White Bear Fian Tournament Proclamation, Pikeman’s Pleasure 2014

In honour of our Baron and Baroness, and of Their most glorious liege lords Nigel and Adrielle, and of Nigel and Adrielle’s heirs Siegfried and Ragni, do I, Colyne Stewart, squire, counselor and chancellor, make known to all princes, barons, knights and esquires, without reproach, that for the augmentation and extension of the most noble profession and exercise of arms, the White Bear Fian, of which I am a member, has made it their will and intention to guard and defend a pass d’armes, situated on the great road bisecting our kingdom, on a field in the Canton of Petrea Thule, at the event known as Pikeman’s Pleasure, in the form and manner following.

In the first place, our order will hear and answer a challenge for entry into our said order, by the most worthy Honourable Lord Hans Thorvaldsson. As is the ancient custom, the aforesaid Hans will place his body on the anvil of virtue and will face in battle one member of the White Bear Fian in single combat, with weapon style chosen in consultation between them both, and the aforesaid Hans must then defeat in combat his combatant, who shall be His Excellency Percival de Laroque, in two out of three passes. If victorious, Hans shall be welcomed into the Fian, and will stand with our august company for the remainder of the pas d’armes. If, however, his arm should fail him that day, he will not stand with the order but his challenge shall remain open and he may fight for the honour of entering said order again at a future time. For true failure is only faced by those who discontinue their attempts.

Proclamation for a Deed of Arms at Murder Melee 2015

In the name of Lady Ealdormere and of the blessed northern saints of the arts martial who are held in great esteem across the knowne world, I, His Excellency Shahid al-Hasan, Baron of the great Barony of Skraeling Althing, have, from the date of this present letter set my mind to thoughts of the camaraderie of arms and of a deed to be preformed in the Barony of Ben Dunfirth at the Murder Melee in the Meadow.

At said melee will I place by the contested field my shield, that all may know my presence there, and this spot of ground I will defend from all who may chose to contest me over it for the love of combat. All men and women of good cote are invited to approach me and make upon me a request for combat, with the weapons to be used and the form of the combat to follow to be agreed upon by us both.

I shall hold this piece of ground from the hour of noon until honour has been satisfied and strength has fled my sword-arm.

To add greater faith and security to this letter, I Shahid al-Hasan have sealed it with the seal of my arms, written and dated from Skraeling Althing, Thursday the 3rd day of June in the year 50. 

A Deed of Arms at War of the Trillium

At the conclusion of my deed of arms on Monday, I was approached by Lord Fulk Beauxarmes, my sword-brother and friend. He asked me if I would stand with him as one of three tenans at an emprise he was organizing for this summer. I was deeply honoured, and accepted immediately.

There is a Facebook event for the deed available; below I have pasted the proclamation Lord Fulk had earlier made.

Under the eyes of my Sovereign Lord the King of Ealdormere, Nigel II, and of his gracious Queen, Adrielle II, and also of their Heirs Prince Siegfried and Princess Ragni, do I, Lord Fulk Beauxarmes, give greeting, honour and all joy to those who hath taken up the most noble profession of arms in these northern lands.

For though I am but the most base and lowly of all the warriors of the Northlands, let all know that I be desirous of the advancement of the noble profession of arms, and also of the exaltation of the name and renown of my Lady Wife, the Honourable Lady Urraca de la Mar; and therefore I hath most humbly supplicated and entreated my aforesaid Sovereigns that I might be granted license and permission to perform a deed of arms at the War of the Trilliums, for it should be shame were so many noble warriors to be gathered in one place and no small emprise should come of it. And to this entreaty through their wisdom, mercy and the love of arms hath my most gracious sovereigns right generous assented to, even from such a low creature as myself.

And so, being minded of the most puissant passage of arms of Don Suero de Quiñones, a famous knight of Leon who alongside his friends and companions in ancient days vowed to break three lances each upon a hundred challengers upon the Órbigo Bridge in Castile, let our Passo Honroso be of the form and manner following:

Upon a bridge at the War of the Trilliums shall be three tenans, each armed and armoured as pleases them best; and they shall hold the bridge against all who seek to come against them, either singly one to each or by threes all together, with matched weapons in honourable combat as is the custom of our Society; and they who fight shall discuss and agree upon which weapons shall be matched before their bout begins; and each bout shall last of three stout blows as is the custom; and should through chance or skill a tenan be defeated in honourable combat then shall the challenger take their place upon the bridge as a tenan upon the bridge in turn; and the tenans shall hold the bridge for one hundred bouts all counted for the joy and honour of the profession of arms and the exaltation of those who inspire them; and these three hundred stout blows shall be in remembrance of the lances of Don Suero Él del Passo; and also let there be a place set aside nearby that there may be private challenges as are wont to arise when so many noblemen and warriors do gather together in arms.

