|
Post by swordnut on Apr 7, 2016 9:07:34 GMT
Jesus, this is beyond interesting. Cheers. Archaeology is interesting because the answers always lead to more questions. In real life, we have to wait, but at the table, you can say what happened and why.
|
|
|
Post by DM Windhover on Apr 7, 2016 14:03:01 GMT
On the actual historical point: The head removal ritual sounds almost more Celtic than Anglo-Saxon, which is fascinating. I'd swear that I read an article at some point about a Celtic barrow burial which involved the removal of heads. Can't find it for the life of me now. And it would somewhat fit with Diodorus Siculus' account of the importance of heads to certain Celtic tribes. But the whole thing is bizarre and, as frohtastic said, beyond interesting. Any idea when the findings on this site will be published? As for gaming, this stuff is pure gold.
|
|
|
Post by swordnut on Apr 8, 2016 7:22:59 GMT
On the actual historical point: The head removal ritual sounds almost more Celtic than Anglo-Saxon, which is fascinating. I'd swear that I read an article at some point about a Celtic barrow burial which involved the removal of heads. Can't find it for the life of me now. And it would somewhat fit with Diodorus Siculus' account of the importance of heads to certain Celtic tribes. But the whole thing is bizarre and, as frohtastic said, beyond interesting. Any idea when the findings on this site will be published? As for gaming, this stuff is pure gold. No idea on the timescale unfortunately. The company doing it tanked and a colleague is doing it in his spare time. It's close though. Head removal has been seen in some Anglo Saxon burials but, always as a result of execution. These are very carefully decapitated. Some have no marks on the bone at all. Whoever did it knew what they were doing. Creepy.
|
|
|
Post by swordnut on Apr 8, 2016 11:37:18 GMT
|
|
|
Post by swordnut on Apr 8, 2016 11:41:43 GMT
these are keys, belive it or not. often called a "latch lifter" (also a name for a thief), these were inserted through holes in a door and used to lift the latch from the inside
|
|
|
Post by swordnut on Apr 12, 2016 9:33:13 GMT
Whether this saw service or not, I have no idea, but its in a book by Hans Talhoffer, a fencing master and purveyor of cures for what ails you, as long as what ails you is not being able to kill people
|
|
|
Post by swordnut on Apr 12, 2016 9:36:11 GMT
from the same source. A take on a hussite war wagon
|
|
|
Post by DM Windhover on Apr 12, 2016 19:30:18 GMT
Ok, I have to say... I have absolutely no idea what that suit thing is supposed to be doing. I doubt that it's supposed to be a guy blowing out a whirlwind of air surrounding himself, which is in turn blowing a helmet towards somebody with devastating force. But that's all I can see.
|
|
|
Post by swordnut on Apr 12, 2016 21:26:20 GMT
Ok, I have to say... I have absolutely no idea what that suit thing is supposed to be doing. I doubt that it's supposed to be a guy blowing out a whirlwind of air surrounding himself, which is in turn blowing a helmet towards somebody with devastating force. But that's all I can see. That's sort of the point - you decide what it's for in your world. Spoiler It's a suit that lets you breath the cleaner air under the smoke if there is a fire. Probably doesn't work. The whole book is full of wacky stuff.
|
|
|
Post by friartook on Apr 13, 2016 3:04:42 GMT
Ok, I have to say... I have absolutely no idea what that suit thing is supposed to be doing. I doubt that it's supposed to be a guy blowing out a whirlwind of air surrounding himself, which is in turn blowing a helmet towards somebody with devastating force. But that's all I can see. That's sort of the point - you decide what it's for in your world. Spoiler It's a suit that lets you breath the cleaner air under the smoke if there is a fire. Probably doesn't work. The whole book is full of wacky stuff. Nope. Anti fart mask. Totally.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2016 7:27:19 GMT
Ok, I have to say... I have absolutely no idea what that suit thing is supposed to be doing. I doubt that it's supposed to be a guy blowing out a whirlwind of air surrounding himself, which is in turn blowing a helmet towards somebody with devastating force. But that's all I can see. That's sort of the point - you decide what it's for in your world. The actual purpose of the suit is beside the point. It was so ridiculous looking a cloud giant spat on him. The man isn't standing, he's lying on his side. Covered in a cloud giant's loogie. Helmet got dislodged from the giant's teeth (owner of said helmet is another story), hit him in the head and knocked him out.
|
|
|
Post by swordnut on Apr 13, 2016 13:27:29 GMT
There was a tradition in medieval Germany called the "fechtschule".
A great tournament would be anounced in a town or city. All comers could compete at set weapons. Fights were judged and often involved winning by drawing "an inch of blood" from the opponent. Each bout would start with a "flourish" where you did a solo display of sword skill.
The bouts would be interspersed with displays of feats of arms, animal fights and plays.
The buildup for these was huge. Akin to today's big championship boxing matches. There was a carnival atmosphere and it was a huge boost to the economy.
They were often arranged by the local martial arts school. In Britain, these were banned for a long time, until the 17th century, in the form of prize fighting with cudgels or "singlestick" with hand protection like a basket-hilted broadsword.
People developed specific sparring versions of weapons call "federschwert" or "feather sword". These were nowhere as safe as they sound and injury and even deaths were known to happen.
It's worth noting that these were not for nobles, although it didn't restrict entry. Most combatants were guildsmen.
|
|
|
Post by swordnut on Apr 24, 2016 19:39:50 GMT
As we have been talking about monks and martial arts schools, Its worth noting that the Fighter class can have this sort of background as well. Its possible to get good at swordplay by simply practising, but its much easier if you have a teacher. Europe in the late Middle Ages was replete with such schools, teaching everything from longsword to pollaxe, to spear, to dagger, to wrestling etc. While nobles would often employ fencing masters (Fencing meant the whole art of defence at this time) to teach them privately, the richer commoners would partake in the open schools. It was mostly guildsmen, like butchers and bakers etc, but also mercenaries, or folks who had a need to learn and couldnt afford private tuition. Here is a school in Germany, probably practising in the Liechtenauer tradition, according to Paulus Hector Mair Here is a slightly later school Interestingly, in England, Fencing schools were illegal until 1599. In many legal cases where people were caught learning how to swordfight, they often said they were actually dancing. One of the only surviving native English fencing manuscripts from that period uses dance language to disguise its intent (not very well, but its there). Our traditional dance form is a thing called "morris dancing", which incorporates sticks and a metal "Longsword" that is now a very stylised blunt rod. Its possible that this was analogous to capoeria, using dance to disguise martial learning. Just a ropey hypothesis though. Here's some more martial arts images from German and italian sources. A diagram equating the vitues of a good fencer with certain animals (Fiore de Libieri) From the same manuscript - Guard positions
|
|
|
Post by swordnut on Jun 9, 2016 10:12:28 GMT
This is the Kailashnath Temple. It is excavated, not built. The creators started at the top of an outcropping and carved downwards
|
|
|
Post by swordnut on Jun 9, 2016 10:20:29 GMT
This is Avebury, Britains largest stone circle and one of its largest henges (the henge is the ditch) The village is around 3000 years younger than the stone circle, but is still over 1500 years old. The henge itself started as a ditch with concentric timber circles inside, gradually added to and replaced with stone. It was arguably more important than stonehenge for a very long time. Now, avebury is a sleepy (if expensive) village where nothing happens. At least until the spaceship emerges
|
|