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Owning your own Medieval Sword

Posted by on June 14th, 2011

Buying a medieval sword online is a complicated process. Swords are made from different types of metals and there a many different sword manufacturers with thousands of retailers. Make it a pleasurable experience on getting a sword that you feel is right and looks good for you; and if you think choose a reputable seller that would provide you a quality sword and would last for several years then perhaps it’s time to start collecting sword as a hobby.

In choose a good sword ask yourself what is the purpose why would you want it? Do you want the sword to be displayed or to be used in a battle? If you want a sword to hang on the wall as a display piece that you occasionally take down to show to friends then you should look for a sword that is made from stainless steel as it will require little or no maintenance. But if you want it to be functional battle sword, these have to maintained regularly to avoid building up rust.

There are thousands of different swords to choose from and it can narrow down to three main types that you might want to get: a) A replica of original swords – if you want something with a touch of history, get a medieval sword, Scottish Claymore or Spanish rapier. b) Movie replicas – an Excalibur sword or Lord of the Rings sword or any movies that became popular using swords. c) Fantasy Swords- swords that have unique blades and intricate handles; for the purpose of display only.

Excalibur Hotel – a Perfect getaway for the whole Family

Posted by on June 12th, 2011

If the whole family wants to experience something that is medieval, then Excalibur hotel in Las Vegas is the perfect place or castle to spend a vacation with. They do not offer only a place to stay but lots of programs that has a medieval in theme.

Opened in 1990 is the Excalibur Hotel and Casino. It has 4,008 rooms with original themed resorts on Las Vegas Strip; a castle towering up to the sky, there is no doubt the hotel is a medieval theme with a live medieval dinner show. The Excalibur is located adjacent to Luxor and opposite of the street is New York-New York Hotel and Casino, Tropicana and MGM Grand. If you don’t want to step outdoors you could take a monorail that connects the three hotels.

You can get a room in Excalibur hotel for as little as $70 per night depending on the season of the year you’re going to visit Las Vegas or if there’s any special event coming. Compared to the newer resorts on the Strip, rate in Excalibur is way much three times lower. Furthermore, numerous rooms were refurnished that includes widescreen televisions and pillow top mattresses. But of course these rooms have a little bit of a higher rate compared to the standard rooms because of good value in it.

Excalibur is still accepting families who wants to spend their vacation knowing the fact that most of the hotels/resort in Vegas no longer caters to families unlike in early 90’s. There are lots of programs that the resort has prepared for the family such as Tournament of Kings dinner Show including the jousting, fireworks, horses, dancing and singing. Perhaps eating dinner with no spoon and fork, only you’re your mere hands that you’re going to use. The newly-renovated pool is also included as one of the best attractions in the resort and the Fantasy Faire midway where all the members of the family can test the skills in arcade and carnival style games.

As for the casino that is not for the kids, it covers at least 100,000 square feet and the casino floor has its latest slots machines with $.01 to $100 denominations. Spending your time in the full-service Race and Sports book, if you want to bet on your favorite sport teams or the horse races, is also a good way on how to unwind in the resort. For the ones who likes poker, Poker Room won’t be a disappointment.

To satisfy your palate, Excalibur offers a dining category that is superb. Try the Round Table Buffet or the 24-hour Sherwood Forest Café. Recently, Dick’s Las Resort is very casual and very fun with a menu that includes Macho Nachos, Ride’m Cowboy Rib Eye and a Case O’ King Crabs. Sir Galahad’s, pub and prime-rib house or The Steakhouse at Camelot best suits if you want to experience a more high-end dining experience.

Excalibur also offers wedding packages that includes costumes based on Renaissance period by getting married in Canterbury Wedding Chapel. There also other available wedding packages if you want a traditional ceremony.

Medieval Banquet Menu in England

Posted by on June 9th, 2011

During European Medieval Period, banquets were often given of much importance such as New Year and Pentecost. The grandest banquet that ever recorded in history was given for weddings, coronation of kings or installation of bishops. There were also banquets for harvest, funerals, knighting, feast day of local parish patron saint or tournament. It depends on certain occasion on who would be the guest. Like for example, if it’s a wedding, guest might be the family members and close friends.

Most of the people in middle ages start their everyday meal with vegetable pottages (soups or stews). In England, vegetables rarely appear on banquet menus instead a vast amount of roasts or fish of all kinds and more elaborate dishes were served. Including frumenty, a wheat or barley pottage with venison or a blancmange of chicken and fish in spiced almond milk usually with rice were also considered as special treats.

