I WTB a Moor in 14thC Andalusian Spain

[Oswyn_de_Wulferton]

I wanna be a Moor inn Lower Spain during the 14th century! One of my friends is doing this and we are running up against a bit of a block trying to figure out what from Byzantium and Saracen culture carried over. Thanks.

[Lawrence Parreira]

Ive been looking into doing the same thing, so I may have a little info that might help. The best I can do is post some pics i got from an Osprey book I have scanned onto my computer.

[Lawrence Parreira]

According to this book, the Andalusian moors had more in common with thier enemies, the Spanish and Portuguese, than with the Saracens and Persians. The Moorish empire in Al-Andulas (as Iberia was called by the Moors) was relatively secluded from other Muslim countries in the Middle east.

[Lawrence Parreira]

In the third picture the cavalryman is described as wearing light cloth covered body armor, but most seem to be wearing chain mail with a sort of akheton over the mail, a european or arabic style helmet and, of course, the traditional muslim style dress. Weapons seem to match their European counterparts fairly closely.

[Rana]

Any more resources on this topic? I have this Osprey book, and it's swell, but I'd love to have a broader knowledge base than one book.

By the way I have the ardaga now, been fighting with it for a while, yay! Have a promised amazing helm on the way, modified spangen with arabic decor (still in progress).
Persian style boots by Bohemon.
Blk leather bazu with Arabic tooling.

Now I need to pull together the stuff in the middle, heh. Would like to incorporate chainmaile as appropriate.

[chris_auld]

A really good book for this area and period is:

The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain by Maria Rosa Menocal

[Rana]

Ah! I am reading that very book right now!

It's a good read--and the title describes the reason I am interested in this time and place. That and the Alhambra.