Charter and Scroll Designs in the Kingdom of An Tir

This document was first created for Kingdom Heraldic and Scribal Symposium 2017 in An Tir. It covers the basics for how I create scrolls and charters, and is pretty much a basic rewriting of our Scribal Handbook. Now of course every Kingdom is going to be different, but I hope you get some use out of this!

Classes Jadwiga Can Teach (With Descriptions!) Updated for 2016

A While back I got on a conversation about what I could teach. I began to rattle a few things off, and that got me thinking 'you know, there is an awful lot I could teach...' I then decided to make a list of classes that I am either familiar enough with or have already compiled the notes/written the paper to teach.
Note: For those of You in An Tir, I am happy to teach any of these classes at an event or Ithra if I am going.

Please feel free to contact me at jadwiga.sca@gmail.com or on facebook at Jadwiga Radomyskowa

Scribal- Creation

These are classes focused on creating supplies used for Medieval Scribal Arts. 

Making earth pigments I This class focuses on the basics of Earth Pigment creation. Students can use prepared ingredients to make their own gouache paint. This class can be a lecture, demo or hands-on. There is the option for students to take home with them a small set of period paints.
Making earth pigments II In this class students will take raw materials and create their own pigments. We will cover what makes a good pigment, how to assess if something will work for a pigment. In this class we can also cover some of the more exotic ingredients such as bone and lead.  This class can be a lecture, demo or hands-on. There is the option for students to take home with them a small set of period paints.
Making Oak Gall Ink Learn to make Oak Gall ink! Students will watch as a batch of ink is made in class, and have an opportunity to work with it. I can teach this class as a lecture, demo, or again a hands-on class where students will take home supplies to make their own ink.
The Scribes Toolbox: An overview of the tools of the trade, a good resource on such things as the type of brushes to use, and which paints to get and avoid. Also a resource list on where to actually buy these things!

Scribal-Painting

These classes focus on painting and creation of charters for the SCA. 

Charter Painting 101-104: The basics of Charter Painting. Covers materials and how to use them. Techniques that make your charters look great! Covers base painting, shading, blending, highlighting and some freehand. Can be taught as a single class or spread out into two to four.
Whitework and Diapering basics: One of the best tools in any painters arsenal, whitework takes a charter from good looking to amazing. This class covers how to correctly do white work. Can be taught as a lecture, but is best presented as a hands on class where students take home two different white paints and a sheet of white work and diapering designs to reference later.
Color Theory for charting painting: In this class I teach basic color theory and how it applies to charter painting. Ever wonder why sometimes when you mix red and blue you don't get purple, but rather a nasty brownish color? Want to know how to make something "look medieval"? This is the class for you. Can be taught as a lecture with handouts, or as a hands-on class where students take home samples to reference later.
Charter Creation: Creating Charters for a royal reign is an amazing experience. This class covers how to find reference materials, how to adapt images for a charter, the DOs and DONTs, as well as a step-by-step example of an actual charter created and used.

Polish History

This set of classes covers my passion, Polish History. While definitely a specific and narrow focus, this is a part of the Known World that few know much about. 

Polish History 101 An overview of Polish History as it pertains to the SCA time line. Covers the different eras in history, and major movers and shakers, as well as how Poland interacts and relates with the more well known lands of the Middle Ages. Do you know the surprising reason Polish Knights wouldn't go on Crusade? How did Poland avoid the Black Death when the rest of Europe was falling to it? What was the specific rule pertaining to Ottoman tents on a War field? Find out this and much more!
Polish Hussar Wings My focus. My Passion. Learn about the most well-known item of Polish Military! Learn how they were made, what they were used for, and dispel some myths around the Winged hussar!
16th C Polish Women's Clothing Come learn about women's clothing in the 16th century. We will cover extant pieces, how to research it, and how it was similar and different to both Western European fashions as well as Slavic, Italian, and German styles.
The surprising religious views of 16c Poland: That's a pretty specific title for a class, right? Well, 16th Century Poland was doing some crazy things, well worth looking in to. Come explore why Poland was called "asilum haereticorum" or the heretics asylum! It is said that a Polish town could not be called a city unless it held both a Catholic and Protestant Church, a Synagogue and a Mosque! Join me as we explore some of the most fascinating things in this little covered part of the Known Worlde, and I'll tell you about the time 1200 Noblemen stormed a church trying to burn a cobbler at the stake for heresy! The middle ages as it should have been? Seems like some folks had it right all along...

