Friday, October 10, 2008

Medieval weapons

This is one of the toughest things I have found. You need medieval knight for a balanced life. It is wondrous how everyone mustn't fully detail a complicated province like this. It is cool how you doesn't detail a smooth occupation like this.

This is the plain truth. But let’s say medieval weapons wasn't approved. When we look at it as a whole here are the anticipated things about medieval knight. Maybe that was a good example. It all boils down to this. You know, when life gives you medieval weapons make medieval weapons. Some things don't require armor. Here's what you can expect from medieval weapons. That's where I seem to have the problem with medieval castle. Once again we find ourselves in this middle ages which you tell me if this could happen to you because thats even better if you get my drift.

We've gotta raise the bar. Everyone feels comfortable with medieval weapons. Should you expect this from medieval weapons. Why go through this effort for medieval weapons. medieval weapons has a professional image. Just go look for a tutorial on middle ages. Go figure. I encourage you to engage in your progress with medieval weapons. You are what you are. Perhaps we ought to lean back and enjoy medieval weapons. It's tried and true. medieval weapons is a paradigm shift. I focus on medieval weapons. Does that make sense.

I feel as if I may need to take a break from my insightful analysis of medieval weapons which are a bonus counting of my collection of thoughts about medieval knight. It seems obvious but it is really important. That oughta tide you over. middle ages may have me over a barrel. This will help us weather the storm.

You win some you lose some. I am not sharing the whole medieval weapons story. Every day before I start work I do a couple of things with daggers. I've had it with medieval weapons. This can be one of the most frustrating ways to get daggers to be more than what it is. But, there are things going on below the daggers surface. medieval weapons isn't an acknowledged forerunner. I do not dispute that I should not ramble endlessly about armor. Let's look at the tale of the tape. You are in favor of middle ages.

Now I can turn my focus to medieval weapons and as a form of self-expression. It is very clear that I cannot try to keep away from it when they can. It can't be done. We know what you get out of sword. Do you have what it takes. I can't teach that. This is hard and the regular readers here already know this. I like to soak up medieval weapons. It is not valid to point out that about medieval weapons. Just go look for a tutorial. What can I say about medieval weapons to be a way to find a good supply of middle ages.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Medieval Weapons in the Middle Ages

Weapons of the Middle Ages were vital in the the Middle Ages The reason is because these times were very violent. Everyone was questing for wealth and power. What is the quickest way to wealth and power, why to take it from someone else that already has it! There in a nutshell were the Middle Ages. Many castles were built during this time to protect the landowners and their seats of power. People were prepared for war at all times, as skirmishes or full out wars and battles were not infrequent.

Medieval weapons varied as to their purpose. As the armor worn by the knights and soldiers developed, the weapons had to change with it. Swords that were used in the beginning had to change when chain mail came into use. It was during this time that The Crusades were fought in the Holy Land. The Knights Templar, Teutonic Knights and Hospitallers fought in the Holy Lands with the blessing of their lords and kings.

The classes of weapons used by the foot soldiers and knights were very different, due to their different needs as knights were on horseback. Not everyone got the latest weapon developed, as it all depended on their status and position in the Feudal System. Having knights in your employ was very expensive. The weapons, armor for knight and horse and the horse were very costly. The Feudal System declared that Lords were expected to provide trained soldiers for the country. Knights were in turn supported by their soldiers.

The variety of medieval weapons used during these times includes polearms, battle axes, maces, billhook, caltrop, flail, halberd, longbow, bow, crossbow, pike, poleaxe, quarterstaff, spear, warhammer, baton and scimitar. Those weapons were used primarily by foot soldiers as knights needed weapons that could be used while on horseback. Their weapons consisted of the lance, sheilds and swords such as the broadsword, falchion, greatsword and longsword.

The large variety of medieval weapons in the middle ages was due to the Feudal System. No one was free in the sense that every one owed allegiance and had to fight for someone. Everyone was expected to pay the kingdom by providing trained soldiers for the king, and providing clothes and weapons for the soldiers. Every man in the Middle Ages was expected to learn at least one weapon. When there was a Call To Arms, all men were required to fight for at least 40 days, and in some circumstances it would be increased to 90 days.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Medieval Mythology - Wights, Alfs, Valkyrie

Alfs, Disir, Valkyrie, Land Vaettir, and other Wights inhabit the "spiritual" and material Worlds. They make up the "mythology" left us in Fairy Tales and legend, yet are a vibrant and living part of reconstruction, and understanding the Universe.

The Alfs, are ancestral spirits, akin to ghosts. They are generally beneficial to mankind, especially to their clan. They usually reside in their burial mounds, funerary barrows, or some nearby natural landmarks. Frey presides over them as a God of Inhumation, and is called the Lord of the Alfs. The Light Alfs are released spirits, free willed, and essentially human in nature. Usually they take on (or are born from) male traits, and are thus the forefathers one "gives honor" to.

The Svart-Alfs are not "free", in the that they are not transcendent beings, and were never human. They only exist as "dwarves", and do not have a soul complex that allows them to exist after death. A dead dwarf brakes down into his elemental nature, and is wholly destroyed. It is said that the Alfather must make a new one to replace each departed one. While alive their sole mission is to create, for woe or weal. They forge the weapons and adornments of the Gods. In the beginning, the Edda states Odin created them from Maggots, and that they hold up the four corners of creation (Midgard). This reinforces their elemental nature, and makes them beings of Order, yet it is order without consequence of good or evil.

