VO IC E VARANGIAN

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Author
Page
Contents, Cover Description, Varangian Voice Policy
1
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From the Editor
1
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Melbourne Medieval Fayre and Tourney Report
Stephen (Sven) Wyley
2
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A Byzantine Pastime – Stomachion – stovmakion
Peter Raftos
4
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Byzantine Shield Patterns – making use of primary sources
Peter Raftos
6
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The Sabre of Charlemagne
Graeme Walker
9
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A Fur Lined Rus Kaftan
Jenny Baker
17
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Some Possible Models For the Kavadion
Graeme Anderson
21
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A full suit of Korean Lamellar Armour
Jeremy Draper
22
New Varangian Guard Contact List
Photos from A full suit of Korean Lamellar Armour by Jeremy Draper, Page 22.
The Varangian Voice is published quarterly by the New Varangian Guard Inc. It is distributed to members, as part of their
membership fee or subscription, to other clubs in exchange for their quality publication, and is available to interested persons or
organisations by subscription.
All rights reserved. No part of the Varangian Voice may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, whether electronic, mechanical or
manual, in whole or part without written permission of the Editor. Copyright for all the articles appearing is reassigned to the author
of the respective article, with the exception that the Varangian Voice reserves the right to reprint articles as and when the Editor sees
fit.
It is preferred that submission be received electronically (including pictures), as this saves the Editor a considerable amount of time
re-typing or scanning. However, submissions for the publication may-be typewritten or word-processed. Articles should include the
full name and address of the author and should be received 4 weeks prior to publication date. The current typeface is Times New
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The views, endorsements and opinions expressed in the Varangian Voice are from the individual authors and are in no way those of
the New Varangian Guard Inc. in part or whole.
All submissions and correspondence should be directed to:
Jeremy Draper
Editor – Varangian Voice
PO Box CP89
MILDURA VIC 3501
AUSTRALIA
E-mail:
[email protected]
Welcome,
Thanks to all our contributors who managed to give me lots of articles and well before the
publishing date! There are some fantastic articles in this issue.
The VV will soon be available over the web and the back issues will be scanned and available in
.pdf format. We are yet to iron out the actual web hosting issues and produce the new VV page, but
I don't think we are to far of (maybe by late this year, nothing is quick in a volunteer organisation!).
Still, I think it's very exciting. Joanna Molloy (Handakas Garrison) great fully volunteered herself to
update the VV index, so we will have a complete index soon! It is my plan then to create some
compilations, such as the 'VV Arms and Armour Compendium', with all the past articles on the
subjec…so many plans…so little time. Speak to you next time.
Jeremy Draper - Editor
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9th November 2003
Old Cheese Factory, Berwick, Victoria, Australia
By Stephen (Sven) Wyley
Introduction
For those that went to the Adelaide Medieval fair or did not make it to the Melbourne Medieval
Fayre and Tourney (MMFAT) you missed out on great public display event. The event was
sponsored by Strongbow, and the association looks like it will continue next year. The event was a
success for a number of reasons: there were over 1000 people through the gate; all the store holders
made a profit; the lions club did a roaring trade in sausages and drinks; the combat displays were
ringed with enthusiastic crowds and good time was had by all.
There was large range groups and individuals involved with this event, not just historical reenactors. The were the; City of Casey Pipe Band, Berwick and District Folk Group, Lions Club of
Narre Warren, Berwick Woodworkers, Handweavers and Spinners Guild, Australian Lace Guild,
Traralgon Granite and Marble, Iolair Arts, Blooming Elegance, Yoretymes.
Combat
The main combat display area occupied most of the open space in the centre of the facility (the
Village Green). The Medieval historical re-enactment tourney consisted of two sessions (one before
lunch and one after). Each of these sessions consisted of: a "last man standing' bout (no attacks from
behind and no teaming up); a call out for single combat (only used for the first session); and finally
group combat consisting of shield walls meeting without flanking. A wedge was used but their
opponents saw it coming, spilt their forces appropriately but failed to take advantage of their
position and the survivors ran like scared goats.
The combat displays were relatively safe, the barrier between the combatants and the crowd was
never compromised. However, twice my groin was attack, once with a sword and the other a knee,
those violators of the rules were summarily chastised. It was also noted that some of the more
experienced combatants went to town on each other in the heat of the tourney, and this should not
be countenanced. As a reward for surviving the best during the single combats and do well in the
rest of the tourney the prize ( a silver engraved mug) was presented to Craig Sitch of the Antioch
Garrison.
The combat field was also utilised by the combatants from the SCA (Krae Glas), three of them in
fact. These knights display the form of tournament used by the SCA. And to the delight of the
children, allowed the children to step on the field and hit them with the SCA legal weapons.
The Agincourt re-enactment was a chance for the archers to show off their skill at hitting a moving
menacing target at a variety of distances and the French advanced on foot up the hill through thigh
high grass (quite reminiscent of the actual site). Hundreds of members of the public thronged the
fence, avid for a better view of the field of carnage. The dozen or so archers were lined up
paralleling the fence facing four infantry. As the attacks of the French advanced up the hill the cross
fire was withering, An award for the best archer was presented to Cherilyn of Antioch for her
accurate shots on here other half, Craig, along with the glee shown on her face as each arrow found
it's target. Thanks to the archers and the brave French.
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Living history
The Guard and Krae Glas had their tents and living history display set up to the south east of the
Village green. It is always pleasing to me to see the current range of tents available to modern
history buff. Krae Glas had a getald with thin blue stripes and a large double belled pavilion.
