Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Modus armandi milites ad torneamentum.

Primo fit ignis et extenditur tapetum, et spoliatur ad camisiam; pectine parat capillos, in pede calciatur  de quyr, induit ocreas, gall. muscylers, in tibiis de ascer ou de quyr boily. Deinde quysouns in femoribus et genicularia, gall. genulers. Deinde aketoun, et deinde camisia de Chartres et coyfe de Chartres , et pelvim in qua debet esse cerveylere defendens capud ne contiguetur pelvis cum capite. Deinde loricam quyrée, cote armée, in qua fuerit signa militis, et gayne payns ou gayns de baleyne sa espeye, .i. gladius, et flagellum et galeam, .i. heaume. 
 
Ad Bellum: aketoun, plates de Alemayne ou autres cum, aketoun ut supra et bone gorgeres, gladius, haches a pik, et cultellus. Scutum raro portatur ad bellum quia impediret plus quam promoveret.

Ad Hastiludia: aketoun, haubert, gambisoun, quod fit de panno serico et consimilibus, si sit preciosum, nuelere ke sunt plates de ascer, sicut bacyn et galea.



First the fire is made and the carpet spread, and he is stripped to his shirt and his hair is combed in preparation, and leather shoes put on his feet and greaves, in French muscylers, on his legs, of steel or of cuir bouilli . Then on his thighs he puts cuisses and knee pieces, in French genulers. Then an aketon, a shirt of Chartres and coif of Chartres, and a bascinet with a lining to keep it from contacting the head. Then body armor fashioned of leather, coat armor on which should be the knight's device, gayne payns* or whalebone gauntlets, his espeye, i.e. sword, and a riding whip, and a helmet, i.e. heaume.

For War: an aketon, plates from Germany or elsewhere, and in addition to the aketon as above, a good gorget, sword, axe with a spike, and a long knife. The shield is rarely carried in war as it hinders more than it helps.

For Jousts: aketon, hauberk, and gambeson, which is made of silken cloth and the like, and can be so costly that the steel plates, basinet and helmet are as nothing in comparison.

*A type of gauntlet

From BL MS Additional 46919, compiled by William Herebert before his death around 1333. The author, writing in Latin but describing gear unknown to Cicero, was frequently forced to lapse into contemporary French.
 
Meyer, Paul, Gaston Bruno Paulin Paris, Antoine Thomas, and Mario Roques. 1884. Romania. Paris: Société des amis de la Romania [etc.].  P. 530 Translation copyright Will McLean 2013

1 comment:

Sean said...

For more information see Ralph Moffat, "The Manner of Arming Knights for the Tourney: A Re-Interpretation of an Important Early 14th-Century Arming Treatise," Arms & Armour Vol. 7 No. 1 (2010) pp. 5-29 I know you have the reference, but your readers don't!