Misc

The rest of the classes. They don't quite fit anywhere else...

Medieval Pets: Owning pets is not a new or modern invention. This class covers pet ownership in the Middle Ages. Learn about not only cats and dogs that were kept, but squirrels, monkeys and even a pair of royal badgers! We will cover rules and laws around pets, the difference between an animal as a pet and one as a tool. Students can take home a handout with period pet names, as well as a collection of eulogies for a 14 century Italian dog.
Bayeux Tapestry Stitch: One of the most famous pieces of embroidery in the world, the Bayeux Tapestry is an impressive thing. Learn a little bit about this famous textile, and then learn the stitches used to create it, and how it can be used to create your own items. Students should bring a hoop. Needles, thread, and fabric with a design on it will be supplied.
The Medieval Horse: Learn about the use of the horse in the middle ages. We will cover different breeds and riding styles, go over the various types of tack used, as well as images and writings of the horse in the medieval era.
Largess 101: What is largess? Who is allowed to make it? What sort of things make good largess? What sorts of things make bad largess? What should never be largess? Learn the answers to all these questions in this class. As well, there will be a small hands-on largess project to make as we cover the ins and outs of Largess.
Manesse Codex: There are good odds that you have seen images from this 14c German songbook even if you don't know what it is. Here we will discuss what the Manesse codex is, who it was made for, and what its use was. We will cover some of the most famous images out of it, and talk about some of the stories attached to this book. Students will have an opportunity to take home black and white image from the book to color or use as inspiration as they would like.
The Book of Kells: This class will cover what is arguably the most famous book from medieval Ireland. We will discuss its construction, the various authors and illustrators as well as its tragic history. We will also look into some of the most interesting images to be found on it's pages. For instance, did you know that hidden in the Book are sharing the Holy Sacrament with cats?
Persona 101: This class will cover the basics of developing a persona for the SCA. How to figure out who you might want to be. Where to research for more information about your persona. What it means to have a persona and what you can do with it.
Persona 102: In this second persona class we focus on how to be in Persona once you have found one. We will talk about ways to be in persona even with the modern world around you. How to incorporate events from your mundane life into your persona. At the end of this class there is an opportunity to have an in-persona conversation or tea.
Social Media Webministration in the SCA: This class covers the practical aspects of Social Media and Webministration for your local SCA group. We will cover the rules that have been set down by society, but the main focus will be on what makes a good Web Presence for a group, and how to attract people to your site/page. It should be advised that this class is for people familiar with the internet.

Wax Carving: Part 1

I don't know what I'm doing.

No really.

I have no idea what I am doing at all.

Okay, let me start over.

At May Crown my husbands Knight Sir Thorkil introduced me to Sir Torfin, who is both a Knight and a Laurel (*swoon*). Sir Torfin and I got chatting about his art (casting) and he told me that if I were to carve something out of wax, he would give me some pointers and if possible, eventually cast it.

I was really, really gun-ho about this idea as I had done lost-wax casting in high school, and was excited to revisit it. So I bought the wax he suggested, and the tool, and got to work.

Or, rather, I tried.

Holy crap, this is hard, hard wax, and going to be a lot slower going than I first expected! Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the challenge, but man, I was over estimated my abilities! Go figure!

My plan is by September Crown to have three pieces to present to him: A Pendant, a 3d figure and...something else, I haven't' decided on the third. However at this point, I think I'll be happy if I get one done!

Post under the tag of Wax Casting will document this project.

Without further ado, here is part one of this project:

Step One: Carve a thin slice of wax. This was done with a coping saw.

Step Two: Cut the slice to something closer to the right size:

Step Three: Rough Shape the wax into the pendant shape, in this case, a shield. 

Step Four: Scratch out the design you want to carve, and get to work. 

Thanks for reading! More updates as I get progress! 

Pretty(ish) Letters

I have been avoiding Calligraphy since I got into the SCA.

It's true. I'm not ashamed of it (much), but it is what it is.

I have never felt I had the patience to actually make the letters work, as I am much better at free-form art rather than structured styles.

