Pretty people and prettier poniards provide present-day press provender. It’s apparent that there have been from times historical, sword players that not only insisted on having functional swords – but they also demanded a blade that won’t clash with their fashionable hosiery!
My precious-s-s-s!
YORKSHIRE EVENING POST (UK) 13 January 13 Weird warfare at Leeds Royal Armouries’ wacky weapons show event (Stuart Robinson)
The Royal Armouries in Leeds is putting on ‘You Don’t See One of These Everyday’, a display of unique fighting artifacts that their Curator of European Edged Weapons describes as "Many of the items are real works of art and examples of craftsmanship …, and some are things that probably just seemed like a good idea at the time "
One of the features is a 14th century crystal sword pommel, ‘fashioned to contain rare relics or mystical artefacts’.
And for those of you who just can’t get enough pretty things welded, etched, pinned or otherwise attached to your weapon of choice, We recommend you to the 1250-ish ‘Sword of San Fernando’ with its crystal grip … or maybe something more 15th C Teutonic in style?
Prancing & Posing … but not in Prima
МОСКОВСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ (Moscow, Russia) 20 December 12 В Коломне прошёл V чемпионат страны по арт-фехтованию
Russian stage fight directors for 20 teams comprising 100 ‘combatants’ mêléed during Kostroma 5; the annual, national ‘artistic fencing’ competition.
Categories included Duet - Antiquity, Duet – 16th C, Groups – 16th C, free style, and solo efforts – amongst others.
Of note, one of the competitors performed while wearing a prosthesis!
The sole photo with the item does not do the event justice, but to get a better flavour of what is involved in choreographing ‘artistic fencing’, I recommend you to the Russian ‘Espada’ groups’ site.
Wii™? Mais oui! Sort of … but this one is not for the wee-ones.
ENGADGET (New York, New York) 27 December 12 Insert Coin: 2012's top 10 crowd-funded projects - Clang (Alexis Santos)
As previously reported, not only was Neal Stephenson’s ‘Clang’ initiative on Kickstarter successful, but it was one of the site’s top-10 success stories! 9,023 backers promised $526,125!
Snippet {The longest one on record apparently}
HILLINGDON TIMES (UK) 03 January 13 Sikh 'Fortress Turban' to go on display at museum
A magnificent Sikh ‘fortress turban’ or ‘Dastaar Boonga’ is to go on display at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. The turban’s 20 yards of material intertwined with long hair to protect the head in battle and to hold the weapons of the skilled warrior Sikhs named Akali Nihangs - including their daggers, metal throwing discs or quoits … and according to one source … swords.
While 16th century Turban-tucked swords are not the usual modern WMA/HEMA discussion item – they might have been a subject much and intently talked about by English or French officers carrying a broadsword or things similar into the ‘Indian colonies’.