LivingHistory.co.uk

I've always used Dorothy Whitelock's translation in 'English Historical Documents' v 1 (597-1042) and v2 (1042-), which puts the assorted rescensions side by side (where they are substantially different). Unhelpfully it's split across two volumes (well, a whole series), but the second one lets you r...

*what Paul said* You might also want to have a look at this http://talbotsfineaccessories.com/armour/effigy/effigy%20analysis.html, which includes a very helpful database analysing the types of armour found 1300-1400, by decade (dated using the creation of the effigy rather than date of death). One ...

First off, there are some very helpful photos of the type of bookbinding I've described here http://veterokforbooks.tumblr.com/post/48109649639/notes-on-carolingian-binding-this-style-of. It's described as 'Carolingian', but that's largely because the extant manuscript bindings from the 8th-11th cen...

I'm afraid I'm enough of a geek to have researched medieval bookbinding techniques, shadowed a couple of manuscript conservators and authentically bound the manuscript I copied. J. Szirmai "The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding" is the definitive book on the subject. It's not cheap and may be hard...

Would there be any chance of pictures (speaking a thousand words)?

Much appreciated!

I'm no expert in the later medieval period, but I had the impression that the systematic use of archers in planned campaigns was led by Edward I, first in Wales and then (especially using Welsh recruits) in Scotland. That's not to suggest that archers didn't play a part in warfare earlier (they cert...

Leofgar of Hereford liked a bit of a rammy too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leofgar_of_Hereford If I rememebr it rightly the key is "public war"- it's OK if it's defence of the nation, not if it is just going about smashing heads for private gain or personal vengeance. Youll also note these are al...

In Rabat (now the administrative capital) there's a mosque founded by an Englishman who wound up with the 'Salee Rovers' (notorious pirates, not a football teamm) somewhere around the 15-16th centuries. I'm rather hazy on the dates, I'm afraid (sorry - I was on holiday and more interested in the alm...

I had the same problem, and my solution was to get a thinner gamby (I have 2 now - a thinner one for mail and a thicker one for rain) - but I still had to do the extentions I mentioned on the shoulder-blades - and also add 'cups' to the elbows to remove the restriction it still had with bending the...

My main gripe with a lot of gloves - especially welding gaunts - is that they just have too much material on the palm and underside of the fingers. I'll take a look at street hockey gloves but I'm thinking a custom solution may be in order. Wear them for eleven years and the leather will either wea...

Leather-backed gloves look the part (and do help), but I'd always put foam padding in the fingers inside the glove itself. It can't be seen, and it helps considerably. When I (eventually) replace my current pair of gloves, I'll probably use some old-style mouse-mat (the 4-5mm thick stuff, not this f...

You might want to have a look at Matthew Bennett's article on the 'Rule of the Temple' as a military manual (http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/bennett1.htm). It doesn't specifically mention battlefield orders, but it gives a good impression of the discipline expected from a body of men ...

Randall - that's exceptionally helpful! Thank you!

I think I need to get the Visby armour book and learn some more about this subject. Very interesting!

For what it's worth, I'd understood that a "pair of plates" was the precursor of the "coat of plates", popular in southern Europe (Spain and Italy) in the later thirteenth century, using hardened leather. I had the impression of two pieces covering the front of the torso (though that may just be my ...

Yes, very good point on daneaxe-users being top status and so likely to be well fed, healthy and "upper class" (in the tall sense of the word).

I doubt that any society would have a problem with using a shorter axe two-handed, since you're likely to have more control rather than less. 'No more than chin height' is a sensible rule of thumb to avoid using an axe you may not be able to control properly. I wouldn't think there would be a proble...

Out of interest, where is this from - and are those complete weapon-sets, or just displayed together? Given that the edge of the caption appears to be in German, is that a hint? :-) I ask because I've seen a suggestion that there are a lot of seaxes/langseaxes with very worn blades buried on the Con...

I find the curved blades move in a much more fluid way. The balance moves as you swing (thats how it feels to me). So there is very little effort to keep the blade moving and it allows for quick changes of direction. Straight swords are better for delivering a crushing blow. But a curved edge is be...

[quote="Tiddles"]From my understanding the Saxons seamed to be almost identically equipped. But I think the Vikings had a verity of equipment between individuals. Based on what the individual acquired through trade and conquest. Common sense says they would have only used what would keep themselves ...

From my (limited) research into this, I gather that sabres (or possibly 'proto-sabres') only came into use in the Islamic world in the later eleventh century, under the influence of Turkish military elites, though they may have been used by Turks earlier (ie tenth century). I suspect that the slight...

Nigel wrote:I still wince when i hit a vike and watch them double over as there is no padding under their maille

Well then, don't hit us so hard! If you keep breaking your toys, you won't have anything to play with

Absolutely - what Matt said. The "fyrd" means "expedition" - it's an offensive, aggressive army. That means men who have been born and bred to fight and command (I'd hesitate to say "professional" warriors), with the time to exercise, hunt etc, and the money/land/inheritance of spears, helmets, shie...

The 'Maldon' poem talks a lot about spears - including throwing the other side's back at them! Bear in mind that Ealdorman Byrhtnoth loses his spear (in the body of a viking, naturally) and, within a couple of stanzas of drawing his sword, takes his first major wound. Think about it: it everyone is ...

I'm interested by the merits of wood-handled langseaxes. I got one second-hand as my first weapon, but use over a season or so (including regular training - them were the days!) led to the wood splitting. Strapping it up with linen (and liberal glue) kept it going a little bit longer. I replaced the...

The problem is a lack of evidence, other than the practical 'ouch' factor. To be fair, there are quite a lot of depictions of people carrying military equipment (spears and shields) with no body armour at all, so mail with no padding *might* be enough of a step up to make it very useful. As Neil say...

As MarxMan says, participation in the Crusades certainly exposed western Europe to lamellar armour. The technology was certainly known of, both through the crusades/Islamic world and through Byzantium (with plenty of contact over a very long period of time - and conscious artistic borrowings in tent...

Scale armour in which bit of the world? For 11-14th century it's likely to be mostly in the Islamic/Byzantine world, gradually being introduced to the West. I'm sure others will correct me, but (as I understand it) the Western 'pair of plates' may have originated in Spain, first in hardened leather ...

I'm always happy to learn more - I haven't come across the Tees find, so I'd be interested in any details (including any dating - though I appreciate it might be difficult if it's from a river). The evidence from depictions (manuscripts and coins) does point rather strongly towards conical helmets b...

Tsk! A deeply shocking anachronism in this photo! He should NOT be wearing a spectacle helm if it's meant to be 1066! :D Seriously, if you are coming to Hastings (or any other show 1050+), please bring a plain conical helm. Domed helmets (like the Gjermundbu and other spectacle helms) seem to have d...

Marcus said "However at bigger events like Bosworth, Tewkesbury, etc you have a lot of groups attending and in most case at least one family from each group will be dressed at a higher status even if that group has only a dozen or so members at most. This creates an impression that there are lots of...