I couldn't avoid it forever. As an illuminator, it was important for me to understand what I was asking of my "Pocket Scribes" (I love you Yzabels and Helen!), moreover well, anything I was avoiding I needed to face head-on and get over. So I have begun to try and learn the ways of the Calligrapher.

This process has begun with Uncial hand and a very patient best friend. The choice for uncial was that what I would learn from it would eventually transfer to other hands, should I decide to do them (I will). Yzabels was very patient with me, bribing me with Cherry Shasta and Cutthroat Kitchen should I finish a full page.

There we go. This dear readers is my first attempt at calligraphy. 

It was really, really hard, and there are about 6 letters in total that I don't totally hate. But hey, I did it, and I'm one step closer to my goal...

Classes Jadwiga Can Teach (With Descriptions!)

A While back I got on a conversation about what I could teach. I began to rattle a few things off, and that got me thinking 'you know, there is an awful lot I could teach...' I then decided to make a list of classes that I am either familiar enough with or have already compiled the notes/written the paper to teach. 

Note: For those of You in An Tir, I am happy to teach any of these classes at an event or Ithra if I am going. 

Scribal- Creation

These are classes focused on creating supplies used for Medieval Scribal Arts. 

Making earth pigments I This class focuses on the basics of Earth Pigment creation. Students can use prepared ingredeants to make their own gouache paint. This class can be a lecture, demo or hands-on. There is the option for students to take home with them a small set of period paints. 
Making earth pigments II In this class students will take raw materials and create their own pigments. We will cover what makes a good pigment, how to assess if something will work for a pigment. In this class we can also cover some of the more exotic ingredients such as bone and lead.  This class can be a lecture, demo or hands-on. There is the option for students to take home with them a small set of period paints. 
Making Oak Gall Ink Learn to make Oak Gall ink! Students will watch as a batch of ink is made in class, and have an opportunity to work with it. I can teach this class as a lecture, demo, or again a hands-on class where students will take home supplies to make their own ink. 
Making Quill Pens (please don't make me teach this class!) Making Quill Pens. I can teach this class. I can show students how to turn a feather into a quill. However, I have not mastered this art yet. Would be be done as a lecture until I get more practice.
Making paint brushes How to make brushes, using a wooden dowel, animal fur and thread. This class covers how brushes are made, and show the technique of a very simple/primitive brush. Hands on. 

Scribal-Painting

These classes focus on painting and creation of charters for the SCA. 

Charter Painting 101: The basics of Charter Painting. Covers materials and how to use them. Techniques that make your charters look great! Covers base painting, shading, blending, highlighting and some freehand. Can be taught as a single class or spread out into two to four. 
Whitework and Diapering basics: One of the best tools in any painters arsenal, whitework takes a charter from good looking to amazing. This class covers how to correctly do white work. Can be taught as a lecture, but is best presented as a hands on class where students take home two different white paints and a sheet of white work and diapering designs to reference later. 
Color Theory for charting painting: In this class I teach basic color theory and how it applies to charter painting. Ever wonder why sometimes when you mix red and blue you don't get purple, but rather a nasty brownish color? Want to know how to make something "look medieval"? This is the class for you. Can be taught as a lecture with handouts, or as a hands-on class where students take home samples to reference later. 
Charter Creation: Creating Charters for a royal reign is an amazing experience. This class covers how to find reference materials, how to adapt images for a charter, the DOs and DONTs, as well as a step-by-step example of an actual charter created and used. 

Polish History

This set of classes covers my passion, Polish History. While definitely a specific and narrow focus, this is a part of the Known World that few know much about. 

 
Polish History 101 An overview of Polish History as it pertains to the SCA timeline. Covers the different eras in history, and major movers and shakers, as well as how Poland interacts and relates with the more well known lands of the Middle Ages. Do you know the surprising reason Polish Knights wouldn't go on Crusade? How did Poland avoid the Black Death when the rest of Europe was falling to it? What was the specific rule pertaining to Ottoman tents on a War field? Find out this and much more! 
Polish Hussar Wings My focus. My Passion. Learn about the most well-known item of Polish Military! Learn how they were made, what they were used for, and dispel some myths around the Winged hussar!
16th C Polish Women's Clothing Come learn about Womens clothing in the 16th century. We will cover extant pieces, how to research it, and how it was similar and different to both Western European fashions as well as Slavic dress. 
The surprising religious views of 16c Poland: That's a pretty specific title for a class, right? Well, 16th Century Poland was doing some crazy things, well worth looking in to. Come explore why Poland was called "asilum haereticorum" or the heretics asylum! It is said that a Polish town could not be called a city unless it held both a Catholic and Protestant Church, a Synagogue and a Mosque! Join me as we explore some of the most fascinating things in this little covered part of the Known Worlde, and I'll tell you about the time 1200 Noblemen stormed a church trying to burn a cobbler at the stake for heresy! The middle ages as it should have been? Seems like some folks had it right all along...

