Formats for the Seneschal of Hainault's Challenge at Pennsic

Here is a list of combat formats for the single combat challenges at the Seneschal of Hainault’s Challenge. Except as noted below, they reproduce the foot combat portions of challenges the seneschal fought on his pilgrimage to Santiago 1402-1403.

The seneschal's challenge that ultimately resulted in the combats at Smithfield in 1410 suggests that he had something roughly similar in mind.

If you would like to do single combat at the recreation of this deed at Pennsic, I encourage you to contact me to arrange a combat in advance, either through the comments section of this post or my e-mail at the link above. To please the ladies, I would like to show them as many of these different formats as possible. If you show up on the day without prearrangement we will also requite you, but the more of the logistics we can arrange in advance, the less time subtracted from actual combat. If you are unable to fight any of these formats and would like to propose an alternative, please let me know, and we will try to accommodate you. And if you have any other questions, I will try to answer them.

As I see there will be many who wish to do arms before the ladies, it might be uncourteous to allow one gentleman to do single combat twice before another had had a chance to fight at all. So I would like to suggest that if you wish to offer to match another's offer to do specific arms, that you say that you are willing to do those arms, against them or any other gentleman of arms and without reproach.

In any case, there will also be group combats, as described at the link above.

I have begun listing those offering specific challenges. More than one person can offer to fight the same combat format, but I do invite you to please the ladies by showing them varied forms of combat.

Single Combats

Frequently the number of blows thrown is divided into rounds, each ended by a reprinse, at which point the parties separate, as at the end of a round in a boxing match. A push refers to a powerful thrust potentially capable of pushing an opponent back.

We will have matched lances of eight feet in length, throwing spears, pollaxes of six feet in length, two handed swords and daggers available for the combatants.

Lance and Axe:
I. 9 pushes of the lance in three rounds of three and 25 axe stokes without interruption.


Pushes of the Sword.
II. Pushes of the sword with axe and dagger: 20 pushes of the sword, 20 strokes of the axe and 20 strokes of the dagger, each in two rounds of 10.
Baron Girard of Windmasters' Hill offers the above challenge
III. Pushes of the sword with axe: 20 pushes of the sword in two rounds of 10 and 20 strokes of the axe without interruption
IV. Pushes of the sword with axe and lance: 20 pushes of the sword in two rounds, 20 axe strokes in two rounds, and a throw of the lance followed by 9 pushes in three rounds

Strokes of the Axe, Sword Point or Edge, and Dagger
V. 12 axe strokes, twelve sword strokes point or edge, and twelve dagger strokes, each without interruption
Pan Jan Janowicz Bogdanski offers the above challenge

If it is agreeable to the company, it would be my preference to use the weapons to which I am accustomed against similar ones of my opponent, those being a single bladed axe of somewhat more than five feet and a rebated sword of war of approximately four feet. (edge blows with the sword only)

Also to show my esteem, though our combat be merely for the entertainment of the gallery, I shall bear a small token for the lady of my opponent.

Lord Friedrich Parcifal von Österreich offers to do those arms as well.

Outrance
VI. To fight, armed with throwing spear, pollaxe and dagger until one is unable to continue or the judges stop the fight. The loser to pay a brooch, jewel or gem to the winner's lady.

Sir Kieran MacLeod, Leo Medii offers to do those arms
Duke Thorvaldr Skegglauss offers to do those arms as well
Pan Jan Janowicz Bogdanski likewise

(IV is a shortened version of arms the seneschal did, which included 30 sword and axe blows in five rounds each, and six lance throws in six rounds. V is the format of a 1415 combat between Rumaindres and Sir Guillaume de Bars. It is very similar to the foot portion of a challenge issued in 1400 by Michel D'Orris, which was for 10 blows with each weapon.)