150... Quote: "... focuses on coastal and maritime communities which have portable wealth. These are small settlements and farmsteads, but have imported pottery, silk, fine weaponry For example in coastal Flander...

Cheers Biro, very glad to hear the thoughts & opinions of someone much more seeped in the period than I.. Apropos; at Tewkers, this weekend just gone, I noticed a couple of Mac Bible-based gambesons on different stalls. Eye was particularly caught by one with integral mitts (German trader) obviously...

Thanks Biro, Yes, when looking at the Mac I've been assuming that the convention within that document is that dismounted & no mail chausees means "not a knight" (though I am also of course aware of other images from other sources that seem to show chausee-less knights). It does seem odd that so few ...

Cheers chaps. Brother Ranulf may well be right... I've done loads of peering at contemporary images (esp. the Mac Bible, Matthew Paris, the major psalters etc. plus other, less well-known ones at manuscriptminiatures.com etc. etc.) over the months, but apart from the rare individual (like the Mac Go...

Help!!! Having been spoon-fed by Hollywood & TV the impression that a lot of spear-armed infantry (from 1100 to oooh, say somewhere mid 14thC) will carry shields, I have been frightfully disappointed that 3 weeks diligent searching of contemporary pics to back a desire to equip mid 13thC infantry En...

Once again, excellent responses on this most excellent of fora... :D It was the many images (thanks for not picking me up for my typo - 12thC/Morgan Bible indeed - Ooops..) where much of the maille looks lycra-tight (and on already very trim-looking legs & arms) that intrigued.. Even allowing for fo...

For my sins, I've been peering at pics of early-mid 12thC knights (like ya do... Morgan Bible etc al) and having spent my second day pottering round at home in my own maille shirt (don't ask...)I've been thinking about the apparently limb-hugging, "skinny maille" one sees (almost) everywhere for thi...

Interesting.. I'd heard about reissuing sumptuary legislation, but not the repeal mentioned... What? Legislators realising that to keep a piece of unpopular, largely ignored and near-unenforceable law on the Statue Books is a bit pointless...? AND taking the sensible step of repealing it..? Surely n...

My twopenn'orth... All I can say is that as part of Sapper's (Brit/German/Swiss - and I think we had at least one Dutchman) pike block at Bosworth in 2011, a little pike-ing from time to time (proper pike-ing, not Sealed Knot scrummaging) is fun...