Menus for important banquets were very striking compared today because of the numerous dishes served. A good example of such banquet is the celebration of George Neville’s installation as Archbishop of York in 1465. The first course was consists of seventeen dishes, second course had twenty, and on the third course they served twenty-three dishes. The normal number of courses for the head table at an English banquet was three and two for lesser guests. One good example of this kind banquet was the coronation feast of Richard III. Wherein there were three courses for head table, two for the lords and ladies, and one for commoners such as the Lord Mayor of London.

The most basic dishes were included in the three-course menu that was not given to the high table. In the fictional 13^th century banquet of Walter Bibbesworth is that there was enough venison and frumenty for the “whole household”, means that not everyone got a taste of all the goodies that followed.

Based on the documented medieval menu dishes which is still preserved in British Library’s Harleian collection on Manuscript 279, gives two-course menus for “the lower part of the hall”; banquets for celebrating the installation of John Stafford, Bishop of Wells and the wedding banquet for the Earl of Devonshire (Austin, pp 63-64). The celebration for the banquet of John Stafford, that was year 1452, is a selection of seventeen of the forty-seven dishes not found on the three-course menu. As for the wedding banquet, has less overlap, substituting several dishes not found on the three-course menu. These are not all humbler dishes: they include Caudel Ferry, a dish of sweetened wine thickened with eggs, resembling a modern zabaglione, and doucetys, custard tarts.

Sometimes, before the first course was served in England, there was a possibility that wines were served as an appetizer. The English menus did not usually mention of how the meal was ended but the custom was the same as in France: an alternative way to end the banquet was a sweetened, spiced wine usually served with wafers, fruit and cheese. More wine and candied spices followed for the higher-ranking diners after the table was cleared or removed.

Weapons used to attack a Medieval Castle

Posted by on June 4th, 2011

There were different techniques and weapons used to attack a medieval castle. The most popular way is to surround the castle by cutting the supplies such as food because during that period, food preservation was an ideal fact. Furthermore, enemies will throw dead bodies to spread dreadful disease into a castle using a catapult.

The most efficient siege weapons were catapults. Afterwards, its concept was used to introduce the use of trebuchets. The enemies used other methods if a fortress cannot be besieged, one of this was to destroy the walls or climb on it. The diggers were sent to dig tunnels beneath a wall and mostly on the corners because this spot exerts more weight against the ground. After the completion of the tunnel, the diggers would go to the surface and put fire on the wood that was set up to make the tunnel collapse therefore affecting the walls by damaging it. For defense, to see where the tunnels built, they would use water and if a tunnel was found, they would made another tunnel to intersect it and a struggle would likely to happen under the castle.

Another effective way to invade a castle is to build gigantic platforms that would take a matter of days to finish. The tall platforms are needed increase the height for the archers on the side of the invaders. Crossbows were introduced in the 15^th century and it was effective in killing people that it came to a point that the church forbids the use of it. Even if a knight is using a plate mail, the crossbow could go from one side of a person to the other.

Sometimes it takes a very long time for a castle to surrender. Allied armies would come to help the besieged castle to make the defense much stronger it makes it difficult to successfully invade the castle.
There were some common devices used to conquer a castle. Such as battering ram, pickaxes, diggers, siege, trebuchet and catapults, fire and ladders.

As for the battering ram, it was used to knock over doors and thin walls. It was made of a chopped tree and carried by six to 10 men to knock off a target. To stop projectiles and boiling water, an older battering rams made of roof iron was used.

Pickaxes could make a hole through a wall in a matter of days and were used against older castles with thin walls. Especially if the door of the castle was made of wood, it could be destroyed easily by a pickaxe.

Diggers were used to make the wall or a tower to collapse by digging at the near corner and destroying the tunnel.

Siege was the most common and effective way to attack a castle. Preservation of food at that time was impossible and food was the cause of the defender’s fall. Sometimes, to preserve food, the lord would make the women, children and elders to escape through the tunnel. Unfortunately, if no tunnels existed they would just stay inside the tunnel and hoping for mercy to come. The invaders would then surround the castle and fire projectiles.

Trebuchets and catapults were also common and it would not besiege the castle but it’ll also spread dreadful disease by firing dead bodies; cows, huge rocks, corpses and rotten meat were the projectiles used.

For timber castles, fire was very effective to use but it was nothing against stone castles. In hope of burning anything inside, invaders would shoot thousands of fine arrows.

For smaller castles, ladders were commonly used to climb the wall. Unfortunately, this kind of technique was rarely used because the army on attack would defend themselves by throwing objects or boiling waters at the invaders.

It was difficult to attack a castle. Many were killed on the invaders part rather than the defenders because a castle itself was built mainly for defense therefore protects the residents within. But food would diminish quickly if supplies were intercepted and they would depend on their allies to further defend themselves.

