The re enactor issue 56 by The Re-Enactor

The Re-Enactor Issue 56

Greetings All This is the final copy of The Re-Enactor magazine! I would like to thank you all for supporting the magazine over the last 4 years or so. It has been a pleasure to put together and work on but it is time for a change for me. Thank you also to all those that supplied articles, reports and pictures, to all the authors and publishers who kindly supplied books for the competitions. I have 2 final books to be won in this issue so have a read through and enter!

Thank you! Please send all correspondence to the following email address:

thereenactor@btinternet.com Competitions: All competitions are free to enter Winners will be selected at random Winners will be notified via email shortly after the draw takes place. No correspondence will be entered into. The editor’s decision is final.

Photos courtesy of Pat Patrick

Features This Month 1: “Favours” by Donal Mac Ruiseart 2: Competition One 3: History: The Shadow Crusdade 4: Competition Two 5: The Mysterious Minstrel of Nice 6: Historical Novel Review 7: Costume Courses with Sarah Thursfield To receive notification of each new issue send your email address to: thereenactor@btinternet.com

The views and opinions expressed in the articles in this ezine are those of the individual authors themselves and not those of the Editor

ON THE SIGNIFICANCE, GIVING, AND RECEIVING OF FAVOURS. Master Donal Mac Ruiseart

“My Lords,” intones the herald, “Salute the Crowns of Atlantia!” The fighters and the herald bow towards the thrones. “My Lords, salute the one who inspires you this day!” The fighters turn. One bows to his wife, standing on one side of the Lists, the other raises his sword to a lady he met only an hour before, sitting on the opposite side. The wife blows a kiss; the other lady stands and nods her head. “Salute your worthy opponent!” The fighters face each other and raise their swords in salute. The herald steps aside and the marshal delivers his charges to the fighters. At his call of “Lay on!” the Lists resound with the impact of swords on shields. As they fight, you see that both are wearing favours. The one worn by the fighter who saluted his wife is hung over his belt. It is richly embroidered with his initials and hers in a decorative border, a symbol of their formal and ongoing devotion to each other. The other wears a ribbon tied around his arm, which the lady had pulled from her hair not long before the Lists opened. The favours differ as much as the connections between the fighters and the ladies, and are examples of two of the many forms that both can take. The origin of the custom of favours or tokens is obscure, but there are many references to them in the literature of the Middle Ages. A lady might give a scarf, a sleeve (they were easily detached in some periods), a jewel, or some other such personal item to a knight who was riding off to battle or to a tournament. In some cases the battle or tournament was to be fought for the lady’s own sake, as in the case of a judicial duel. In the Current Middle Ages, the custom has developed of making special objects specifically called “favours” that are given to a fighter or fighters for several reasons. Though it is usually a lady who gives a favour to a lord, it can be done the other way around, especially if a lady fighter has a non-fighting lord. But there are cases of a lord and a lady wearing each other’s favours in lists or battlefield. And for that matter, a lord may “favour” another lord, or a lady another lady. For ease of expression, though, I will use the case of the ladies being the ones giving the favours and the lords being those who receive them. Favours take many forms, not only in their physical construction but in their significance. The general classifications of significance can be explained as follow: “Romantic” favours are given to a fighter with whom one has an ongoing relationship, such as a husband or lover. These are often very elaborate. “Friendship” favours are given to one or more fighters who are one’s friends, often members of the same household. “Loyalty” favours are given by a lady of rank, as a Baroness, Princess, or Queen, to those fighters who enter the field of battle in the service of her Barony, Principality, or Kingdom. These tend to be simple, since they must be made in large quantities. Fighters can often be seen lining up to receive such favours in the time before a battle. The “Premiere Lady” of some households gives favours to all the fighters of the household, being a custom somewhere between “Friendship” and “Loyalty” favours. Finally but not least is the most misunderstood of favours, which one might call a “for the nonce” favour. Such a favour is bestowed on a fighter one may have met only that day, and which should be returned when the tourney is over, or in any case by the end of the event. In a way, this can be the most romantic of favours, in the literary sort of sense, and is the one whose etiquette I will discuss at some length later in this article.

