At Pennsic, Tuesday, August 7
12 Noon, Blue List, Battlefield, Three Hours
Historic Combat Series - The Challenges at Vannes (Counted Blow Tourney with shortened Lances)
This combat will be run the Company of St. Michael, and is inspired by a deed of arms in 1381 described by Froissart. Combatants will be divided into two teams, French and English. We suggest that if you fought in the Combat of the Thirty that you retain your nationality from that encounter. Each combatant from one side will offer a challenge with terms to the other side, and a champion from the other will accept those terms, or offer different terms. The default encounter is five strokes with lance on foot, five with axe, five with sword and five with dagger. Matched pairs of each of these weapons, including tapered rattan lances eight feet in length, suitable for combat on foot, will be available. Read more about the deed of arms here.
Each exchange of blows with a particular weapon will continue until one or the other champion has struck the specified number of blows, the judges stop the fight, or a champion is unable to continue. If the number of blows is accomplished the champions will take up the next weapon, and so on until the enterprise is complete.
A champion is unable to continue if he is struck five good blows according to the custom of the Society in the course of the enterprise, or falls or becomes disarmed, or is crippled or incapacitated as described below. A champion whose weapon breaks is not considered disarmed, and the fight will halt while he replaces it.
Plate is proof against all thrusts except a thrust to a faceplate or plate visor, which counts as a good blow. Breastplates, coats of plate, brigandine and cuirasses are also proof against all cuts to the areas they cover. Good two handed blows to any other plate protection, and good single handed blows to a helmet count as a good blow.
Solid cuts and thrusts to areas protected only by mail count as a good blow.
Other or no protection counts any cut as a good blow. For areas with this level of protection a thrust to the torso is incapacitating and a thrust to the limbs is crippling.
Thrusts to a barred visor are incapacitating. Cuts to a barred visor are crippling.
Champions should not act out wounds other than crippling or incapacitation. An incapacitated champion is lucky to be alive, and should watch the remainder of the enterprise from a chair or litter and consider suitable alms to the church.
Heavy hardened leather and other suitably covered rigid protection will generally count as plate, with debatable cases to be decided by the discretion of the judges. The judges will, as far as seems practical, attempt to match opponents with similar levels of protection like against like, and harness from the same period like against like.
Although there is no mention of this in accounts of Vannes, in later deeds of arms a champion that was unable to continue not infrequently paid a ransom or forfeit to the other. Pairs of champions may make such arrangements by mutual consent prior to their combat.
The reasoning behind the rules is discussed here and here.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
St. Michael’s Activities at Pennsic, August 2007
If you are attending the medieval recreation at Pennsic, you may be interested in the following……
Saturday, August 4
3 PM: Blue List, Battlefield. 1 Hour
Learn about More Authentic Deeds of Arms
Formats, rules and modified combat conventions for more authentic deeds of arms. Also, an introduction to documented medieval combat techniques such as halfswording. Class to be followed by St. Michael’s Vespers, a hastilude where you can use what you’ve learned. Sponsored by the Company of Saint Michael.
4 PM: Red List, Battlefield. 1 Hour
Just What Do the Non-Combatants of Saint Michael's Do?
This class will show how you can be of service and provide invaluable support to a Tournament Company. Many of the non-combatants of the Company of Saint Michael will describe their contributions and answer questions on Company standards.
4 PM: Blue List. Battlefield. 1 hour.
Combatants arm for St. Michaels Vespers and informal Q & A
5 PM: Blue List, Battlefield. Up to three hours
St. Michael’s Vespers
A deed of arms for anyone who wants to learn more about authentic combat, regardless of their persona or armor. This follows a class giving background on the same. Sponsored by the Company of Saint Michael.
Sunday, August 5
Ca. 7:30 PM, Haus von Halstern Camp
Meet and Greet
The Company of St. Michael Meet and Greet, originally scheduled for Tuesday, August 7, at 7 PM, Haus von Halstern Camp, has been rescheduled to Sunday, August 5 at ca. 7:30 PM, Haus von Halstern Camp. There may be an additional Meet and Greet session on Tuesday, August 7 at the 7 PM, at the Clan Kyle camp on N03.
Monday, August 6
9 AM, AS 04, 1 Hour
Just What Do the Non-Combatants of Saint Michael's Do?
(Repeat of above)
Tuesday, August 7
12 Noon, Blue List, Battlefield, Three Hours
Historic Combat Series - The Challenges at Vannes (Counted Blow Tourney with shortened Lances)
This combat will be run the Company of St. Michael, and is inspired by a deed of arms in 1381 described by Froissart. Combatants will be divided into two teams, French and English. Each combatant from one side will offer a challenge with terms to the other side, and a champion from the other will accept those terms, or offer different terms. The default encounter is five strokes with lance on foot, five with axe, five with sword and five with dagger. Matched pairs of each of these weapons, including tapered rattan lances eight feet in length, suitable for combat on foot, will be available. Read more about the historical deed of arms here.
The Company of St. Michael Meet and Greet, originally scheduled for Tuesday, August 7, at 7 PM, Haus von Halstern Camp, has been rescheduled to Sunday, August 5 at ca. 7:30 PM, Haus von Halstern Camp. There may be an additional Meet and Greet session on Tuesday, August 7 at the 7 PM, at the Clan Kyle camp on N03.