Whereas, Craig Sitch had his decorated bell tent based on one of the bell tents from the
Maciejowski Bible (1250 c.e.), notable was also the cooking implements surrounding the fire with
the vegetable soup on the boil. The geteld of the Baker of Hodegon was much visited with Gary and
Jenny ever busy fielding questions from the questing public. I believe the merchants of the Guard
also did a brisk trade under the shade pavilion by the Village Green. Jenny Baker's Naalbinding was
a hit with the ladies from the Handweavers and Spinners Guild.
Trebuchet
It took a joint effort to transport and set up Vlachernai's traction trebuchet. Thanks to David and
Paul from the Old Cheese factor, let alone Stuart, Kristen, Andrew and Craig (bloody bolts). The
crowd gathered on the other side of the fence and listened to my spiel on trebuchets. The sling was
loaded and the helmeted pullers (some say tossers) grasped their ropes and with call of 'loose' they
heaved downwards on the ropes, the sling started it's upward swing, only to be halted as the pivot
arm supports collapsed bringing down the pivot arm, sling, missile and all. Luckily, only part of the
pivot arm hit Stuart Laird on the helmet (causing a possible slight concussion), mea culpa, mea
culpa. The dowelled and nailed join of the upright to the pivot arm supports failed during the first
fling in two years (of sitting in the open in my back yard). The two good things that came out of this
were; 1) we did not have to transport the blasted thing home, and 2) the Old Cheese factory have
offered to build a replacement for use next year (plus a pair of stocks).
Feast
The feasters we greeted with abundant food and sweet music from much spoken of Medieval music
group Carnevale. This was a smaller than expected gathering because the sponsors failed to turn up.
And I think having it on a Sunday night put a lot of people off. The groans from the well fed
Varangians as they left the feasting hall attested to the sumptuousness of the spread.
Summation
The weather was great, the site is ideal, the participants are keen to do it again next year. We need
to do other displays of medieval life. Maybe next year we can have a game of Knáttleikr or Kubb.
Next year
The financial success of this year's event is still unsure, however, there is a great deal of enthusiasm
to run a two day event next year. All those involved with this year's event will be kept informed as
to developments.
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By Peter Raftos
This construction within a square appeared in Curiosités Géométriques, by E. Fourrey, published in
Paris in 1907. It is said to have been discovered in a 10th-century manuscript and is supposed to
have been originally the work of Archimedes. At least three slightly different versions of it have
appeared in modern puzzle books.
There are two known surviving manuscripts in fragmentary form attributed to Archimedes that
describe an ancient game that the Greeks called Stomachion. One of these is an Arabic translation
and the other is a Constantinopolitan manuscript in Greek dating from the 10th century and
discovered in1899 Mathematical symbols were recognized and the eminent Danish philologist
J.L.Heiberg, who had edited the works of Archimedes, Euclid and other Greek mathematicians was
contacted.
Heiberg went to Constantinople in 1906 to examine this document. What he found was a 10th
century palimpsest, a parchment containing works of Archimedes. The word palimpsest comes from
a Greek term meaning "scraped again". Heiberg managed to decipher the manuscript and found that
it included a text of “The Method,'' a work of Archimedes previously thought lost.
The Greek manuscript attributed to Archimedes is incomplete and is concerned with determining
the relationships of various angles of the pieces. In the 12th century, the text of a prayer book
(horizontal) a Euchologion was written over the original Greek (vertical) See Figure 1. The Arabic
manuscript provides more information, describing a construction of the Stomachion and
determining the areas of its pieces. There are other references to the game in ancient literature, of
which two refer to it in Latin as loculus Archimedius (Archimedes' box). The word Stomachion has
as its root the Greek word for the stomach (stovmakoV).
This interpretation is preferred by modern
scholars than ostomachion (ostovmakion) 'a
battle of bones' which is how Evelyn-White
translates the word in the Loeb Ausonius 1.
Stomachion is technically a dissection game
similar to the Chinese tangram but having 14
rather than 7 pieces. The puzzle is also referred
to as "syntemachion" in Latin texts.
Figure: 1 Archimedes Palimpsest - (Figure © Christie’s Images,
New York.)
In October 1998, the Greek manuscript
containing some of Archimedes’s works, known
to scholars as the Archimedes Palimpsest, resurfaced from obscurity and sold at auction in New
York for two million dollars. The private owner has agreed to make it available for research and
publication. The manuscript, shown in Figure 1, is a unique source of evidence for Archimedes’s
thought. Among its many treasures is the only evidence we have for the treatise known as the
Method, in which physics and mathematics are combined by Archimedes.
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Figure: 2 Stomachion pieces layed out on a 12x12 grid.
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Figure: 3 Stomachion pieces as they would look when
cut from hard material and layed out as a square.
That the Roman poet Ausonius (310-395 B.C.) writes explicitly of this puzzle for the first time in
his book, 'Liber XVII Cento nuptalis' suggests that it may have been a game of educated Romans
and therefore Byzantines (See Figure 4.) The game consists of flat ivory or wooden polygonal
shapes forming a square. The object of the game is to rearrange the pieces to form interesting things
people, animals and objects or with the jumbled pieces to reconstruct it back into a square.
Figure: 4 Stomachion pieces arranged in the form of an
elephant. Ausonius compares the Stomachion to a form of
poetry in which various meters are jumbled together.
The 10th century provenance of the Constantinopolitan
manuscript sets it nicely into our period of interest. A
lovely pastime for an educated Byzantine to while away
the time or teach to a visitor to the City.
References:
Dijksterhuis, E. J. Archimedes, Princeton U. P. (1987).
An excellent source for information on Archimedes, including evidence for and against the anecdotes and legends.
Fourrey, E. Curiosités Géométriques. Paris, 1907.
Heiberg, J. L. Archimedis Opera (2nd ed.), Teubner, Leipzig (1910–1915).