Misc

The rest of the classes. They don't quite fit anywhere else...

Medieval Pets: Owning pets is not a new or modern invention. This class covers pet ownership in the Middle Ages. Learn about not only cats and dogs that were kept, but squirrels, monkeys and even a pair of royal badgers! We will cover rules and laws around pets, the difference between an animal as a pet and one as a tool. Students can take home a handout with period pet names, as well as a collection of eulogies for a 14 century Italian dog. 
Bayeux Tapestry Stitch: One of the most famous pieces of embroidery in the world, the Bayeux Tapestry is an impressive thing. Learn a little bit about this famous textile, and then learn the stitches used to create it, and how it can be used to create your own items. Students should bring a hoop. Needles, thread, and fabric with a design on it will be supplied. 
The Medieval Horse: Learn about the use of the horse in the middle ages. We will cover different breeds and riding styles, go over the various types of tack used, as well as images and writings of the horse in the medieval era. 
Largess 101: What is largess? Who is allowed to make it? What sort of things make good largess? What sorts of things make bad largess? What should never be largess? Learn the answers to all these questions in this class. As well, there will be a small hands-on largess project to make as we cover the ins and outs of Largess. 
Manesse Codex: There are good odds that you have seen images from this 14c German songbook even if you don't know what it is. Here we will discuss what the Manesse codex is, who it was made for, and what its use was. We will cover some of the most famous images out of it, and talk about some of the stories attached to this book. Students will have an opportunity to take home black and white image from the book to color or use as inspiration as they would like. 

The Book of Kells: This class will cover what is arguably the most famous book from medieval Ireland. We will discuss its construction, the various authors and illustrators as well as its tragic history. We will also look into some of the most interesting images to be found on it's pages. For instance, did you know that hidden in the Book are sharing the Holy Sacrament with cats?  Persona 101: This class will cover the basics of developing a persona for the SCA. How to figure out who you might want to be. Where to research for more information about your persona. What it means to have a persona and what you can do with it. 
Persona 102 In this second persona class we focus on how to be in Persona once you have found one. We will talk about ways to be in persona even with the modern world around you. How to incorporate events from your mundane life into your persona. At the end of this class there is an opportunity to have an in-persona conversation or tea. 
Social Media Webministration in the SCA: This class covers the practical aspects of Social Media and Webministration for your local SCA group. We will cover the rules that have been set down by society, but the main focus will be on what makes a good Web Presence for a group, and how to attract people to your site/page. It should be advised that this class is for people familiar with the internet. 

The Raven of Tir Righ

I was asked a few months ago to design a Raven of Tir Righ Scroll.

This is the highest award that can be given to someone within the Principality.

I was challenged by both Yzabels and Helen to do something a bit different and not fall back on what I know so well.

I tried to rise to the occasion, and instead of doing something with parchment and pigment, I made this:

The design was drawn by hand, and scanned it. I modified it as little as possible, as I wanted the design to really be mine. After that I digitally added the moon and stars (I really wanted precision), and then after a lot of fiddling, I put the whole thing into the laser engraver to work its magic.

I am very pleased, and I have gotten word that the recipient likes it too.

Oh, here is the translation of the runes:

Ulfr, proud warrior and lord of Tir Righ past,

Once great ruler in the land of the dragons,

Back home to conquer the land of the lion

Example of all we should be

Proud Raven of Tir Righ

And in Icelandic:

Úlfr, stolt stríðsmaður og herra Tir Righ fortíð ,

Einu sinni mikill höfðingja í landi dreka

Atur heim að sigra landið ljónið

Dæmi um allt sem við ættum að vera

Stolt Hrafn frá Tir Righ

Veterans Wolf Skin and Hussar Wings

This was my entry into the Aquaterra All-Champions competition. This paper really focuses on one of my biggest interests, and something that, in the end, I would like to be known for; the Hussar Wings. Though I did not win this championship, I'm proud of my work, and the information that I have gathered so far.

