New Releases for December 2023 - Age of Arthur, Crusades, Conquest of America (1 Viewer)

[Julie]

NEW RELEASES FOR DECEMBER 2023
THE AGE OF ARTHUR
THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS 1066
THE NORMAN ARMY

The Battle of Hastings took place on the 14[SUP]th[/SUP] October 1066. Although the numbers on each side were about equal, William had the advantage of having both cavalry, infantry and many archers.
Harold had only foot soldiers, and few archers. The English formed a shield wall along a ridge, and were initially so effective that the invading Norman army was repeatedly thrown back with heavy casualties.

BISHOP ODO OF BAYEUX

Odo was the son of William the Conqueror’s mother Herleva and Herluin de Conteville. There is uncertainty about his birth date, and it is believed he was born around 1035. Duke William made him bishop of Bayeux in 1049.



NM-12
THE AGE OF ARTHUR,
THE NORMAN ARMY,
BISHOP ODO OF BAYEUX.

Although Odo was an ordained Christian cleric, he is best known as a warrior and statesman. He funded ships for the Norman invasion of England and is one of the very few proven companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
The Bayeux Tapestry which was probably commissioned by him to adorn his own cathedral, appears to make the point that he did not actually fight, that is to say shed blood, but rather encouraged the troops from the rear.
The Latin annotation embroidered onto the Tapestry above his image reads, “Hic Odo Eps Baculu Tenens Conortat Pueros”, “Here Odo the Bishop holding a club strengthens the boys”.
It has been suggested that his clerical status forbade him from using a sword, although this is doubtful. The club was a common weapon and used often by leaders including the Duke William himself, as also depicted in the same part of the Tapestry.

In 1067, Odo became Earl of Kent, and for some years he was a trusted royal minister. On some occasions when William was absent (back in Normandy) he served as regent of England, and at times he led the royal forces against rebellions (eg, the Revolt of the Earls).
During this time, Odo acquired vast estates in England, larger in extent than anyone except the king. He had land in twenty three counties, primarily in the south east and in East Anglia.

THE VIKINGS
VIKING ARCHERS

The Vikings made considerable use of the bow, both on land and at sea. Not only was it used to a considerable extent by the bondi (in Norway and Sweden the word “bow” could even be used to mean a warrior) but also it was used by nobles and kings, who took great pride in their personal accuracy.
Viking bows were mainly made from elm, although yew was also used.
In the Leidang bows were provided as part of the ship’s equipment. It was known that a bow and 24 arrows were supplied per 2 oarsmen. This suggests that up to 50per cent of a Viking national army might in fact be bow armed.

VIK-40A
THE AGE OF ARTHUR,
THE VIKINGS,
VIKING ARCHERS.
(2 pcs)

VIK-40B
THE AGE OF ARTHUR,
THE VIKINGS,
VIKING ARCHERS.
(2 pcs)

VIK-40N
THE AGE OF ARTHUR,
THE VIKINGS,
VIKING ARCHERS.
(4 pcs)


THE GREAT SIEGE OF MALTA 1565

The Great Siege of Malta occurred in 1565 when the Ottoman Empire attempted to conquer the Island of Malta, then held by the Knights Hospitaller.
The siege lasted nearly four months, from 18[SUP]th[/SUP] May to 11[SUP]th[/SUP] September 1565.

The Knights Hospitaller had been headquartered in Malta since 1530, after being driven out of Rhodes, also by the Ottomans, in 1522, following the Siege of Rhodes.
The Ottomans first attempted to take Malta in 1551 but failed. In 1565, Suleiman The Magnificent, the Ottoman Sultan, made a second attempt to take Malta.
The Knights, who numbered around 500 together with approximately 6,000 foot soldiers, withstood the siege and repelled the invaders. This victory became one of the most celebrated events of Sixteenth Century Europe, to the point that Voltaire said,
“Nothing is better known than the Siege of Malta”.
It undoubtedly contributed to the eventual erosion of the European perception of Ottoman invincibility, although the Mediterranean continued to be contested between Christian coalitions and the Muslim Turks for many years.

MALT-10
THE CRUSADES,
THE GREAT SIEGE OF MALTA 1565,
KNIGHTS OF THE ORDER OF ST.JOHN OF JERUSALEM,
KNIGHT.
(2 pcs)

 

[Julie]

THE CONQUEST OF AMERICA
SKRAELINGS, THE BEOTHUK

SKRAELING is the name the Norse Greenlanders used for the peoples they encountered in North America, and Greenland.

In the Viking Sagas, it is also used for the peoples of the region known as Vinland whom the Norse encountered during their expeditions there in the early 11[SUP]th[/SUP] Century.



SK-10
THE CONQUEST OF AMERICA,
SKRAELINGS,
BEOTHUK WARRIOR.
(1 pc)

The word Skraeling is most likely related to the old Norse word “skra”, meaning “dried skin”, which is believed to be in reference to the animal pelts worn by the native Americans.