Lloyd, G. E. R. Demystifying Mentalities, Cambridge U. P. (1991)
Netz, R. The Shaping of Deduction in Greek Mathematics, Cambridge U. P. (1999).
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Evelyn-White, H. G. trans. Ausonii opera omnia, 1919, Loeb, London, Volume II. Book XVIII.32 Series, No. 115 / 374 pages /
reprinted by Harvard University Press, 1965-1968) ISBN 0-674-99127-3
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–
By Peter Raftos
Don’t you just hate it when you spend your hard earned money on a secondary source book only to
find out that the illustration you’ve used from it is just bloody wrong. I know I did - until I turned it
all into a game to track down the original myself. Most notorious of all are those not inexpensive
things put out for wargamers and figure painters. Now let’s face it, what will be a passable job for a
15 mm Byzantine, Rus or Norman contingent just doesn’t pass the muster at life size. Especially
when the secondary source is mistaken. The scholarship in some of these books tends to have
remained frozen in the ‘70s. An Italian academic, Dr Enrico Zanini, who Peter Beatson is trying to
contact, has recently released a work that gives an overview of the parlous state of Byzantine
archaeology and calls for modern and systematic approaches to the subject. We haven't found his
work on sale anywhere yet and have had to rely on a book review to find out this much. Byzantine,
and most other, medieval scholarship has marched on in the past 30 years but the publishers if not
the authors are happy to take our money and dish up the same old stuff.
One example is found in probably the most popular wargamers’ guide for our
period of interest “The Armies of the Dark Ages” by Ian Heath. He gives a nice
page full of shield patterns in the book. The Norman ones as far as I can tell are
straight from the Bayeaux Tapestry. (Normanophiles please correct me if I am
mistaken.) Then he gives a selection of Byzantine shields - most taken from the
13th C Skylitzes manuscript. One of these (on the left) I
have christened ‘The Flying Monkey”. I don’t think
you’ll ever see anything like it outside of the Wizard of
Oz.
Despite the original source for this pattern being
available to the general public for years it has remained
the same in Heath’s book for decades. Steven Lowe,
produced an excellent article for the erstwhile living
history fanzine “New Hedeby” where he correctly reproduced the pattern
from the 12th C original (see right). Far from Heath’s “Flying Monkey” it was
something much more interesting - a big beastie attacking a smaller one. I
was intrigued; Steve had bothered to go to the trouble of actually checking
the primary source or at least a copy of it. After
showing the source to our one of our members Angela
Hein (who is also our artist in residence at Miklagard)
she went out and reproduced the pattern on a shield – see
left.
Now, compare this to the original. (The actual colours
are in brilliant enamels.)
We know now that the beastie is a vibrant purple/blue
griffin. (The primary source is on the right.)
As a result of this frustrating situation, I have to put
together a small sampling of Byzantine shield patterns
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taken from primary sources. My intention is to give you the barest of information with the hope
you’ll start tracking down primary sources yourselves. Hopefully you will not have seen all of these
yet.
This first pattern is actually the facial skin of the giant Goliath stretched over
David’s shield and comes from the “Leo Casket”. I have only seen this 9th C
ivory clad casket in a black and white photo. The interesting thing about this
casket is that it has figures of soldiers on it that Ian Heath claims are
Armenians in his Osprey title ”Byzantine Armies 886 -1118 (Men-at-Arms
89)”. Well that was one theory used in the 70’s to explain the uniqueness of
the work but modern scholarship has since debunked this idea 1.
The next two patterns on small circular
shields are taken from the so called
“Menologion of Basil” 2. Unfortunately,
again, in black and white and sadly, very
few of the over 300 illuminations of this
10th C document - which is perfect for
my interests – are ever reproduced.
This oval shield from a 10th C ivory casket that is now monochrome may have
once been gilt or painted.
Moving to the 11th C, on the right, is another oval shield
taken from a facsimile of a Byzantine “Book of Kings” 3.
The oval and crescent markings are coloured yellow and
the background on many of these shields is usually red or
blue.
This final 11th C oval shield has a blue
background, the perimeter is yellow as
is the central spar and circle. The two
groups of five dots and the cauliflower
ears are white.
Two more attractive patterns, usually
red on a white background, come from
Octateuchs of the 11th C. They are
held by guardsmen in illuminations
that depict the Gibeonites before
Joshua.
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Those of you familiar with Graeme Walker’s shield will recognize
the next pattern on the left. His reverses the colour scheme of a
white base with rusty reddish decorations. The other pattern is taken
from a 12th C fresco in Kastoria as is the one on the right. And there
are more…
The following shields come from a variety of manuscripts dated between 1150 and 1250 i. These
manuscripts are thought to be from a particular school of book illumination. All have red
backgrounds and the decorations, text and GT stripes are white. The scripts on all but the last have
been variously identified as Armenian or Georgian. The last has a circular flourish of what looks
like pseudo – Kufic.
The two circular shields from these manuscripts are coloured the same way.
At a later date I hope to provide a more complete coverage of representations of Byzantine shield
patterns. What can I say. Primary sources are little goldmines. I haven’t even touched the vast range
of frescos, icons or enamels let alone later sources like the Skylitzes Manuscript. I hope I have
given you a little inspiration to get out there and do your own research. There is so much more
available than thirty year old secondary sources.
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1
Cutler, Anthony Late Antique and Byzantine Ivory Carving Variorum Collected Studies Series CS617
VariorumISBN: 0-86078-683-8 215 b/w illustrations Hardback 1998 320 pages – See chapter 10.
