The Blog
Random musings on medieval knighthood, military history, wargaming, and dressing up in armour.
The Ploughed Fields of Agincourt.
I was reading something about medieval landscapes recently, for the course I teach on castles, and came across a description of medieval ridge-and-furrow ploughland that completely changed my mental picture of the battlefield of Agincourt.
![Vng petit bec de faulcon A une main pour vng capp[itai]ne…](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec647a042b9b43d7011699c/1706104187040-2809ADILHXIAAXEU9NRE/eMuseumPlus.jfif)
Vng petit bec de faulcon A une main pour vng capp[itai]ne…
Leafing through Ralph Moffat’s excellent new volume, I found an intriguing reference to ‘a small bec de faulcon for one hand, for a captain’. This got me thinking about the use of weapons as symbols of command.
Six Things I Have Learnt from Wearing Armour.
I’ve been wearing my armour a lot this summer. Here are six things that I have learnt from doing so.
All The King’s Swords
The coronation of Charles III will see the use of no fewer than five swords. Whilst none of them is from the middle ages - all having been made for the coronations of monarchs from Charles I onwards - their form, and the role and symbolism they have within the inauguration of the new king, is very much medieval.
Re-Fighting Agincourt.
Agincourt is an iconic battle for medieval military historians and wargamers alike. But, how to recreate on the tabletop a battle that is as close-run a thing as the original?
With the release of my rules ‘Blood and Horse Droppings’ on this site, here’s my take on turning the battle into a fun and challenging wargame.
The Life Academical
Or ‘Four Academics’, being a Pastiche of Monty Python's Flying Circus’ Four Yorkshiremen. Inspired by Twitter, and presented with tongue firmly in cheek.
A Very Short Video About Medieval Military Logistics.
I was lucky enough to be asked to present a video on logistics for the forthcoming Age of Empires IV video game.
Here’s my audition piece.
The Myth of the ‘Miles Strenuus’: A Footballing Analogy
With Euro 2020 grinding on, I’d like to share my analogy between football and medieval knighthood, in the hope of overturning one of the enduring myths about the medieval knight.
‘This is my Sword. There are many like it but…’
Every knight needs a sword and, with my splendid harness finished, I needed a sword that was every bit its equal in status, quality and accuracy.
It was time to go back to the books, do some more research, make some hard choices, and elicit the help of a rather talented friend.
Nothing to Say?
I haven’t added anything to this blog for a few months now, and you might be wondering why.
This Historian’s Harness
I’ve wanted armour since I was a child, but how did I come to choose the style that I did?
Latte, Lanyards and Livery
It occurred to me, as I reflected on this latest of incidents (as a medieval historian, I am prone to this kind of geeky passing thought) that medieval society was similarly attuned to the wearing of corporate dress. Throughout the middle ages it was far more common for people to wear the uniform of their employee.
