Last weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to conduct a lecture workshop at Uhuburg Castle. The lecture focused on judicial dueling in the 13th and 14th century of the Holy Roman Empire and introduced the visitors of the castle to the Saxon Mirror, Codex Manesse, and MS I.33. This post contains one of the lectures we gave and a series of pictures from the workshops throughout the two-day event. This event was an absolute blast and hopefully inspired other HEMA practitioners to help make history fun and tangible for everyone! About Uhuburg CastleUhuburg Castle is located in Helen, Georgia and is a beautiful work of art. It just opened up this year and is already selling out tickets with visitors. Rooms will be available for an opportunity to stay and see the night sky at this wonderful location. We had the opportunity to stay in the gatehouse as they renovate some of the other rooms and enjoyed our stay at the castle. The staff was wonderful and knowledgeable about the castle. We talked quite a bit about the process they used when building the castle. Unfortunately, I was unable to take the guided tour but based on what we learned about the castle from questions we had, I am sure it was informational for al the attendants. About 10 minutes from the castle is Helen, Georgia which is a small German village that features vacation activities like tubing down a river. It was great after a long day of working the event to go see the sites and experience the local cuisine. The Lecture We conducted the lecture every hour at the castle and began with a handout to the audience as a primer and visual aid for the attendants. We then introduced ourselves and what HEMA is all about. Then, we focused on the legal sources that structured judicial dueling in the Holy Roman Empire. This was used as a springboard to introduce the crowd to sword and buckler. Then we explored some biographical sources like the Codex Manesse to show that these duels and the use of sword and buckler were also documented. We then introduced I.33 as a manuscript that taught the use of sword and buckler. Danial and I then did light sparring in period clothing. We did not want these fights to be staged so we had a gorget, gloves, and a helmet on to keep us safe. We also have been training together for years and know each other well which goes a long way in staying smart with our sparring. After each exchange, we would talk to the crowd about what we saw, and what we were thinking during the exchange. Our goal was to highlight how tactical sword fighting was while also highlighting how fast it can be. After a short demonstration of light sparring with a sword and buckler to expose the crowd to the techniques of the manuscript, we would highlight that this was one weapon system, in one region, at one point in time. This allowed us to end the lecture by informing the crowd that different systems exist and martial combat changes with different weapons and different levels of protection. The WorkshopsAfter telling the crowd about the broader world of Western martial arts, it was time to show them. We had examples of mail armor, brigandines, and gambeson that people could touch and feel to see how protective these armor pieces could be. We also had a table of swords that people could pick up and feel for themselves. For anyone interested, we conducted mini-workshops with them using a sword type of their choice to show them one way the sword can be used. For sword and buckler workshops, we focused on the seven wards from I.33 and the attacks from them. for the longsword, we highlighted how nimble of a weapon it can be and how strong is countered with weak and vice versa. For rapier, we would place our swords in one position and have the student think about how they could place their sword so that if we both thrust at each other, they would be safe while striking us. Finally, we would teach the basic guards and how they are used for military sabre and then would go over the first play from John Taylor’s saber system. These workshops were designed to be about 10 minutes so people could swing swords and get an idea of swordsmanship. HEMA and Community OutreachOne of my favorite things about HEMA is teaching people about swords. It is just great to see peoples’ faces light up when they get to use a sword for the first time. It is also great to see people getting excited about history and their eagerness to learn.
We in HEMA have a unique knowledge of a piece of history that many people are interested in. Even if they are not interested in learning swordsmanship themselves, they are likely interested in the history around it and how it was done verses what is shown in the movies. I encourage everyone in HEMA to find ways to reach out to the community and help teach history to those interested. One of my favorite interactions at the event was with a woman who studied art history. She was more interested in the castle tour for its architecture. However, she attended our lecture and was enamored with the sources we had on display. By having manuscript examples from the early 14th century to the late 16th century, we could showcase how the evolution of art improved the ability to communicate techniques. She also highlighted several other details in manuscripts like the Gladiatoria that we would not have seen in earlier manuscripts because of the evolution of art styles. Those types of popcorn style conversations was exactly why we kept the lecture short and opened up the remainder of the hour until our next show for freeform questions and answers. Sometimes we were asked questions where we had to say we did not know but many times the questions were about the sources we had on display and the weapons people could try. So, please, reach out to your community and help make history fun for all!