2
Codex Vat. Gr. 1613, 10th C. circa 985
3
Lassus, Jean. 1973 L’Illustration Byzantine du Livre Des Rois: Vaticanus Graecus 333. Editions
Klinchsieck, (Bibliotheque des Cahiers Archeologiques IX). Cloth, quarto, 88 pp. + 36 plates (126
figures)
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Weyl-Carr, Annemarie, Byzantine Illumination 1150–1250: The Study of a Provincial Tradition (University of
Chicago Press, 1987)
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By Graeme Walker
Occasionally I have come across images of a golden handled sabre, which tradition asserts was that
of the Frankish king, and later emperor, Charlemagne. This seemed odd, as his late 8th – early 9th
century, western European situation didn’t really fit with sabres, though he had campaigned as far
east as Austria. About the start of 1995, I came across a cryptic reference to where this artefact,
completely intact and with scabbard, was located, and decided to ask the custodians, the
Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, about it.
Historical background
Information about the sabre is minimal. Nicolle, in “Arms and armour of the Crusading era”, dates
it to c.950 - 1025AD, and thought it was most likely made in southern Russia, or less likely,
Hungary. He thought that it may have been sent to the German Empire from Russia in 1075AD.
The guide to the collections, at the Kunsthistorisches museum suggests that it was most probably
created in the first half of the 10th century. It says the decoration is similar to finds from southern
Russia, but also to those from post conquest Hungary, the Carpathian basin, and the east European
steppes. Associations of the weapon with Attila the Hun, Haroun el Rashid, or Charlemagne, are
unfounded.
According to Anthony North, in “Swords and Hilted Weapons”, the sabre was probably made in
Russia or east Europe, during the 9th century. It has features in common with near eastern, Islamic
swords dating to the early 9th century. He also records the story that the sabre may have been given
to a German prince by the widow of King Andras of Hungary, for helping her son to regain the
throne in 1063.
The exhibition catalogue, "The ancient Hungarians", suggests that the sabre was most probably
made in the early 10th century, in a Hungarian workshop. Arguments for an alternate
Keiv/Russian/Viking origin are based on the animal fight decoration, found on the inlaid blade,
which appears to contain Scandinavian influence. However, at this time, swords not sabres, were
the dominant weapon in Kiev. The sabre conforms to numerous other sabre finds within Hungary,
and the interlace and palmette decoration of the handle, cross guard and scabbard are all within the
Hungarian native style.
Dr Trnek, of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, advised that, for its subsequent history, it is not known
when the sabre became a part of the regalia of the Holy Roman Emperor. The earliest positive
identification is a painting dated to 1654. This is a portrait of Charlemagne by Adam Bommert,
which shows the sabre on his belt. It is not known how much earlier the sabre may have been
associated with Charlemagne. It was in the cathedral of Aachen, with other regalia, from at least
1654 to 1798, was hidden from troops of the French revolution, and since 1800 has been held in the
Viennese World Treasure room.
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Contact with Vienna
From the book “Swords and Hilted Weapons”, came the all important information about the sabre’s
location, and some cataloguing detail that could be used to identify it. Full address details came
from a directory at the State Library. Not knowing anything about the Kunsthistorisches collection,
I sent a letter, identified from where my information had come, enclosed a photocopy of the sabre,
and asked for any assistance or information that the museum could supply me about the artefact. I
was particularly keen to know how the cross guard was constructed, and already a little suspicious
that the blade form was unusual for its type.
After several weeks, a small bundle of papers from Dr Trnek in Vienna turned up in my letterbox.
They included some very detailed photocopies of the weapon, a page of sketches showing how the
cross guard was constructed, a description of the artefact in English, from the illustrated guide to the
treasuries, and a personal letter in a language I couldn’t read. Fortunately a work colleague, who
understood German, agreed to translate. However he found the combination of medieval German
terms, used to describe technical components and concepts, too difficult, and passed the letter on to
a specialist, whose name I unfortunately no longer have. When translated, the letter gave some
history of the artefact, together with answers to my questions on dimensions, the cross guard, and
further examples of sabres.
The artefact
The length of the sabre is 90.5cm, and its weight is 730 grams. The blade is steel with partially
gilded copper inlay. The handle is of wood, covered in fish skin, with gold cladding over the ends.
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Across the middle of the handle are three rings, made of gilt silver and containing precious stones.
They are said to be late medieval repairs to the handle. The cross guard is of iron, and is covered by
gold cladding.
The cross guard
Dr Trnek’s sketches indicate an iron cross guard, something akin to a frame. Two long sides are
bent around the handle, and secured by two short bars, that keep all rigid. The two long bars
continue beyond, and probably join at the end of the cross guard where a knob is formed. This is not
certain, as the “frame” is obscured by the gold cladding and some red sealing wax, which also
makes it impossible to see how the cross guard is connected to the handle and blade.
The cross guard is covered by decorated gold sheet, held in place by small gold rivets. The gold is
loose, through age, and pivots around one of the rivets for about 2mm, on the centre of the right
side. The cladding is open or slightly damaged on the face of the cross guard closest to the blade,
allowing a partial view of construction. It is apparently more intact on the face towards the pommel,
though the view looking down the handle towards the blade appears to show an open work
construction with gaps between the handle and the cladding that covers the cross guard.
In common with a number of other sabres, this one has a slight, diamond or 4 leaf shaped projection
on the centre left of the cross guard. A join in the gold cladding is obvious across the centre of the
right face. The cross guard is decorated in palmettes and interlace.
The handle
This extends from within the cross guard, to the pommel. The wooden core is covered by fish skin.
The broad, flattened area in contact with the cross guard, is covered in gold sheet. It is decorated
with palmettes and interlace, and a large rivet secures it, and the wooden core, to the tang.