What form do these favours take? It is limited only by the imagination and skill of the bestower, but most commonly a favour takes the form of a rectangle of fabric with some decoration identifying the bestower, and sometimes, especially in the case of “Romantic” favours, the one wearing it as well. Usually worn tucked into a belt or strap, they will often have a loop at the top for extra security. It is no fun to lose one. I once combed the field where a Pennsic battle was fought, thinking I had lost my Lady’s favour there. It later turned up in camp, to my relief and the amusement of many others - including my Lady! Favours given by Queens on the eve of battle are often no more than strips of ribbon printed with the Queen’s badge. I have worn favours in the form of knots or braids of yarn or cord, and one that was a small square of leather stamped with the cognizance of a Crown Princess of the East. Lacking a prepared favour, a lady might improvise. She might give the fighter a bit of ribbon from her hair or from a sleeve (not a whole sleeve, please, ladies, the chance of damage is too great!), a scarf, or some other thing that would not itself be at risk or place the wearer at risk. For that reason, a piece of jewelry in not a good choice. As I noted earlier, the least understood of favours is the “for the nonce” favour. The meaning of long-term favours is easily understood, as is the meaning of “loyalty” favours. However, if a fighter seeks to honour a lady by asking to carry her favour in the Lists (though in fact it is she who honours him), he must realize that what he is doing is paying her a formalized compliment, and that by bestowing such a favour the lady is paying him a similar and greater compliment, and nothing more. Bestowing a favour on a fighter for the day’s tourney or battle does not obligate the lady to anything. She need not sit with him at the feast, or accompany him to a post-revel, or anything of the kind . . . In fact, she is not even obligated to allow him to wear the favour for the duration of the day, for if he displeases her in some way during the day she has every right to demand its return. And a fighter who loses a favour that way ought indeed to be ashamed. Let us assume that there is a fighter at a tourney who has no lady, or perhaps whose lady is not at the event. (As I said earlier, this can work either way. My lords, keep in mind that a lady fighter may approach you in this way someday!) Wishing to keep in the spirit of things, he looks about him for a lady to compliment by asking her for a favour. He ought to look for a lady who appears to have no lord there. He goes to her and salutes her, telling her his name, and perhaps where he is from. The lady ought rightly to reply in a similar manner. If she extends her hand, he ought to bow over it and kiss it (hand kissing is a gentle thing. He ought barely to brush her hand with his lips.). At this point he ought to kneel and say something to this effect. “Good Lady, it is my intent to fight in this day’s tourney, and I wonder if you would honour me by allowing me to carry your favour in the Lists this day.” Now, she may decline to give a favour, and she may or may not tell him why. It matters not, though. If a lady declines to give you a favour, always assume that it is because she has a lord, or that she just doesn’t give “for the nonce” favours, or she just doesn’t understand, or maybe she doesn’t like to watch tourneys or has plans to do something else during the tourney. Do not haggle or cajole. If you do, you’ve spoiled the gallantry of it! Simply rise, bow, and say something to the effect of “As you wish, m’lady,” then bow again and take your leave. Even if your feelings are hurt, keep a lid on it! Her answer may be that she will be delighted to be so honoured (Note that each one maintains that the other is the one doing the honouring . . . of such is courtesy made), and if she has a favour prepared, she would hand it to him. If she is so inclined but has no prepared favour, she may improvise with ribbon, yarn, or any other suitable item. If you approach a lady in this way and she is at a loss as to what to offer, my lords, be prepared to suggest something. If she does bestow the favour, he should take it and tuck it with great care into