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In HEMA, we spend a lot of time combing through manuscripts and cultural documents to better understand the context that surrounds the systems we study. So today, I would like to shine a spotlight on a story surrounding a famous outlaw and his friar friend. Like many of us, they too sought to see who the best swordsman was. Today we will analyze the duel between Robin Hood and Friar Tuck in the ballad Robin Hood and the Curtail Friar. This particular tale of Robin Hood may be as old as the late 15th century and has countless retellings throughout history. One of the books that helped tremendously in this research is Robin Hood by J.C Holt. This book is a great read that tries to identify the real Robin Hood and collects much of the history we know regarding the poems, ballads, and potential identity of the outlaw. I have also chosen to use the 1888 translation of the ballad From The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child because I find it one of the easiest to follow. Updated 5/9/2023 - Added a discussion on the types of swords and bucklers they may have used during the duel. The DuelThe ballad begins in the summer while Robin Hood and his Merry Men are competing and showing off their feats to best one another in different activities. Then Robin Hood proudly asks who can best him. Will Scarlet alludes to a friar that is better than himself and Robin Hood. 5 'God's blessing on thy heart,' said Robin Hood, 'That hath [shot] such a shot for me; I would ride my horse an hundred miles, To finde one could match with thee.' 6 'That causd Will Scadlock to laugh, He laughed full heartily: 'There lives a curtal frier in Fountains Abby Will beat both him and thee. Robin Hood then prepares to meet the Friar and arms himself with his sword and buckler. 9 Robin Hood put on his harness good, And on his head a cap of steel, Broad sword and buckler by his side, And they became him weel. Once Robin Hood met with the Friar, he notices that the friar was also prepared with his sword and buckler. 12 The fryer had on a harniss good, And on his head a cap of steal, Broad sword and buckler by his side, And they became him weel. From there, calamity ensues and the duel begins. Robin would fire an arrow at the friar who deflects the incoming projectile with his buckler. 21 One of his best arrows under his belt To the frier he let flye; The curtal frier, with his steel buckler, He put that arrow by. Robin Hood would then fire all of his arrows, failing to strike the friar. He then would turn to his trusty sword and buckler. 22 'Shoot on, shoot on, thou fine fellow, Shoot on as thou hast begun; If thou shoot here a summers day, Thy mark I will not shun.' 23 Robin Hood shot passing well, Till his arrows all were gone; Theytook their swords and steel bucklers, And fought with might and maine; There sword and buckler duel continued for six hours until Robin Hood asked to call for aid. The Friar allowed it which allows Robin Hood to summon his merry men to aid him. 24 From ten oth' clock that day, Till four ith' afternoon; Then Robin Hood came to his knees, Of the frier to beg a boon. The tale continues as each duelist continues to match each other’s skill. The tale ends with Robin Hood recruiting the friar to his band of merry men. Analyzing the DuelThis ballad is believed to be at least from the 15th century. It is possible that the poet behind the ballad envisioned Robin Hood and the curtail friar using 15th-century arming swords with simple crossguards. Likewise, they could have been envisioned using falchions and messer-like swords, which were common swords in England in the 15th century. However, if we assume that this ballad is as old as the Robin Hood legend, dating back to possibly the 13th century, then it is safe to assume that Robin Hood and the curtail friar were using arming swords with simple crossguards similar to what is shown in I.33 and other medieval manuscripts from the 13th and 14th century. Likewise, the buckler would be a simple round buckler, possibly made of leather, wood, metal, or a combination of the three. Robin Hood and the curtail friar, who is later known as Friar Tuck, appear to be great sword and buckler duelists. I have a hard time imagining this telling of Friar Tuck as the fat and jolly friar commonly depicted. To be able to duel for six hours straight is no small feat, even for a legend! Friar Tuck also seems relatively agile to evade or deflect an entire quiver of arrows launched by Robin Hood. It is interesting to see bucklers deflecting arrows in the poem. It makes me wonder if that is intended to show the audience just how skilled he is or if there is some cultural reference that has been lost to time the use of bucklers to deflect arrows. As a last-ditch effort, I suppose a buckler is better than nothing against arrows. Nothing in the way of technique for swordsmanship is expressed in the poem, but there is a great takeaway modern sword practitioner can take from this: be calculated. In six hours of fighting, neither Robin Hood nor Friar Tuck performed a technique that would lead to getting hit. This shows great poise to not double and not to perform a suicidal action that would put themselves at risk. Robin Hood and Friar Tuck both recognized it was better for both combatants to live than to have two dead idiots. Plus, it would not be much of a tale if Robin Hood or Friar Tuck did not live to see the next adventure. Closing ThoughtsOf course, this is just a story and not necessarily representative of a real duel. However, the idea that a legendary sword and buckler duelist can fight for hours without getting struck is a goal we modern sword practitioners can strive for. Want to be a great sword and buckler fencer? Fight like Robin Hood and Friar Tuck.
Robin Hood and the Curtail Friar is one of my favorite Robin Hood Tales. It is the story of how Friar Tuck, one of my favorite characters in the Robin Hood stories, joined the Merry Men. Ultimately, it is a tale of how Robin Hood showed up and started a fight with Friar Tuck, only to find his equal and make a friend out of it. It reminds me of how I made one of my best friends in high school (A tale for another day). This also highlights some types of people who would be seen using swords and bucklers. Both rogues and friars alike are classic archetypes in the fantasy genre. I hope you enjoyed this tale of Robin Hood and Friar Tuck and learning about sword and buckler from a less-than-common source in the world of HEMA. |
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