Starszyzna Futro Wilka i Husarskie Skrzydła

(Veterans Wolf Skin and Hussar Wings)

"Hetman's Guard" by Wacław Pawliszak

Aquaterra All Champions 2014

Entry by HL Jadwiga Radomyskowa

Overview:

For most people the middle ages is the purview of Western Europe, those whose gaze go beyond familiarity might think of the Middle East or Russia. It is rare that one's historical eye goes to Central Europe, but when it does, one figure stands out above all the rest. The Polish winged hussar. The image is unmistakeable, an armored knight on horseback, leopard fur thrown across his shoulders, lance at the ready, and two huge wings arcing over his head.

For those of in the Society of Creative Anachronism it should come to no surprise that the image commonly held by paintings and media doesn’t quite square up with the reality. I am here today to present my entry for the Aquaterra A&S Championship which covers two of the most iconic images of the Hussar; the wings and the fur over the shoulder.

The Classic Image of the Hussar

The Hussars.

The first recordings of the Hussars being used in Poland is in 1503 when three units of Hungarian Hussars were brought in by the Polish sejem (parliament), they were a transitional cavalry force, while much of the rest of the world was moving away from armored knights, in Poland things were, as usual, a little different. The Hussar originally was a lightly armored fighter, with a huge variety of weapons available to him, the most common being the lance, saber, ax, box and pistols. To say that these warriors were ready for just about any occasion was an understatement!

By the 16^th Century, the Hussars were pretty much Poland’s only military force. Infantry was pulled from allies, or mercenaries. By the late sixteenth century they had become the heavy cavalry that is so often depicted modernly. By the time Stefan Batory became king of Poland in 1576 he had codified the Hussars into a royal guard and for the first time, had requirements for what armor and weapons a hussar must have.

Where there are gaps in our knowledge, it is common for historians to fill in the details, sometimes even deliberately making false claims to further the glory of this unique Polish military unit. We cannot just trust period drawings, and paintings as hussars were so culturally impressive they they were often shown adorned with wings regardless of occasion, time of year, or time in history!

Polish Husaria by Józef Brandt

The Persona

My entry focus on the persona of Mikołaj Radomyski. At this time it is 1569 near the Polish town of Radom. Mikołaj runs a small village to the east, where he oversees farmers, a few merchants and craftsmen. His father, Andrzej is part of King Sigismund II Augustus' foreign delegation, where he helps visiting ambassadors and other dignitaries. He is married to Jadwiga of Krakow, (Jadwiga Radomyskowa), a daughter to lesser nobles who work on the bloodlines of the Kings horses.

As with most men of fighting age, Mikołaj is part of his Majesties army, and has spent time battling against the Ottoman empire, the Rus and helping quell troubles in Pomerania. Currently he is in Lublin taking part in what will be known as the union of Lubin, which will combine Poland and Lithuania into one of the greatest areas at the time. This momentous occasion is why Mikołaj has arrived in all of his finery.

Submission the First: Starszyzna Futro Wilka (Veteran's Wolf Skin)

The Poles were known for their outrageous looks. It was often said that whatever Western Europe was doing you could bet that Poland was doing the opposite. During the 16^th century there arose the Sarmation movement, wherein it was “discovered” that the Polish people were descended from the great Sarmation warriors of history. Now there is little to no evidence to suggest that there is an unbroken line of warriors from ancient Sarmatia to medieval Poland, but that little detail did not stop the Polish people from making it their cultural identity

To that end, there are many stylistic resemblances to middle eastern, and oriental dress and armor. The chief of which at this time was the wearing of predators skins around one's shoulder. It is interesting to note, that while most contemporary paintings of Hussars show them wearing leopard and tiger skins, it was only those of lesser rank who wore them. Veterans, officers and those of rank would wear the skins of wolves, bears and lynx, never leopard or tiger.