Categories of Medieval Weapons

Posted by on May 29th, 2011

During the middle Ages, weapons used by knights to fight their opponent are called medieval weapons. A knight must choose a best weapon for him to win over his opponent during the battle. He should have the knowledge and mastery over the weapon for him to have a maximum capacity in using it. It is of great importance to know the pros and cons of his weapon. Medieval weapons got a variety of design and shapes, weaknesses and strength.

Medieval weapon does not only exist in European countries, which is a common knowledge. But each and every country during that period of time has its own unique design and style of weaponry. The medieval weapons may have the same purpose but it varied in design and style and the way it was used. It may have the same basic appearance but is totally much different from the others. Hundreds of medieval weapons were used by knight during the middle Ages but each weapon has its own unique design and strength that is a bit different from others.

Medieval weapons were a bit expensive at that time so only the rich, famous and influential people are the ones who could own this kind of weapons. Therefore, rights of buying this medieval weapon were only reserved for this kind of people. The weapons were divided into two a categories. The Long-range and close combat weaponry; long –range falls under the first category it was used to take down an opponent who was distant to the defender. As for the second category, the close combat, good example is knives.

Now that we had an overall discussion of different categories of medieval weapons let look into some of these weapons in bit more detailed manner.

The Sword – fundamentally consists of a blade, a hilt, and a cross guard typically with one or two edges for cutting, and a point for thrusting. Purely military weapon and this has made it symbolic of warfare or naked state power in many cultures. The names given in many swords in mythology, literature, and history reflect the high prestige of the weapon and the wealth of the owner.

The Dagger – is a double-edged blade used for hitting, stabbing or thrusting. They often fulfill the role of a secondary defense weapon in close combat. In most cases, a tang extends into the handle along the centerline of the blade. It may be differentiated from knives on the basis that daggers are intended primarily for stabbing whereas knives are usually single-edged and intended mostly for cutting. However, many knives and daggers are capable of either stabbing or cutting.

The Blade – is a flat part of a tool, weapon that normally has a cutting edge and/or pointed end typically made of a flaking stone, such as flint, or metal.

Right Armor, Weapons and Helmet for Renaissance Fair

Posted by on May 24th, 2011

If you’re planning to participate in Renaissance Faire and still in dilemma on what to wear, cast all your worries because listed below are helpful tips for you to rightfully choose what kind of armor that would go together with your medieval weapon.

Whether it’s a cross bow that is hand carved, a medieval sword or Swiss Halberd, these weapons may be one of our favorites. In choosing your medieval costume, including the armor and weapon, it must go with the time frame as well. You could do some research on what kind of clothes the people have worn on that particular period, just to be sure that you are on the right track. If for example you decided to be like King Arthur who always carried with him an Excalibur sword, then you must wear a plain style cuirass rather than a muscles cuirass. The main purpose of the plain cuirass is for jousting tournaments whereas the muscle cuirass is for Roman trooper’s armor.

Aside from going with the time frame, you can go with the geographical styles. Like if you have a Spanish Halberd, it’s best to wear it with a Spanish style engraved suit. Spaniards of Medieval period often put engraving and large plumes of colorful feathers on the helmet.

Of course, aside from the armor and weapon, there should be a helmet, where it’s more difficult to find a good match. There were various styles of helmets that would go with the weapon. Like what I have mentioned from the previous paragraph, to match a halberd, one would want to find a Spanish style close helmet. These helmets also have intricate engravings on it.

Siena – A Medieval City

Posted by on May 19th, 2011

Siena is famous for its history, tradition and art. It is one of the Tuscany’s major cities and an hour away from Florence, a city just beneath immense, thick walls resting on top of a small mountain; a medieval town with most of the structures still retained its ancient architectural styles. Usually, cars are not permitted because of the winding alleyways of towering ancient wall-to-wall residences.

On top of the town is the Cathedral of Siena ( the Duomo), standing tall in its white and black majesty, is one of the most Italian architecture that is romanesque-gothic. The Duomo is not the only structure that you could see as medieval instead all the structure surrounding it had preserved its gothic medieval architecture.

Located in the heart of the city is the famous shell-shaped Piazza del Campo. As you walked thru the square is the Palazzo Pubblico, where you could find the Municipal hall, the City Museum and the Torre del Mangia at whose foot stands the Cappella di Piazza.

One of the most seen events in the city is the Palio – an impressive horse race around Piazza del Campo. It all began when various neighbors would challenge each other. It comes in the form of bands and in the middle of the night, they would walk through “enemy” neighborhoods and will make an unholy racket. On the day of the race, each neighborhood produced a horse and a rider. All the riders are bareback and races for neighborhood amongst a crowd of people screaming. The spectacular Palio is held twice a year (July and August) and run in turns by all seventeen historical “contradas” viewing for the Palio, a painted silk cloth.

Basilica in Black Forest: Alpirsbach, A 900 year old Monastery.