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The end of the handle towards the pommel, remains flat, and narrows. Abruptly, it widens in several
directions, producing an almost egg shaped pommel. This is most likely wood with gold cladding,
rather than anything weightier. It also, is secured through the handle, by a large rivet.
Along the two narrow sides of the handle, joining the cladding at both ends of the handle, are two
thin strips of gold. As with the rest of the handle, they are visibly decorated with interlace, and
possibly palmettes.
The three rings bound around the handle at a later date are said to be repairs. When this was done,
and what damage was repaired, is unknown, but they are not part of the original weapon.
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The blade
The blade is c. 76 cm long. It narrows to a square shouldered tang abruptly, at the cross guard. It has
a single curved cutting edge, and an extensive back blade covering two thirds of the total blade
length. A fuller extends to within a few centimetres of the point, and is filled with applied gold
decoration. The background of this decoration is filled with punch marks, as is the gold on the
handle and the cross guard, but the decorative motifs are quite different. They are described in “The
Ancient Hungarians”, as animal fights.
The scabbard
The scabbard is 86.5 cm long, and at 650 grams, approaches the weight of the sabre itself. It is
made of leather covered wood. The lower half of the scabbard has been enclosed in undecorated
gold sheet. Possibly another repair.
The tip of the scabbard is formed by an egg shaped expansion, complementing the pommel of the
weapon. The tip is covered in gold cladding, with the same decorative theme as the handle, and
extends c. 10cm up the scabbard and over the plain gold sheeting.
There are two mounting points, for attachment to a belt or suspension harness. Each of these are
clad in gold, and continue the decorative theme of the handle, cross guard and scabbard tip. A
border of punched dots, not obvious on any of the other gold decorated areas, has been introduced
as a part of the design. The mount nearest the mouth of the scabbard has been extended to reinforce
the mouth. At some stage this has been damaged, and the gold cladding has been squashed down by
the cross guard. The mounting points take the form of sheets that wrap around the scabbard in a
large loop, and rejoin at the upper side. Two rivets through each mount are presumably where they
would join the suspension straps. From other examples of these mounting points, we know that the
metal sheeting doesn’t carry all the way around. It only covers the surface facing away from the
wearer of the scabbard.
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Re creating the sabre
There was no way of knowing how successful my application to the museum would be, so even
before the receipt of a reply, I had determined to create a sabre, based on the information I
possessed. I cross checked Nicolle's line drawing against several photos of the artefact, and found it
accurate. I then photographically enlarged the drawing to about life size. As this was to be an
interpretation rather than an exact replica, it was more important to make the weapon conform to
my hand size and height. As it turned out, both the weight and the total length of the new sabre were
almost exactly the same as the original.
The curved blade was cut from spring steel as a curve, rather than cold forged into shape. As it was
to be used in re enactment combat, the tip and cutting edges had to be rounded. About 35mm came
off the tip of the template to achieve this, so my template must have been slightly larger than life
sized, but the result did not spoil the visual appeal of the blade shape. I made one other change. The
template indicated a waisted blade, from the cross guard down to the back blade. This was a third of
the entire blade, and reduced the width of the blade to c.20 mm in an area where maximum strength
was needed. It was likely that the original weapon had been created from thicker steel than the
gauge I was using. I was also concerned about the sharp corner formed where the waisted blade met
the back blade. While its inclusion would be accurate, it posed a possible safety problem for re
enactors.
At that point in time, I had not seen many pictures of early sabres, so referred again to Nicolle's line
drawings. Most of the sabres had no waisted mid section. The blades were almost parallel sided,
narrowing very gradually, and curving more at the point. A number of them had the back of the
blade sharpened for a short distance, extending to the point, but the cutting edge did not rise out of
the body of the blade. These examples provided the solution.
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A fuller was cut into the blade using a hand held grinder, very carefully, and the resultant gouges
were hand filed until smooth.
A semi pistol grip handle was carved from wood, using the Charlemagne sabre's handle as a guide.
Soft leather was soaked in water, then smoothed and shaped onto the wood to give a close fit. The
part of the handle under the cross guard was carefully designed as a series of wedges. As it widened
to meet the blade in one plane, it narrowed in the other. The narrow plane widened as it stretched
back to the pommel, while the wide plane narrowed. This was important for attaching the cross
guard. The handle was attached to the blade with 3 rivets.
The cross guard was made of two small, steel plates. Riveted at the two extremities, these plates
sandwiched the lower handle. The tension in the two flat plates, being compressed over the handle,
was sufficient to hold the cross guard in place, and because the handle expanded in two different
directions, the cross guard was prevented from slipping up or down the handle. It did not need a
rivet to hold it to the handle and blade, but did tilt occasionally, when it was knocked. Eventually
the handle, and cross guard assembly, was replaced with a professional job. No attempt was made
to reproduce the lavish decoration of the sabre.
In use, I have found the light weight and shaped handle very comfortable. The balance point is
probably closer to the handle than on the original, due to the modifications made to the blade.
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Conclusion
From examples in more recent books, and those photographed by friends overseas, it is apparent
that the Charlemagne sabre conforms to a general type. It is the most ornate, and best preserved,
example of a light sabre that was common to eastern Europe towards the close of the first
millennium. I would like to thank Dr H. Trnek of the Kunsthistorisches Museum for his assistance
with detailed information, and Gary O’Connell for providing the translation from the original
German.
Bibliography
Swords and hilted weapons, by M. Coe and others. NMB Multimedia Books:London. 1993.
The ancient Hungarians; exhibition catalogue. Ed. I. Fodor. Hungarian National Museum:Budapest.
1996.
Correspondence with Dr. H. Trnek, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. 1995.
Nicolle, D. Arms and armour.of the crusading era; 1050 – 1350. Kraus International:White Plains,
N.Y. 1988.