his belt, or some other suitable place if he is already in armor. Then he should rise and say something to the effect that he will make every effort to be worthy of the honour she has bestowed upon him. He might ask her where she is most likely to be during the tourney, that he may know where to salute, and take his leave of her. At the beginning of each match in which he fights, he should make an effort to locate her so that when the call to “salute the one who inspires you this day” is given, he will know which way to bow. The lady should pay attention and respond with a wave, a nod, some indication that she is interested (whether she really is or not!). After each match he should go to her and say something to the effect that he hopes he has pleased her with his performance. Now, this does not hinge on whether he won or lost! Did he conduct himself with courtesy? Did he carry himself with grace? Did he look good out there? If he lost, did he take it in stride? If so, then by all means she ought to be pleased! If on the other hand he acted like a churl, used foul language, was disrespectful of the Crown or the marshal or his opponent or suchlike, she should tell him of that. If he is contrite and promises to amend his ways, she might give him another chance. Everyone has lapses. It is a serious thing to demand that a favour be returned before the wearer is done fighting. She should do that only if he has done something really bad or continues whatever displeases her after she has told him of it. I hate to have to address this, but if a lady does demand the early return of a favour and the fighter refuses, this is a very serious breach of courtesy. She should take her complaint to the Baroness, Princess, or Queen; or if none of those are present, to the Marshal in charge of the event. In my opinion, such a one ought to be removed from the Lists, but it is the option of the one in charge to act on it. Assuming all goes well, when the fighting is over, he should return to the lady, kneel, and offer to return the favour, again with the hope that he has been worthy of it. If it is an elimination tourney and the fighter is eliminated, he ought to offer to return the favour at that point. If there is to be more fighting, and he wishes to continue to wear the favour, he should ask her permission to do so. He should kneel and hand the favour back to her, repeating his hope that he has pleased her by wearing it. Chances are it might have been stained or damaged, but there is no dishonour in that! If there is damage, the lady might say something to the effect that though the fabric of the favour was damaged or stained, there was no stain to its honour. It ends there. The fighter, having returned the favour at the end of the day’s fighting, has no more claim on the lady’s time. This does not prevent him from inviting her to sit with him at the feast, or continuing to flirt with her, nor does it prevent her from inviting him to stay and chat with her . . . but I repeat very strongly, that bestowing a favour for the nonce does not obligate a lady to anything else! I have heard of cases where a fighter assumes that receiving a lady’s favour implies that he will receive her favours. That is not so! One who is chivalrous never makes such assumptions. The giving and receiving of favours can add a wonderful aura of romance and gallantry to the Current Middle Ages. Many a lady has recounted how wonderful it was to have a fighter kneel to her and ask for her favour. And it is very much in keeping with the admonition written by Edward III of England: “Love ladies and maidens And serve and honour them In thought, word, and deed . . . From ladies comes prowess, Honours and dignities . . .”

Competition One

The Sign of the Eagle is a breathtaking historical novel of action and suspense set in the year 71 A.D. amid the exotic and vibrant streets of ancient Rome. Macha, the strong-willed daughter of a legendary Celtic British king and wife of the Roman tribune, Titus, is the only one who can prove her husband innocent of treason, solve the murders of two slaves who possessed information that could have exonerated Titus, and ultimately save the life of the Roman Emperor Vespasian.

To win a signed copy of this excellent book just send your name and full postal address to me and I will enter you into the draw. Email: thereenactor@btinternet.com This competition will be open for entries until midnight on April 30th 2014. I will post out the book to the winning entry!

History: The Shadow Crusade (Fighting for Faith in Iberia) by Cliff Repicky (aka; Cliff de Beaumanoir) When one hears the word “Crusades” the mind immediately has visions of tired pilgrims and mail armored knights on horseback fighting Saracen archers and horsemen as they make their way to the Holy City of Jerusalem. Hollywood productions like Kingdom of Heaven and games like Assassin’s Creed only reinforce that image. What many a reader is unaware of, is that there was a similar struggle taking place closer to the European heartland known as the “Reconquista” or “The Reconquest”. After the rapid expansion of Islam from the deserts of Arabia, across the coast of North Africa and up across the Strait of Gibraltar into the Iberian peninsula or what is now Spain and Portugal and southern France, so that the interior of Europe’s heartland appeared ready to fall. Christian forces were finally successful in countering this expansion with the efforts of Charles Martel at the battle of Tours, France in 732, and the forces of Christianity started to push back and reclaim the ground lost to the Moors. Moors was a generalized description given to the Muslim people who came from the region of North Africa and crossed over to the Iberian plains during the period of 711 to 718. The concept of indulgences for going on what was essentially an armed pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and familiar to the reader as the speeches given by Pope Urban II in 1095 prior to the launch of what would be known as the First Crusade, were actually already being done for accepting people going to fight the Moors in Iberia prior to this famous date (for nearly 200 years). After the successful liberation of Jerusalem in 1099 by an unlikely and by then greatly under strength Christian force, follow on armed pilgrimages were launched in response to various Muslim successes in the region, with belief that faith would guarantee success just as it had for the Europeans in 1099. One of the concerns for those that called for these efforts was the immediate siphoning of available strength from those that felt they could get the same remission of sins guarantee by traveling the shorter distance to the lands just beyond the Pyrenees instead of making the longer journey to the “Outremer” or Land beyond the Sea. An example of this can be seen in the efforts of Sigurd I Magnusson, also known as Sigurd the Crusader, the King of Norway, who answered the call of Crusade and made his way via the English Channel and Strait of Gibraltar to the Holy Land. Along the way in 1108-9 he was convinced to take part in assisting a local Iberian authority in capturing several cities held by the Moors. After every battlefield success, his force was somewhat diminished in size as members dropped off to go home, or inhabit these new lands filled with opportunity. His force of Norsemen fought several sea side battles against Muslim Pirates including a raid on a pirate stronghold in the Balearic Islands. In 1147, during the Second Crusade, famous for its failure and for participants like Eleanor of Aquitaine, English crusaders were stopped due to weather near the Portuguese city of Porto, where the Portuguese King Afonso I convinced them to assist his efforts in taking the great city of Lisbon. After a four month siege, the starving Moorish defenders agreed to surrender the city. A good number of the English force decided to settle there, depleting the overall effort that continued towards the Holy Land. It’s examples like these that show just how much the Crusading effort in Spain and Portugal have been mostly ignored by modern historians and big screen media. Besides sharing the indulgences and plenary indulgences promised by the Church, the first being a single remission of the temporal punishment, and the later being the remission of the entire temporal punishment, or lifetime, the Reconquista saw many things that a fan or enthusiast of the Middle Eastern Crusades would be familiar with.