Posted by on May 14th, 2011

Europe is famous for its ancient structures with breathtaking castles that speak of a lot of history; fascinating cathedrals; courtyards, labyrinths and a lot more. Several tourists only visit the famous parts in Europe overlooking the unique treasures. Perhaps due to lack of money, time and a bit of research, it is unfortunate of them not to see the undiscovered, unappreciated legacy of ancient times. European travelers must do a bit of research because what they would find would be extremely memorable.

Amidst the Northern Black Forest is the Alpirsbach Monastery, a 900-year old structure that still retains its ancient appearance. Unlike its surroundings, all is modernized with no trace of history.

The former Benedictine monastery was part of the 11th century reform movement in south west Germany and a vivid example of the architecture that spread out from the famous French monastery at Cluny. The paper trail leading back to the foundation of the monastery leads us back to 1095. Today, a walk through the four winged complex, still complete, reveals the strict clarity of its Romanesque order.

Alpirsbach Monastery is famous for the bronze lion head door knobs on the basilica’s main portal, which are in the Romanesque style and around eight hundred years old. The faint remains of leather squares which once decorated the doors are the red spots and faint outlines of squares on the doors. Leather wall coverings are the most effective way to keep out drafts and are most commonly found in noble’s household.

The ancient monastery has richly decorated late Gothic cloisters opening onto a square courtyard. Cloisters breathe in some air to the closed-off structure as the front of the building has no glass. From the courtyard, snow, rain or sunshine will be truly felt within the walls of the monastery.

The quiet town of Alpirsbach is famous for its beer. For them, beer played a vital role in everyday life for it was considered purified, because during medieval times, water causes illness. They strongly believed that the alcohol in beer and wine could kill whatever the water contains that made people ill. Therefore, beer should be consumed in regular intervals to avoid such dreadful diseases.

If you want a place that gives solemnity and serenity but at the same time speaks of great history, Alpirsbach Monastery is the best place to be. A thousand-year old structure that was once a shelter of monks, provides an escape from overcrowded attractions.

Tapestries: How does it look like in Middle Ages

Posted by on May 9th, 2011

Design of tapestries during medieval era were not just a mere design, they based it on current events during that time. Tapestries were also draped on the walls of castles for insulation during winter, as well as for decorative display. Knights and horses are often seen on the material as a sign of preservation of history of the ones who had lived within the castle. It’s very common that Tapestries hung on the walls for many centuries and generations for it represents a history that adorned the walls.

Tapestries are like books. It records all the information at that time by showing different pictures of knights, the armors they wear during the battle. How the banner looked like on that period of time. It also shows the original structure of the castle and all the buildings around it, even if all of these have changed because of war or any kind of destruction that altered its original appearance.

Tapestries may also describes the family’s lifestyle like the food they eat, wine they drink, the banquets and a whole lot more. It represents a lot in one piece of work. It also shows the art of hunting, the heroic bravery of the king and his knights, the ever breathtaking unicorn. Unicorn tapestries shows a living being embodying a deity or spirit. But in the early 15^th century artists of Renaissance period wants to express their artistic side by putting it to huge painting and tapestries with mix designs.

To purchase tapestries with Medieval design, it’s best to get it from retailers of tapestries found online. They offer very intricate design, provides dimension of the material and what type of fabric was used.

Evolution of Medieval Music

Posted by on May 4th, 2011

Music of Medieval period played an important role to everyday lives of people on this era. Especially on church, special occasions such as festivities, banquets and any kind of celebrations. Medieval music can be divided into two: sacred and secular. The sacred music from medieval period was composed to bring out the Bible text into music. Christianity was a dominant part of medieval culture, so an entire musical style developed just to support it. The Roman Catholic Church has its monophonic liturgical plainsong, the center of their tradition is the Gregorian chant. This monophonic chant had a significant impact on the development of medieval and Renaissance music. It is the only European repertory that only survived way back before 800^th century.

In secular music, however, was very far different from the sacred. This type of music was composed for entertainment purposes. Secular music was frequently played on special occasions, such as wedding banquets or any kind of celebrations that includes festivities. Troubadors, trouveres, and minnesingers are the good examples of secular music.

The first form of polyphony started around 12^th century. Sacred composers of Notre Dame in Paris wanted to alter some notes with the plainchant. They started experimenting by adding some octaves on higher or lower notes. The harmony does not really changed but there was a richer texture to it. When the idea of adding some notes to a plainchant was realized, discovering new concept of harmony was unstoppable. Because of this evolution different parts of ordinary and proper mass were created, the medieval motet: the major sacred forms of medieval music.

From then on the concept of harmony had spread quickly to secular music and by the middle of 15^th century, mass, the motet and the laude, were used in sacred musical compositions by singers and composers; madrigal and chanson on secular forms.