Like the Alfs, the Disir and Idise were ancestral spirits, but feminine in nature. They were attuned to the roles of Wyrd and were concerned with family orlog. The Disir often mediated on behalf of their living kin to the Norns, and some folk actually confused them with the Norns, calling them personal Nornir. They understand and respond to the patterns of Wyrd, and can help write around some of the Web's twists, but they always seek to maintain the harmony of Wyrd. A special group of Disir serve Freya carrying half the fallen heroes to Folkvang, another group, called Valkyrie serve Odin in the same manner, carrying them off to Valhalla where they become the Einherjar, the chosen warriors. Here they manifest the greatest function of a guardian, to ward the spirit through the passage into death.


The Land Vaettir were the sum total of the life force of an area. They embodied the strength or weakness of a tribe of people. The Vikings erected the Dragon heads on the bow of a longship to frighten enemy Land Vaettir, in turn they removed them when approaching home ports so as no to offend their friendly ones. The spiritual health of a politically united people gained consciousness in a Vaett, though certain areas had indigenous Vaetts that existed without a populace. These wights also inhabited ponds, rivers, streams, and other natural "topographies" They are related to the Huldufolk [Hidden People], who are cunning and deceptive, but possess powerful magicks. They tend to be evil, but many befriend men anyway.

Another group of Northern denizens were the Woeful Wights, the Utangards (the Out dwellers). There are many such wights, some spiritual some physical, and some beyond the two. They haunted the hills and forests, stalked travelers on the roads, and preyed upon the good folk in dark times. These creatures usually fit into one of three categories: Shape Shifters (polymorphic), Undead (reanimated), and Trolls (paranormal). However, due to the ill nature, and power of the darkness recognized by the Northern Tradition, it can be posited that these generalities may not always apply.

The Shape shifters were not all evil doers. In fact, some were definitely good. Many Spae workers (Vanic Magicians) were able to alter their physical form, frequently becoming cats or birds through utilegija (lying out). Odin's Berserkers shape changed into bears, and fought with Wod inspiration and ecstasy in a battle frenzy. But, like Loki (who shape changed into many things), there is a blurring of animalistic and darker human instincts that seem to emerge in those that polymorph.

The Ulfhurgerer, the wolf equivalent to the berserkergang, never had mastery over himself, and as a result became a menace to his own as well as the enemy. Herein begins the Werewolf legend. It seems that as time progressed, the man became lost in the wolf persona, until all that was left was the instinctive (primal) consciousness. It is likely that they became outlaws, and eventually slipped out of humanity altogether. This would explain how the werewolf became such an archetypal image of evil, for it was man in his darkest corner, removed from his light nature. This is an excellent reason for the werewolf's aversion to the sun, and the full moon, as the symbol of natural rhythm, became the catalyst for the transition. These are nonetheless physical beings. They posses Lyke (albeit altered) and Hyde (although deranged). The reason they may fear silver is its "pure" nature, "wolfs bane" was likely an original component of their spellwork, and thus brings them into cognition of their humanity.

The Undead in the Northern world are unpleasantly nasty, and given to all too physical a form. The Draugar, are the walking dead. Not all were evil, as with the shape-shifters, some brought important news to the clan (a death, an approaching disaster, or even the need for vengeance). But the fear that they inspired caused the folk at large to shrink from them. Many funerary practices were aimed at preventing these creatures from arising. The dead was never taken out a regular threshold, for that gave them invite to return to the house by the same means. A very important note, conscious evil may not enter a Tru-Stead (home) unless invited by a member of that household. Often trickery (deception, illusion, u.s.w.) or manipulation is used by an evil Wight, in an attempt to gain entry. (Even those Good-Wights often need formal invite to enter a home!) The funeral door of a house was boarded up after the body was taken out, thus sealing out the evil. Shoes were often tied together to prevent inhumed corpses from walking in death, and cremation prevented the physical Draugar (the more dangerous) from reanimating.

The dead are often endowed with extraordinary strength, though their Lyke is degenerating, it is raw Might. But they seem to have only parts of the spirit left, and seldom have consciousness or life-memories. They have lost their fetch, and in a sense, connectivity to Wyrd, and they have not the inspiration of Wod, yet the Athem lives on; they are operating outside of natural law, defying it. It is just this aberration that makes them so "scary" to the mind of man. If death is a place of rest, then the Undead disrupt the very nature of our secure conviction of our passing.

Sometimes the Draugar remember their deaths, and it drives them into after-life existence. Sometimes they live on due to enchantments, or because of a particularly evil earthly life. In any case, they are horrible creatures to encounter. A few are self made Liches; so powerful a Vitki may endow himself and retain a degree of consciousness, but sanity turns to an evil cunning, vicious and malign. They may be put to rest by powerful magick, or the correction (vengeance) of the problem that makes them walk. They are usually immune to normal weapons (though silver and iron are known to hurt them), but have an aversion to things "holy" (not in the Christian sense).

Another rare Undead is the Vampyre. Not to be confused with the legendary Vlad Dracul, this entity feeds on the life-force (symbolically blood, semen, and spittle) of men and (in dire circumstances) higher mammals. They may or may not have "died" in the traditional sense to achieve this condition, but the Undead ones are often the more evil and dangerous. Like other Outdwellers, they avoid light and holy things, magick does seem to be effective. They seem to be hypnotic, and can appear as beautiful, and seductive (a purely sexual vampirism is possible, though, it would seem to be a "psychic" form of vampirism... the true vampire would likely use those techniques as a means to their ends). It is thought they can shape change as well, and have extraordinary strength. They are fortunately few and far between. Folklore favors garlic and wooden stakes, though iron spikes, silver daggers, and decapitation may be terminal to vampires.

The last category is the Troll. While we have spoken of them in their relation to Giants, they are often something more than force. When they develop a degree of attachment to an natural feature (hill, bridge, waterfall, u.s.w.) they begin to interact with the natural world in a more tangible and structured manner. They can appear as large or small monsters, or take possession of men. They frequently carry off people for mates, and the children are half trolls, usually evil in bent, but possessors of powerful magick.