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By Jenny Baker
General reconstruction notes:
For a long time I had wanted to reconstruct a Fur Lined Rus Kaftan and when I fortunate to get a
Mink Coat at the reasonable sum of $2.00, I decided to attempt it.
For the style of Kaftan, I used the research information that Peter Beatson has written on his Rus
Kaftan and the pattern that he used in producing it, as this lent itself to an easy adaptation of the
mink coat.
For documented examples of original Fur Lined Kaftans I have included the following examples:
•
•
•
8th–10th century, Caucasus Kaftan, Caucasus Mountain regions made of Silk, linen, and fur;
in the Met Museum
16th century Fur lined Kaftan Palace attire and garments: The costumes of the Sultans
2nd Half of 16th century Fur-lined Kaftan The Ottoman Period AD 1299-1923 Topkapi
Palace Museum 13/35
Reconstruction Materials:
− Mink Coat
− Blue Wool
− Bronze buttons 12 originals found in a 10th cent. grave at Välsgärde, Sweden. Obtained from
Birka Traders.
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Method of Construction:
− The Mink Coat had its lining removed and the side seams where undone to allow the side gores
to be inserted
− The Blue wool outer covering was hand sewn together, then sewn to the mink coat at every
seam working from the inner most seams out to outer seams
− The Braiding has been hand done on a Snodgafl (Lucet)
− Hand sewed on the Buttons
The Style of the Kaftan
Research Info and Pattern Used : Peter Beatson's Kaftan pattern
Numerous grave finds show that fashions in clothing and jewellery were transmitted from steppe
nomad cultures (eg. Khazars) to Eastern Scandinavia, via the Russian principality centered in Kiev,
during the Viking period (Jansson 1986; 1988). These include metal buttons, appliques, and braids
presumed to come from a front-opening coat or kaftan (perhaps ultimately derived from a Persian
riding coat like those found in Antiné, Egypt: Gervers 1983), sometimes found in association with
belts of the type familiar from nomadic art and archaeological finds. It has been suggested that
garments of these types were awarded by the Russian prince to persons of rank (Hägg 1983a;
Roesdahl and Wilson 1992).
The costume was based almost entirely on archaeological finds from Scandinavia and 'Varangian'
settlements in Russia. All seams were hand sewn, the types of seams used are those known from
surviving Viking Age garments and fragments (Fentz 1987a; Hägg 1974; Hald 1980; Walton 1989).
Fabrics and threads of natural fibre (silk, wool or linen) were chosen to match the archaeological
finds as best as possible. Metal items were made by cire perdue casting (from wax models).
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The collar has been mounted as a 'standing collar' similar to those of surviving intact garments of
Alan burials of the 8-9th centuries from Mostchevaya Balka, in the Caucasus (Ierusalimskaja 1996).
Graham-Campbell (1980) considered the collar to be a cloak trimming, though no supporting
evidence is provided for this conclusion- perhaps as no buttons were recovered from grave 15
However, kaftans without buttons were proposed in some Birka graves (Hägg 1986), and the
Mostchevaya Balka kaftans had loop and buttons made entirely of fabric. Twelve cast bronze
buttons were found in grave 12. Identical or similar buttons have been found in numerous male
graves, notably in Birka, Sweden (Arbman 1940-3; Avdusin and Puskina 1988; Geijer 1938; Hägg
1986; Jansson 1988). They are usually found in a row (4-24 buttons) down the centre of the chest to
the waist.
Apparently, apart from the cuffs, no metal braids or appliques like those found on the Birka kaftans
were present in the Välsgarde 12 grave, therefore the buttons have been mounted on a strip of silk,
as known from the 10th century chamber grave Dn-4 at Gnezdovo, Ukraine (Avdusin and Puskina
1988).
The basic material of the kaftan was usually wool of various weaves, including twills (Hägg 1986).
Viking Age woolen fabrics were usually worsted, ie. the fabric was not fulled (a process similar to
felting) and the nap was not raised, giving a smooth appearance with a visible weave.
The buttons were based on those of the Valsgärde 12 find (opcit.: pers. obs. 1994).
Buttons
Hand Made by Birka Traders
Description: Bronze button, 12 originals found in a
10th cent. grave at Välsgärde, Sweden.
From 4 up to 45 buttons were used to fasten the kaftan
adopted by eastward - travelling Swedes and Rus'.
Size: Diameter 10 mm
Examples of Original Fur Lined Kaftans
Caftan, 8th–10th century
Caucasus Mountain regions
Silk, linen, and fur; Coat: H. 56 in. (142.2 cm), W. 60
in. (152.4 cm); Leggings: H. 32 in. (81.3 cm)
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1996 (1996.78.1)
The original linen coat (caftan), preserved in part from
the neck to the bottom of the hem, is made of finely
woven linen.
A decorative strip of large-patterned silk is sewn along
the exterior and interior edges of the caftan. A minute
fragment of lambskin preserved as the caftan's interior
attests to its fur lining.
The woven patterns on the silk borders of the caftan
include motifs such as the rosettes and stylised animal
patterns enclosed within beaded roundels, which were
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widespread in Iranian and Central Asian textiles of the sixth to ninth century. The colours used in
the textile include a now-faded dark blue, yellow, red, and white on a dark brown ground. The
decorated silk fabrics are a compound twill weave (samit in modern classification) and the body of
the garment is plain-weave linen. Two slits running up the back of the caftan make it particularly
suitable as a riding costume.
