The Armour Archive

I know, this is like dropping a flash bang in a room and leaving, but most "experts" seem to suggest that the Churburg 13 "kit" is no earlier than 1380.

Still, the kits from the illustrations of Froissart look "later" and suggest that #13 could be of earlier date than that normally attributed to it.

If this is the case, most of the armor worn in the CoTT (including some of my own) is actually way too late for the event it is meant to represent/honor/recreate/etc/

Can anyone contribute with some solid dating points for the STYLE of Churburg 13 (it could have been built later in a "traditional" style but surely not earlier than the "type")


There is a great suit of 14th century transitional armour of Italian make found in a Greek Island... it escapes me.... Chalcis!
http://www.gonderzone.org/Library/Armour/chalcis.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mharrsch/802254989/

Which is being dated to 1400 and closer to Churburg 13 in style.

Are we dressing "too late" for the CoTT which happened 50 years earlier in 1351? (as in dressing up like Doughboys to recreate Gettysburg?)

Greetings Glaukos -

To answer your question re: the CoTT. As long as it can be dated to the 14th century, anytime in the 14th century, it is acceptable to the CoTT.

As far as I understand it, the CoTT @ Pennsic was never meant to be a re-enactment of the historical deed w/ arms & armour being documented to such a narrow stretch of history. The CoTT was conceived as a tournament that can be fought w/ more period conditions (counted blows w/ mass weapons to *stun* i/o *kill*, single handed swords largely ineffective, etc.) while remaining SCA legal. Oh, and a great place to pimp the greatness of the 14th century.

However, Hugh Knight / Rhys would be the authority to confirm this. It was his brain child.

So if it can be documented anywhere in the 14th century, be it early, middle, or late, it's all good in the CoTT.

I believe "the Deed" at Gulf Wars actually does have a more stringent date set for later 14th C. for that tournament.