The exchange of cultural dialogue and practices can be seen on one hand, while the unforgiving nature of conflict fueled by theological understanding can be seen on the other. The Military Orders made famous in the desert sands of the Middle East like the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers, extended their reach across the Mediterranean, and became Defenders of the Faith and frontier posts between the various Christian Iberian Kingdoms and the Moors from the South. They could better focus on the job at hand and not be concerned with the various dynastic squabbles and better manage various local resources in the cause of the Faith. Their success helped launch a variety of other Military Orders with a more Spanish flavor to them like the Orders of Santiago, Montesa, Alcántara, Aviz, and Calatrava. After the demise of the Knights Templar in 1314, the Portuguese Brothers were reflagged as the Knights of Christ. Many of the castles and churches still in existence today changed hands and purpose numerous times during this roughly 700 year period. Probably the most famous being that of city of Cordoba in the Andalusia region of Southern Spain with the Saint Vincent Church/Great Mosque. This epic struggle and arguably the most successful of crusading efforts lasted from roughly 722 to 1492, which the reader will be reminded was the time of Christopher Columbus sailing the ocean blue. It produced some legendary figures, that included the likes St James Santiago “The Moor Slayer” portrayed in a 60s film called the Castilian. It produced Charlemagne and the Legend of Roland, there was Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar –better known as “El Cid”, and Henry the Navigator who was actually a senior official in the Portuguese Military Order the Knights of Christ, their successor the Knights Templar. The long overshadowed effort was finally completed by the battlefield success at the city of Granada in 1492 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella during the early period of what would come to be known as the Renaissance. For a more history, enthusiasts can turn to the following resources:  El Cid, The Making of a Legend by M.J. Trow  Battles of the Medieval World 1000-1500, From Hastings to Constantinople, by Devries,Dickie, Dougherty, Jestice, Jorgensen, and Pavkovic  Military Religious Orders of the Middle Ages by FC Woodhouse  Reconquest and Crusade in Medieval Spain by Joseph F. O’Callaghan

Images: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:La_rendici%C3%B3n_de_Granada.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Almohad1200.png http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cross_Santiago.svg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Badge_of_the_Order_of_Calatrava.svg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OrderOfCristCross.svg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:El_Cid-estatua-(Parque_de_Balboa).jpg

Au Galop: Horses and Riders of Napoleon's Army by Paul L Dawson

Much has been written on Napoleon's armies and the battles and campaigns in which they fought. Attention has been paid to the tactics and organisation of the three arms that comprised the Napoleonic French army, the infantry, artillery and cavalry. However, to date there has been no clear and concise study of the supply of horses to the french army. Making extensive use of primary sources, especially archive material, this study presents, for the first time, the way in which Napoleon obtained horses for his army, the way they were fed, and crucially how the men and horses were trained.