Fur lined kaftan
16th century
Palace attire and garments
The costumes of the Sultans
Fur-lined Kaftan
2nd Half of 16th century
The Ottoman Period
AD 1299-1923
Topkapi Palace Museum 13/35
References:
• Peter Beatson's Rus Kaftan
− http://users.bigpond.net.au/quarfwa/miklagard/Costume/Rus/Trader/Rus_main.htm
− http://users.bigpond.net.au/quarfwa/miklagard/Costume/Rus/Trader/Rus_description.htm
− http://users.bigpond.net.au/quarfwa/miklagard/Costume/Rus/Trader/kaftan_text.htm
− http://users.bigpond.net.au/quarfwa/miklagard/Costume/Rus/Trader/references.htm
• Peter Beatson's Kaftan pattern
− http://users.bigpond.net.au/quarfwa/miklagard/Costume/Rus/Trader/kaftan_pattern.htm
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection of Ancient Near Eastern Art
− http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/department.asp?dep=3
• Birka Traders - Rus Jewellery Catalogue
− http://www.birkatraders.com/catalog/rus.htm
• Palace attire and garments: The costumes of the Sultans
− http://www.ee.bilkent.edu.tr/~history/costume.html
• Interactive Museum of Turkey
− http://interactive.m2.org/anatolia/osmanli/RMO227-347.html
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By Graeme Anderson
This article provides some more insights following on from Steven Lowe's 'The Byzantine
Kavadion' in the last issue, Two forms of armour from areas of Turkish, Mongol and Arab influence
fit the appearance of the Kavadion:
The Jazerant, in one of the older senses, with small
overlapping plates riveted between two layers of
quilted fabric, this would explain the use of
pteruges and other protection for the arms and legs.
A diamond quilt pattern with gilt rivet heads in the
centre is not unusual in existing examples (not
much older than the 17th century). The look and
'cut' of the Kavadion is very like the British 'Jackof-Plates' cuirass, with it's short sleeves or skirts.
These are first mentioned in the 14th century. The
difference between the Jazerant and 'Jacks' is the
form of attachment of the plates. On the Jazerant,
the plates are sewn in place by a trellis pattern of
cords through the hole in each plate and the cords
also from the quilting. Jacks are described as 2-3
layers of quilted cloth, between which were sewn
small crudely cut, overlapping iron plates of 3 -4
cm and pierced with a hole in the centre for cord
stiching. They are usually faced with a dense
material such as canvas or leather. With the
Jazerant of course, the quilting and plate
attachments are independent.
16th C Scots border 'Jack of Plates', gives a
comparison of the general look.
As Steven Lowe says that in India and the Middle East, thick quilted armour studded with 'gilt nails'
(actually rivets?) was common in the 18th - 19th centuries. The simplest pattern was a diamond
trellis with nails at the centre of each. Minatures of Mughal/Timurid times and central Asian
Turkish minatures from the 15th century on, seem to depict fully developed brigandine (plates
riveted between textile, but no quilting) much like that of Western Europe. These could also depict
other sorts of armour, such as discussed, which would look the same from the outside.
All of these examples are more modern than the Kavadion, but methods were already spread across
Eurasia from the Mediterranean to China by the late Middle Ages.
From an Archaeological point of view the actual textile would need to survive to be able distinguish
earlier Jazerant from scale armour. Collections of small plates, with one or two hols in the middle,
have been found from the eastern migration period and are quite reasonably described as scale.
Though some of the early Bulgar and Turkic art suggests a pattern for the 'Kavadion' style of
armour.
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By Jeremy Draper
When I was in South Korea in August 2003, I visited quite a few of the National Museums. I found
it very interesting to note, not the differences of Korean arms and armour, but the similarity of the
arms and armour to its European & Middle Eastern equivalents.
The most stunning of the suits of armour I saw was on display in the
National War Memorial, Seoul. This suit dates from around the 4th or 5th
Century in the Three Kingdom Period and is probably of Baekje
Kingdom origin.
The Koreans divide their historical past into four major periods:
• Three Kingdom Period (18BC – 668AD), when Korea was
divided into three major kingdoms: Baekje, Silla and Goguryeo
• Unified Silla (pronounced Shilla) Kingdom (668 – 914)
• Goryeo Kingdom (918 – 1392)
• Joseon (or Choseon) Kingdom (1392 – 1910)
Whilst influenced by it’s trading relationships with China and Japan, the
Korean Peninsula developed in it’s own quite unique way. Not until the
successful Japanese invasion in the early 16th C, was Korea forced to
adopt foreign customs. Even under the short rule of the Mongols in the
12th C, the Koreans were self-governing (such as occurred in many parts
of Russia during the same period). When the Japanese were again
expelled, Korea quickly reasserted it’s own customs and ways.
The museums in Korea provide a small amount of information in English,
there is usually a plaque with a small essay in Korean and a note in
English (in this case “Three Kingdom Period (82BC – 660AD). Probably
4th C or 5th C. Made of Iron”). Even so a lot can be gathered from the
detail of the actual display.
The entire suit of iron lames is laced with leather thronging to leather
backing. It is interesting to note that all of the lames have been stamped
with a borderline. The pattern for the lames is exactly the same as for
many of the Middle Eastern and European finds. Square at one end with a
single hole, rounded at the opposite end with two small holes vertically
aligned and two sets of vertically aligned holes on the middle edges.
A later find, from the Anapji Pond in the ancient Silla capital of
Kyongju (Gyongju), shows very similar construction. However in
this find (around 8th-9thC) the plates are roughly cut, rather than
rounded at the ends and use considerably more lacing holes. The
variance in the shape of the lames (some are straight, some taper
towards the point and some taper away from the point) is probably
to enable tailoring of the suit, to achieve a more comfortable or
tighter fit. The presence of hole in the centre of the lames suggests
that these were of the hanging type. As the Anapji Pond was part
of a Royal Palace, one can surmise that the lames belonged to a
member of the Royal Guard or the Royal Household and are thus
representative of armour belonging to the wealthy.
