Medieval Weapons

Highland Dress Doublet

Spartan-Timer — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:19:24 +0000

Doublets worn in the highlands of Scotland are a bit different from the doublets that were traditionally worn in the rest of the UK. The highland doublet is similar to a mess jacket and may be adorned with buttons, a jabot and cuff set, and a high-buttoned waistcoat. There are four distinct types of [...]

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Brief History of Chainmail Coif

Spartan-Timer — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:58:44 +0000

To protect his head and neck during battle, a medieval knight would don a chainmail coif. These coifs were made of interwoven iron rings. As you can imagine, they could be painful to wear, so knights would wear thick padding beneath the coif. A chainmail coif is not impenetrable. Sharp objects hurled with enough force [...]

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How Realistic Was 300?

Spartan-Timer — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:48:50 +0000

I watched the movie 300 and one of the things that amazed me was the costumes that they wore in the film. It was barely anything at all. Another thing that had me quit interested was the fact that their hair was short. I know that it’s a movie, but I was always under the [...]

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A Time For Renaissance

Spartan-Timer — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:48:49 +0000

Growing up my best friend and I were obsessed about medieval times. Every year we would go to a Renaissance Fair. We would dress up in our most lavished costumes and partake on the festivities. The food and costumes were amazing to see. The most extravagant costumes had to be the men. They would dress from [...]

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The Legend of Excalibur

Spartan-Timer — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:43:36 +0000

If today’s film culture seems obsessed with origin stories, that impulse is really nothing new. Long before the Star Wars prequels came to theaters, T.H. White penned an origin story for the myths of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. These stories had always portrayed Arthur as a fearless hero; White wanted [...]

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Yo Ho, Yo Ho a Pirate’s Life for Me!

Spartan-Timer — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:43:35 +0000

Did you know that there is an International Talk Like a Pirate Day? Every year on September 19th, pirate enthusiasts brush up their swarthy lingo and walk around speaking with extra “arrrrs.” Speaking like a pirate is so popular that even Facebook has pirate listed as a language option. To really get into the spirit of [...]

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A Sword Is A Novelty Item

Spartan-Timer — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:16:24 +0000

Cane swords, or swordsticks, became popular in Europe during the 18th century. Similar devices had been developed in Ancient Rome and Japan. The swordstick was mostly viewed as a fashion accessory, replacing decorative swords which went out of style as fire arms grew in popularity. Typically, wooden cane swords consisted of a shaft made from Malacca [...]

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See The Feverish Intensity Around You

Spartan-Timer — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:15:50 +0000

Ever wonder why people get really fascinated with fantasy stories? Young girls are fond of fairy tales while young boys grew up on good adventure stories with heroes wielding fantasy swords. A lot of the bestsellers novels and blockbuster movies we had have this genre as well. We all know that the dragons, evil serpents, [...]

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Viking Swords at Vikings Games

Spartan-Timer — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:42:09 +0000

For the last several years the Minnesota Vikings have been associated with mediocrity in the NFL, but they have experienced resurgence this year thanks in large part to some new talent. Last year’s first round draft pick Adrian Peterson and the acquisition of veteran quarterback Brett Favre has equated to a drastic increase in the [...]

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Childhood Memories Revisited

Spartan-Timer — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:41:26 +0000

When I was a kid, one of my favorite movies was “American Ninja.” The movie is about a boy who was adopted by a Filipino man and shown the way of the Ninja. One of the weapons that the titular hero had was throwing stars to battle the enemies with ninja swords and renaissance daggers. [...]

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