The Mysterious Minstrel of Nice Our tale begins with a sweet crème brulee, served at the Duke of Nice’s birthday. For the Duke did adore feasts and great celebrations, he oft hosted gatherings of friends and relations. Betrothed to the Duke, Lady Bridle of Nice, tapped her spoon on the table for talking to cease. She announced, “Let the troubadours take to the floor!” The party of guests gave a thunderous roar. Lady Bridle of Nice rolled her eyes in despair, for she’d spent many hours seated on this same chair. First to the floor came a sprightly young chap, dressed in bright purple with feather in cap. Lady Bridle tried not to appear very bored, ‘twas a welcome surprise when he swallowed a sword. Then on came a fellow who played on a lute, and impressed with some tumbles, then juggled with fruit. Next, came a minstrel, fair-haired, dark of eye, who spoke not a word, he was handsome but shy. He held a strange drum upon which he beat, Soon, the Great Hall resounded with tapping of feet. The rhythm did alter, the beat gathered pace, Lady Bridle appeared very pink in the face, For the young dark-eyed minstrel beside her did stand, she offered her freshly French-manicured hand. “Would you do me the honour, my good Lady Bridle?” Our heroine blushed, but towards him did sidle. As they walked to the floor, he moved closer to hold her, it seemed his dark eyes with desire did smoulder. Our heroine whispered, “From whence do you come?” I have never seen such an unusual drum!” “My lady, though French, I’m of strong Scottish stock, this drum I play comes from the land of the loch.

One day I will wed in my family kilt, return to the croft which my grandfather built. My children will run free and breathe country air, but first I must find me a wife, rich and fair. The world of the Great Hall seemed suddenly hollow, Lady Bridle knew then ‘twas her heart she must follow. Of castle and court she had had quite enough, no more of the smooth, it was time for the rough! “Sir take me to Scotland, and I’ll be your wife, for I crave mountain air and a simpler life, I will dress as a servant, escape in the night, we’ll elope on my horse then by boat we’ll take flight.” Our young handsome minstrel could hardly refuse, he had plenty to gain and nothing to lose! Together they rode, braving seas in wild weather, ‘til they came to the land of mountain and heather. They lived by a loch, eating freshly caught fish, and despite thinking haggis an unusual dish; Lady Bridle missed little of France, but the wine, though as a replacement, the whisky was fine. And so ends our tale of a Scottish romance, but though it may seem we’ve departed from France, On days when the mountains seem misty and grey, our lovers enjoy eating sweet crème brulee.

Anna Whitehouse (www.medievalpoet.co.uk)

THE WOODVILLE CONNECTION BY K.E. MARTIN

The illegitimate Francis Cranley’s father was killed in battle fighting for the Duke of York. The Duke then took in the boy, Francis, who grew up alongside his own son, Richard of Gloucester. Francis and Gloucester become loyal friends, and when an old soldier (who once saved the Duke’s life) arrives at the castle one wintry morning, accused of murdering a child, Gloucester turns to Cranley for help in proving the man’s innocence. I found The Woodville Connection to be an easy-to-read medieval murder mystery, with much intrigue and drama, set against a dramatic event in English history. With its fast pace and some great twists and turns in the story, this debut novel from author K.E. Martin keeps the reader turning the pages, wanting to know what happens next. The historical detail of the daily life and customs of this period was fascinating, and, telling the story through the eyes of Francis Cranley proved an excellent way of engaging the reader in the action taking place. I had only one minor complaint: I found the old-English dialect irritating. A scattering here and there would have been OK, but great lengths of it made for laborious reading, and I found myself skimming over those parts after a while. However, that aside, I would recommend The Woodville Connection to readers looking for a light medieval “whodunnit”.

For other great reviews checkout http://historicalnovelsociety.org

Weekend Courses on Re-enactment Dress with Sarah Thursfield ~~~~~~~~~

Shirts and Smocks Making body linens from Iron Age to Steam Age. Choosing material; cutting without a pattern; the basic stitches for beginners, and the finer points of gathering and finishing for the experienced.

Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 March 2014 ~~~~~

Doublets in Detail The most misunderstood garment in the medieval re-enactorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wardrobe. Learn what the doublet was made of, how to fit it properly and how to make it.

Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April 2014 At Llanymynech on the Shropshire/Welsh border

Each weekend costs ÂŁ60 not including accommodation or lunch visit www.sarahthursfield.com or contact me at Highmoor, Llanymynech SY22 6HB phone 01691 839286 milseam@btinternet.com