Current Website of the Company of St. Michael
A Yahoo Group for prospective members of the Company
Saturday, August 4
3 PM: Blue List, Battlefield. 1 Hour
Learn about More Authentic Deeds of Arms
Formats, rules and modified combat conventions for more authentic deeds of arms. Also, an introduction to documented medieval combat techniques such as halfswording. Class to be followed by St. Michael’s Vespers, a hastilude where you can use what you’ve learned. Sponsored by the Company of Saint Michael.
4 PM: Red List, Battlefield. 1 Hour
Just What Do the Non-Combatants of Saint Michael's Do?
This class will show how you can be of service and provide invaluable support to a Tournament Company. Many of the non-combatants of the Company of Saint Michael will describe their contributions and answer questions on Company standards.
4 PM: Blue List. Battlefield. 1 hour.
Combatants arm for St. Michaels Vespers and informal Q & A
5 PM: Blue List, Battlefield. Up to three hours
St. Michael’s Vespers
A deed of arms for anyone who wants to learn more about authentic combat, regardless of their persona or armor. This follows a class giving background on the same. Sponsored by the Company of Saint Michael.
Sunday, August 5
Ca. 7:30 PM, Haus von Halstern Camp
Meet and Greet
The Company of St. Michael Meet and Greet, originally scheduled for Tuesday, August 7, at 7 PM, Haus von Halstern Camp, has been rescheduled to Sunday, August 5 at ca. 7:30 PM, Haus von Halstern Camp. There may be an additional Meet and Greet session on Tuesday, August 7 at the 7 PM, at the Clan Kyle camp on N03.
Monday, August 6
9 AM, AS 04, 1 Hour
Just What Do the Non-Combatants of Saint Michael's Do?
(Repeat of above)
Tuesday, August 7
12 Noon, Blue List, Battlefield, Three Hours
Historic Combat Series - The Challenges at Vannes (Counted Blow Tourney with shortened Lances)
This combat will be run the Company of St. Michael, and is inspired by a deed of arms in 1381 described by Froissart. Combatants will be divided into two teams, French and English. Each combatant from one side will offer a challenge with terms to the other side, and a champion from the other will accept those terms, or offer different terms. The default encounter is five strokes with lance on foot, five with axe, five with sword and five with dagger. Matched pairs of each of these weapons, including tapered rattan lances eight feet in length, suitable for combat on foot, will be available. Read more about the historical deed of arms here.
The Company of St. Michael Meet and Greet, originally scheduled for Tuesday, August 7, at 7 PM, Haus von Halstern Camp, has been rescheduled to Sunday, August 5 at ca. 7:30 PM, Haus von Halstern Camp. There may be an additional Meet and Greet session on Tuesday, August 7 at the 7 PM, at the Clan Kyle camp on N03.
Current Website of the Company of St. Michael
A Yahoo Group for prospective members of the Company
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
A Fighting Manual by Paul Hector Mair, c. 1550
The Munich manuscript of Mair’s De arte athletica is online here. Splendidly illustrated, this manuscript is written in Latin, in a very legible humanist hand. The illustrations show a fencing school rather than combat in earnest: the specialized longsword foils are clearly illustrated, and lance combat on foot is fought with headless shafts. Dusacks, wooden or hardened leather simulators of messers or cutlasses, are also clearly shown: note the additional protection over the knuckles.
The manuscript also shows combat with sickles and scythes, which looks pretty scary. I’m still looking for discussion of combat with millstone-handles, the other traditional martial art developed by the Swabian peasantry to resist their feudal overlords.
The Higgins Armory Sword Guild has transcription, translation and interpretation of several of Mair’s sequences for longsword on their site.
The manuscript also shows combat with sickles and scythes, which looks pretty scary. I’m still looking for discussion of combat with millstone-handles, the other traditional martial art developed by the Swabian peasantry to resist their feudal overlords.
The Higgins Armory Sword Guild has transcription, translation and interpretation of several of Mair’s sequences for longsword on their site.
Celebrating the 4th
Today is a good day to read or reread Jefferson's last letter.
It’s also a good day to reflect on how fortunate we were in the revolutionaries we had when the crisis broke: Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and John Adams, to name only my personal favorites. John Adams never got to be on Mount Rushmore, but his courage and decency in defending the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre was profoundly admirable. What other country that sought independence or a new order was as fortunate? India had Gandhi, but didn’t have the same bench strength.
And on how fortunate we were in our adversary. We fought against Great Britain, but for the most part we fought against honorable men who shared the same ideals of liberty that we did.
It’s also a good day to reflect on how fortunate we were in the revolutionaries we had when the crisis broke: Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and John Adams, to name only my personal favorites. John Adams never got to be on Mount Rushmore, but his courage and decency in defending the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre was profoundly admirable. What other country that sought independence or a new order was as fortunate? India had Gandhi, but didn’t have the same bench strength.
And on how fortunate we were in our adversary. We fought against Great Britain, but for the most part we fought against honorable men who shared the same ideals of liberty that we did.
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