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The high metal collar on this suit suggests that it is for the use of a
cavalryman. This type of collar would be to stop spears and other pole
arms used by foot soldiers, from skipping of the armour and going into
the face. If this is a footman's outfit, the collar would stop cuts to the
neck and head. This collar, which is revetted together, also has leather
thronging laced laterally through its entire width. Despite the clear gap
between the two collars, it appears that the lamellar collar beneath
should be attached via this
lacing to the bottom of high
collar, although this does not
explain the other three rows of
lacing. The reconstruction of the
horseman right shows no gap at
all.
The generally accepted wisdom regarding lamellar is that if it were constructed for a cavalryman, it
would be laced with the lames overlapping the opposite way up. This then suggests that the suit may
be for a footman. Interestingly though, the lames on the reconstruction are overlapping in the same
manner as the Baekje suit. The plaque attached to this reconstruction said “Three Kingdom or Early
Silla Period”, putting it at the late 7th or early 8th C, a couple of hundred years after the Baekje suit.
One can assume that the lamellar collar is tied or buckled behind
the neck and floats freely over the torso protection. The high
collar is a solid construction (demonstrated by the folded metal
edging around the top).
The helm is a four-piece
construction, with the
pieces directly riveted
together. The top of the
helm has a spike, much
like those of the Rus. The
leather backed lamellar
aventail is laced to the
helm.
A slightly fancier quartered helm from the Palhae Kingdom
(698 AD – 926 AD, the area in the very north of North
Korea), shows a similar type of construction. Both these
helms look incredibly similar, both is style and method of
construction, to the various Eastern European and Middle
Eastern finds.
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The arm pieces are separate to the torso protection and laced to the
shoulders along the entire width of the piece. I was unfortunately unable
to see the construction of the shoulder area of the torso protection.
I would suggest that the construction of this suit is an interpretation by
the staff of the museum. Considering the date of the suit, it is likely that
it was only the metal scales that had survived. This may explain the
problems with the gap in the collar and the choice of the scales
overlapping downwards. Without seeing pictures of the actual dig, one
can only assume that they have constructed the suit in the correct
manner.
The presence the metal scale belt around the waist area, suggests that there is an unarmoured section
below. These scales are much larger than the lames, which fits with needing to cover a reasonably
wide section of plain leather. One can fairly safely assume that this is where the belt is worn. A suit
this heavy would need to distribute the weight as evenly as possible, additionally if the wearer is to
have any mobility at the waist there needs to be an area of pliable material at the waist. It is hard to
tell if the torso and skirt are integral or separate, however considering how the suit sits (a very
similar manner to my leather lamellar, on which the skirt is integral) I would suggest it is integral. It
is also worth noting that the lames just above the belt have been reversed (overlapping up), so that
the belt can move smoothly over the torso section when bending at the waist.
It is the full lamellar legs that make this suit so different to any finds or
pictures I have seen out of Europe or the Middle East. It can only be
assumed that the leggings are attached to a belt around the waist,
presumably buy ties or buckles. Considering the weight that would be
involved, you would expect the attachment to be fairly substantial. It is the
construction of the leggings and the lack of a split in the front/back of the
skirt, that suggests most strongly that this is the armour of a foot soldier.
The lamellar wraps almost entirely around the leg, leaving only an ~5cm
or so gap on the inside of the leg. The lamellar is tied together in three
places, first up near the to of the thigh. You can see this just under the
hem of the skirt, you can also see that the leggings are shaped to fit in
this area, by the tapering lames. The second place is near the top of the
knee and the third, just above the ankle.
Anyone who has ridden a horse
would be able to tell you that these
leggings would be a very poor
design for a horseman. If they
were designed to ride a horse the
gap on the inside of the legs would
be much larger (~15 – ~20 cm).
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The reconstruction of the horseman earlier
shows the use of greaves rather than
leggings. The leg greaves on the left are
from the Three Kingdom Period, probably
5th C (about the same time period as the
lamellar suit). They do up around the
ankle and are hinged. The hinges can bee
seen clearly on the pair of sheet silver leg
greaves from Hwangnamdaechong (5th C)
(below, right).
A pair of vambraces, would likely have
been worn as part of the lamellar suit, as
shown in the suit to the right. The.vambraces to the
left are of similar construction to the greaves, but
have longer enclosure to go around the forearm. Like
the greaves, this section is hinged and buckles on the
inside of the forearm
The lamellar suit to the right (in the National Museum of Korea, Seoul) is
from around the same period as the one in the National War Memorial. The
lames on this suit are of the hanging type and overlap upwards. This suit is
definitely a footman’s outfit and it is worth noting that the collar is still
present. The high metal collar seems to be attached to the lame collar by a
leather strip. The leggings on this suit are of two-piece construction and the
skirt is separate from the torso protection.
When you consider the weight of this style
armour, it’s hard to imagine how the horses
managed when you add barding. The suit to the
left is from around the 4th C. This suit is iron
scales sewn to a leather backing. The faceplate is
beaten from a single sheet of iron.
Although these suits of armour are from much earlier than many of the same
styles from Europe and the Middle East, the similarities with them is
unmistakable. It goes to show that when making war, we all find the best
way to protect ourselves.
Bibliography:
National Museum of Korea, Spleandors of Korean Culture, Yemaek
Publishing Co., 2001
Gyeongju National Museum, Archeology Hall, Tongcheon Publishing Co.,
2002
Gyeongju National Museum, Anapji Hall, Tongcheon Publishing Company,
2002
Time & Space Tech Co. Ltd, Korean Cultural Heritage 2 – Seen through
Pictures and Names, Park Ki-seok, 2002
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' $!( %( #(
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