Moorish Knight Kit - 2012

My kit here is meant to be typical of a Moorish Knight from al-Andalus during the period of 1150-1220, arguably the most crucial period of the Almohad dynasty.

And my face is meant to be typical of a variety  of emotions.
'Duhh' being the most prominent.

My equipment in these photos was often surprising to people unfamiliar with the history of al-Andalus in Spain (particularly its military history) because of how heavy it is. In actual fact this was pretty standard gear for a Moorish knight during the 12^th century and the first few years of the 13^th, the only differences between it and a Christian Knight’s gear being mostly aesthetic, and only really started to change towards the middle of the 13^th century.

And not only was the gear heavy, it was hot.
The spear has a short, triangular flag, as became common among both Christians and Muslims during the 13th century, as seen in the Cantigas del Rey Alfonso.

The chainmail is a short-sleeved hauberk with a split front, perfect for riding my non-existent horse. It’s worn over a long-sleeved gambeson, and that is worn over a linen undertunic and cotton trousers. 
Bear in mind that all this was in central-southern Spain during the month of July. I think, in total, I sweat out a kilo of bodyweight with all that on.

A sash tied around the waist and worn over a belt helps not only to take the weight of the chainmail off my shoulders, it also serves as a quick visual distinction from Christian knights.

Both the sword and my (unseen) dagger are straight-bladed, and despite the popular image of scimitar-wielding Saracens the truth is that until the rise of the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth century, the vast majority of swords used in the Islamic world were straight-bladed, and practically identical to what we would call ‘European’ swords.

The sword belt hangs across the chest, something that became a distinct trait of Muslim equipment in Reconquista Spain.

Here’s where we see the more ‘Moorish’ touches to the kit. My faceplate helm, being worn over a padded arming cap, is based on an illustration in Osprey’s The Moors: TheIslamic West 7th – 15th Centuries AD, which in turn seems to be based on a miniature detailed in the Beatus of Manchester. It’s designed in such a way to give almost full visibility to the wearer while providing good protection from slashes and cuts. A chainmail aventail surrounding the whole thing adds extra protection.

The turban tied around the top doesn’t seem like much until you’re standing under the sun for a prolonged period of time, then it’s your best friend in the whole wide world for keeping the helmet and, most importantly, your head un-fried.

The shield is based on a model used by several figures in the Beatus of Liébana. A boss-less roundshield, painted white with three red tassels hanging on the front. Light and easy to carry.

The equipment was perfect for the event, but not without its flaws, which prompted me to do a few changes this year, which you can see on my next upcoming post.

Re-enactment and Me

I started doing re-enactment roughly in 2009, becoming a member of what would become the Stirling Cell of re-enactment group Historia Normannis, while I was in my second year of University, and got serious in 2010, attending a small show in Spain during the summer of that same year.

Back then my kit was practically non-existent. I had different ideas of what I wanted to do, how I wanted to do it, and what I wanted to wear.

My first show major show was in 2011, in Whittington. Naturally it was a Normannis event and quite an important experience for me.  By that stage I had managed to get an appropriate kit for both military re-enactment and the Living History display.

When I got back to Spain, I was of course determined to continue re-enacting, but decided to change a few things. My kit had been appropriate for a Scots archer and warrior, but for Spain I not only gave myself an upgrade in terms of social class and equipment, I shifted my focus away from the Christian side of the story.

I’ve always been interested in the history of the Muslim kingdoms in Spain. It’s always seemed like a fascinating period that in my opinion doesn’t get as much attention or love as it should, either in re-enactment or popular culture. 2012 was the year of the 800^th anniversary of the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, a major engagement during the Reconquista period between the Christian kingdoms of Spain and the Almohad caliphate of al-Andalus, and it was a perfect opportunity to apply what I’d learned in Normannis to one of my favourite historical periods and cultures.

Describing the Battle of Las Navas would take way too long: Suffice it to say it was a major turning point of the Reconquista that not only signaled the downfall of the Almohad dynasty but also the eventual dominance of the Christian kingdoms of the peninsula.

The re-enactment was organized as a celebration of the 800^th anniversary of the battle, and to date has still been one of the largest medieval re-enactments organized in Spain, with nearly 400 participants. I’ll give a more detailed account of the event at a later date, for now I’m just going to discuss how I dressed up for it so I could beat people up.

Check out my next post to see photographs and a discussion of my Moorish Knight kit!

What is this blog about?

Thoughts, my first blog, is where I review films, music, books, tv shows…where I talk about characters and stories or generally muse on the state of the world and the events going on in it.

This blog is where I just geek out over my two favourite hobbies, Historical Re-enactment, Historical Fencing, and in general all things History and Sword-related.

This is the place where I talk about the type of re-enactment I do or where I lay out my thoughts on fencing.  I’ll be posting potographs, discussions on equipment or weaponry, maybe add in brief historical anecdotes that relate to it all, and just in general indulge in my love for all things medieval, ancient, and weaponized.

If you like what I see here, and even learn something from it, then why not check out my other blog?