16^th century engraving of a Polish Hussar

This may seem odd, considering that the feline skins are far more exotic and rare. Why would you put them on your lower ranked soldier? The answer is two fold. First, leopard and tiger skins would rarely be bought for this purpose, rather they would have been looted from Tarter soldiers defeated in battle. In many ways, these skin, though rare, would be seen as a lesser quality than the others, as they are war bounty from a defeated foe. Secondly, wolves, bear and lynx are known creatures to the Poles whereas tigers and leopards are only ever seen dead and skinned. The soldiers knew of the true ferocity of these animals, and had likely hunted them as well, whereas they only had rumors of how ferocious these “gaudy painted cats” were. Moreover, to wear the skin of a native animal marked a soldier as one with the Motherland. He displayed his might by carrying the ferocious creatures of his own forests.

There is a third, and amusing reason for this strange reversals of rank and skin-wearing. Often the Poles at this time found themselves fighting against the Turks who were well known for capturing important opponents alive and ransoming them back. In more than one occasion it is said that the Turks would go after the leopard clad soldiers unknowingly ignoring their high ranking superiors Thus capturing a man of less importance, and leaving a commander alive.

To make these skins, the animal would be hunted or trapped by men who's sole job was to take down predators for their fur. This was done with bow or spear, accompanied by hounds bred to harry and stand up to these creatures. Upon slaying the animal, it would be tanned by scraping the flesh and fat from the skin, and then the leather would be cured and softened by applying dog and bird dung or by treating it with a solution of barley, rye and stale beer. Once the hide was cured, it was backed and lined with felt or silk, which was glued on, and then stitched at the edges. Finally it would have attachments placed on it, either brass clasps, or ropes to tie it over the shoulders.

The Stockholm Roll – Most famous painting of the Hussars

Submission the Second: Husarskie Skrzydła (Hussar Wings)

It could be easily argued that the most iconic item of a Hussar was his wings. And while they are well known, there is a lot of contradicting information about them. I present to you the results of my research and my conclusions based on that information.

Hussar's originally painted the image of a white eagles wing on their curved shields. This is in reference to the white eagle that Poland uses as her symbol Over time, the wings became actual bird wings nailed to the shields, and then wings attached to the soldiers shoulders, and finally on the back of the soldier as we see today.

The wings I am presenting today are the last of these, and what would have likely been seen in the 16^th century. These wings were made by cutting out a length of wood that was bent and shaped to the simple curve at the end. It would be painted, and adorned with red felt or silk, much brass-work, even gems at times. From there, holes were drilled on it's outer edge, and feathers were attached with resin. Holes and gapes were filled in with down, smaller feathers or plant fibers.

That the wings existed there is no question. There use however, is hotly debated.

There are three main ideas concerning the use of hussar wings:

1. To protect the Hussar from lassos swing by the Tartars
2. When charging, the wind whistling through the feathers would make a hissing noise to scare the enemy
3. To prevent the enemy from guessing the true size of a hussar charge.
4. A symbolic decoration likening the hussars to Angels or as parade gear.

Ironically, in my research and based on period writings only one of these bears out to reality.

1. Lasso prevention: While the Tartars did use lassos, they did not use them against heavy armored fighters. Even assuming the Hussar didn't have the wing, you still have a heavily armored fighter, in a saddle specifically designed to keep him in place during battle. It would be foolish to even try.
2. Noise: This ideas is probably the most popular that I've heard over the years and the one that is least likely to bear any truth. The construction of the wings, even when attached to the hussars back does not make much noise. Moreover, when speaking to a knight, Earl Edward Ian Anderson he mentioned that while big and terrifying, they are quite quiet. Moreover in the midst of a battle, where men and horses are dying, pistols and cannons are being fired and two armies are clashing, you are not going to hear the quiet sounds made by feathers over that cacophony
3. Size of the army: This is another unusual theory However existing records for many army’s all say pretty much the same thing, only shoot when you actually have a target. It was too expensive to waste bullets. However the wings did have a psychological effect They were strange, and unless you had fought the hussars before and lived to tell about it, you would never had seen anything like this before.
4. This is the only use that actually has good amounts of reliable evidence supporting it. There are many period writings of gear that a hussar needs for battle and for parade, and only in parade are the wings and feathers required. Also, during this time, the hussars were all but undefeated on the battlefield, and both their allies and foes liken them to angels.
   
