Don’t believe the medieval battles you see on-screen….

Well, I for one always like a damned—um, darned—good medieval battle…at least, I do from the comfort of my nice modern sofa. No nasty blood and gore for me, and certainly no dreadful screams and horrible deaths with all sorts of innards spilling everywhere. Oh, no, not for my delicate modern self. So we delicate…

Smaug’s demise and the medieval springald….

Before I start, you will have to forgive my ignorance of medieval weaponry. What I know could be written on the head on a pin. But here goes anyway. Most of us have seen the Tolkien films concerning Hobbits, Lords of Rings, orcs, elves, dragons and so on. And most of us will remember the…

The price an English longbowman paid for his strength and skill….

It had never occurred to me that our splendid medieval longbowmen’s bodies were adversely affected by their constant use of strength and exercise. I should have realised—it’s common sense!—but the above picture came as a great surprise to me. To read more, go to https://theglyptodon.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/the-archers-bones/ and https://imgur.com/gallery/Seurw There are other sites to be found, of…

A book about heraldry and livery on the medieval battlefield….

As a member of the Mortimer History Society, I have been notified that the above book has been greatly reduced in price at Oxbow Books. I’ve ordered it – including £4 postage! The blurb for the book is as follows:“The medieval battlefield was a place of spectacle and splendour. The fully-armed knight, bedecked in his…

It’s a wonder anyone survived medieval battles….!

  The title above says it all. Go to this article and see what I mean. With such weapons being wielded on all sides, how on earth did anything—man or horse—emerge still standing? I don’t think we should be in any doubt at all that by going to battle, all men knew they were putting their…