And for to make advancement of the profession of arms there shall be no preference of rank nor title, for so that the lowliest squire or man-at-arms might cross swords with the greatest of worldly lords without they be reproached or shamed; and that all who witness know we be not villeins, or routiers, or any such low persons, let all they who gather for this honourable passage of arms make proud display of their badge or heraldry, by shield and surcoat and banner and all the divers means of display, that the fame and honour of those who meet in this Passo Honroso be enhanced; and let each who make challenge of the tenans declare forth their name and style, and the name and style of the one who hath inspired them to do this deed; and so too shall the names and blazons be recorded in a book that their deeds might be remembered forevermore and not fade in the passing of years.

And in attendance upon the Passo Honroso shall be a gallery of good persons and true, and being chiefly ladies; and they shall decide amongst themselves and secretly which of the Great Virtues of Chivalry shall be their touchstone upon this day; and that gallery shall attend most closely upon the combatants upon the bridge; and they shall gather to decide amongst themselves which exemplar of that said Virtue be best displayed upon that field; and among all they shall award unto that single exemplar a riband to bear upon their arm or belt thereafter, that all might know the worth of that good warrior and true; and let the combatants know not which Virtue hath been decided upon, lest they be tempted to neglect any one of the Virtues of Chivalry in favour of any other, but rather let the Virtues be practiced and exalted all.

And by the word of my most modest and gentle wife, the Honorable Lady Urraca de la Mar, let this Passo Honroso be accomplished in the name of all those who give thankless service to the Society, be that service great or small, lest those who make sacrifice of their tasks think they do so unnoticed; but rather by this deed their service shall be honoured of us all, and be given deserved gratitude.

And to add greater faith and security to this letter, I Fulk Beauxarmes, seneschal of the Canton of Petrea Thule, have sealed it with the seal of my arms, written and dated from Petrea Thule upon the Feast of St. Osburga, this 5th day of April in the year AS 49.

New Blog Post About my Deed and Photos

Lord Fulk Beauxarmes has written a blog post about my Deed of Arms, including a comparison of chivalry and courtesy.

Lord Fulk with THL Thorfinna gra'feldr. Photo by Eirik Andersen.

Read the blog post here.

There are at least two photo archives out there of pictures from the event. My lady Thorfinna took over 200 photos on her cellphone, and THL Eirik Andersen (a semi-professional photographer, who is extremely well known in my kingdom for his photos) took over 500.

One side of the Deed's token. Photo by Thorfinna.

Thorfinna's photos can be found here.

Colyne with dagger, against THL Gann, with single sword. Photo by Eirik.

Eirik's photos can be found here.

The Deed of Colyne Stewart: Part 2

Photo by THL Thorfinna gra'feldr.

Many, many thanks to all those who came out, who did me the honour of crossing blades with me, who came to witness the event, or who assisted in running the deed. Special thanks to His Majesty Ealdormere who acted as the king-of-arms, to Her Majesty Ealdormere who was the inspiration, to Magistra Nicolaa who acted as the deed's herald, THL Jocelyn Cranewell who acted as scribe, and to Anton who served  as my man-at-arms. Just, stout blows were given and received, as were tokens. Honour flowed like water. Though all who took part fought well and good, only one could be awarded the prize--a greave made by my own hand. The judges (TRMs and Nicolaa) declared that the one fighter who had shone brightest with chivalry, courtesy and prowess had been THL Hans Thorvaldsson.

I love this style of fighting, and hope to see more deeds and pas d'armes occur in the future. If you missed this one, there will be at least two coming this summer. One will be hosted by the White Bear Fian at Pikeman's Pleasure, and the other will be hosted by Lord Fulk at the War of the Trillium.

Photo by THL Eirik Andersen.

Challenge of Colyne Stewart: AS 48

In the name of Ealdormere and of the blessed queen Adrielle, Saint Finnvarr and Saint Gillian, I Colyne Stewart, to exalt my name and honour my fortieth year upon this earth, knowing full well the renown of the prowess of the Ealdormerean fighting force, have, from the date of this present letter, taken a piece of a greave to bear upon my leg until I be delivered from it by an Ealdormerean performing a deed of arms as follows:

First, to enter the lists on foot, each armed as seems best to them, having their dagger and sword upon their body as they wish, and having a pollaxe as well. And this shall be the number of blows for all the different weapons and arms: ten strokes with the pollaxe, without intermission (sans reprendre); and when these ten strokes shall have been performed, and the judge shall say, 'Ho!' we will give ten strokes with the sword without intermission, or parting from each other, or changing our harness. When the judge shall say, 'Ho!' we will take to our daggers in hand, and give ten strokes with them. Should either one lose or drop his weapon, the other will be able to do as he pleases with the one he holds until the judge shall say, 'Ho!'

So shall I meet each fighter who would don harness and meet with me in glorious combat.

And there will be in attendance a gallery, and this gallery will consist of citizens of upstanding moral value. I shall, after consultation with these witnesses, surrender my greave to the fighter deemed most noble and virtuous and preaux.

This deed will occur in the Canton of Ardchreag on the 14^th day of April of this year.

To add greater faith and security to this letter, I Colyne Stewart have sealed it with the seal of my arms, written and dated from Colynesburg, Thursday the 30th day of January in the year 48."

Based on “The Challenge of Michel d'Oris: 1400”, Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Chroniques, Book I, chapter ii as translated by Will McLean, 2001.