   Hussars at the Battle of Kircholm in 1605 painted in 1630. Note that the hussars do not wear wings.

Cardinal Enrico Gaetaniego on June 22 1596 wrote “[sic] over their backs, attached to the saddle protruded powerful wings of huge bird feathers done.” White this doesn’t tell us much about the construction of the wings, it clearly marks them as being attached to the saddle.

There are a few examples of hussar armor with wing attachments on the back, but these are few and far between, most being later century forgeries. It appears that the only time wings were attached to the back was for paintings, or when a Hussar needed to be in his finery and for some reason, not mounted.

Wings only really could be used for parade decoration. Two wings attached to the back or saddle would not allow for fighting correctly. The placement of the upright poles does not allow a soldier to swing a sword. Only strike with a lance, and shoot his pistol. As the Hussars were so elite it is unlikely they would willingly handicap themselves during battle. Also, there are no written records of the wings being used in battle, only paintings showing this.

16^th Century woodcut of a hussar

Creation

Wolf fur drape

When it came to make this piece of finery I settled on the wolf, rather than the lynx, the bear or a leopard. I did not use a lynx because Mikołaj isn't a small guy and the hide of the feline would look too small on him. He would be able to wear a bear quite nicely, however bear hides do not come cheap and it was not feasible to acquire one at the time. While a leopard might have better represented Mikołaj as a squire, I wanted something that would look good for years, and the faux fur on the market did not cut it for me. So the wolf it was.

I squired the wolf, and carefully cut him so that he would drape correctly on Mikołaj 's shoulders. Then I treated the skin with rabbit skin glue and applied the deep red felt to it, which I then cut with piking shears to create a nice edge. I then added the ties to the wolves muzzle and paw. This is still a work in progress, and I will eventually be adding a second tier of felt that will be hand stitched to the hide.

Hussar Wings

I was gifted the base for Mikołaj 's wings by Earl Edward Ian Anderson who cut them out of pine and painted them. From there, I gathered the other items I would need. As Mikołaj does not have a back-plate, or a horse, I created a plate for him so that he could wear the wings. I covered the back plate with felt, and added brass accents to it, including his device.

I then found modern attachments that best mimicked the medieval fittings. These were peg and post made of brass that are locked in place by a pin.

17-19^th century reproductions of hussar wing attachments.

Then came the tedium, I marked and drilled out all the holes for the feathers, and then arranged the feathers by size so they would look wonderful, and curve correctly. I chose to use turkey feathers because their banded appearance would mimic young eagle wings, and they were legal to acquire I then did the brass-work for the wings, and set in many brass tacks to add a little nicer decoration to the slats. After that, I glued the feathers in place with hot glue. I used this method, in case a feather broke, so that I could heat the area, melt the glue, and pull out the broken feather returning an unbroken one in it's place. Finally I added two red ties to the wings, so that they would be stabilized on Mikołaj 's back.

The Finished Result

Sources

Brzezinski, Richard, and Velimir Vuksic. Polish Winged Hussar, 1576-1775. Oxford: Osprey, 2006. Print.

Radzilowski, John. A Traveler’s History of Poland, second edition. Interlink Books, 2013. Print

Zamoyski, Adam. Poland: A History. New York: Hippocrene, 2012. Print.

Lemnis, Maria, and Henryk Vitry. Old Polish Traditions. Interpress Publishers, 2000. Web. 19 June 2014.

Zamoyski, Adam. The Polish Way: A Thousand-year History of the Poles and Their Culture. New York: Hippocrene, 1994. Print.

Brzezinski, Richard, and Angus McBride. Polish Armies 1569-1696 (2). London: Osprey, 1988. Print.

Brzezinski, Richard, and Angus McBride. Polish Armies 1569-1696. Oxford: Osprey, 2004. Print.

Jadaszewski, Eryk Stefan. Polish Re-enactors Handbook: A Guide to 17th Century Living History in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Lexington, KY: S.n., 2008. Print.

Jadaszewski, Eryk Stefan. Polish Re-enactors Handbook: A Guide to 17th Century Living History in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Lexington, KY: S.n., 2008. Print.

Głębowicz, Witold. "Legenda Skrzydlatych Husarzy - Historia, Fakty I Mity - Inne Oblicza Historii." Inne Oblicza Historii News. Other Faces of History, 2011. Web.