The term is thought to have been first used by Ari Thorgilsson in his work called “The Book Of The Icelanders”. The book was written well after the period in which Norse explorers made their first contacts with indigenous Americans. By the time of the book, Skraeling was probably the common term Norse Greenlanders used for the Thule people, who were the ancestors of the modern Inuit.
The Greenlander’s Saga and the Sago of Erik the Red, which were written in the 13[SUP]th[/SUP] Century, use this term for the people of the area known as Vinland whom the Norse met in the early 11[SUP]th[/SUP] Century. The word has subsequently become well known and has been used in the English language since the 18[SUP]th[/SUP] Century.

Probably the most likely local inhabitants of the area named as Vinland were the Beothuk, or at least their ancestors. The meaning of the word Beothuk is obscure, but “people” or “good people” are possibilities. They lived in villages made up of a number of cone-shaped houses called “Mamateeks”.
Unfortunately the Beothuk have since vanished, with the last of their tribe believed to have died in the 19[SUP]th[/SUP] Century.

Ethnologists have recognized what are at least similarities between the Beothuk peoples and other still existing tribes native to North America, like the Algonquin Indians. This helps give us some insight into the Beothuk, their weapons and the way in which they lived.

There was a vast difference in the weapons possessed by the Beothuk and those available to the Vikings. The most significant variation was the ability of the Vikings to smelt iron in order to create high quality swords and axes, along with iron tipped spears and arrows.
The Beothuk were in awe and fear of these iron weapons. In one saga it tells of “One of the Skraelings had picked up an axe, and after examining it for a moment, he swung it at a man standing beside him, who fell dead at once”.

The vikings had nothing good to say about the people they met. They referred to these people as poor traders, primitive people who were easily scared.

Norse exploration of the new world began with the initial sighting of North America by an Icelander named Bjarni Herjolfsson, who spotted land after drifting off course on a journey to Greenland in 985.
They speculated amongst themselves as to what land this might be, for Bjarni said he suspected this was not Greenland.
His voyage piqued the interest of later explorers including Leif Eriksson, who would explore and name the areas of Helluland, Markland and Vinland.
Eriksson laid the groundwork for later colonizing efforts in the generations to come by establishing a foothold on Vinland, when he constructed some "large houses."
There was great discussion of Leif's Vinland voyage, and his brother Thorvald felt they had not explored enough of the land. Leif then told Thorvald, 'You go to Vinland, brother, and take my ship if you wish, but before you do so I want the ship to make a trip to the skerry to fetch the wood that Thorir had there.”
Thorvald has the first contact with the native population which would come to be known as the Skraelings. After capturing and killing eight of the natives, they were attacked at their beached ships, which they defended.
'I have been wounded under my arm,' he said. 'An arrow flew between the edge of the ship and the shield into my armpit. Here is the arrow, and this wound will cause my death.”

Thorfinn Karlsefni was the first Viking explorer to attempt to truly colonize the newly discovered land of Vinland on the same site as his predecessors Thorvald and Leif Eriksson. According to the Saga of Erik The Red, he set sail with 3 ships and 140 men.
Upon reaching Vinland, their intended destination, they found the now famous grapes and self-sown wheat for which the land was named. They spent a very hard winter at this site, where they barely survived by fishing, hunting game inland, and gathering eggs on the island. The following summer they sailed to the island of Hop where they had the first peaceful interactions with the native people, with whom they traded. Karlsefni forbade his men to trade their swords and spears, so they mainly exchanged their red cloth for pelts. Afterwards they were able to describe the aboriginal inhabitants in detail, saying:
“They were short in height with threatening features and tangled hair on their heads. Their eyes were large and their cheeks broad.”
Shortly thereafter, the Norsemen were attacked by natives who had been frightened by a bull that broke loose from their encampment. They were forced to retreat to an easily defensible location and engage their attackers; at the end of the battle two of his men had been slain, while "many of the natives" were killed. As with anywhere, in this foreign land, Karlsefni and his men realized that despite everything the land had to offer there, they would be under constant threat of attack from its prior inhabitants.

After this adventure, they returned to Greenland. Their three-year excursion would be the longest lasting known European colony in the New World until Columbus’s voyages nearly 500 years later initiated full-scale European conquest of the Americas.


** PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER FOR FURTHER INFORMATION **

 

[Grey Heron]

The Skraeling this month looks great! Love the new additions to the Knight's of St John too.

 

[bradleyl30]

THE VIKINGS
VIKING ARCHERS

The Vikings made considerable use of the bow, both on land and at sea. Not only was it used to a considerable extent by the bondi (in Norway and Sweden the word “bow” could even be used to mean a warrior) but also it was used by nobles and kings, who took great pride in their personal accuracy.
Viking bows were mainly made from elm, although yew was also used.
In the Leidang bows were provided as part of the ship’s equipment. It was known that a bow and 24 arrows were supplied per 2 oarsmen. This suggests that up to 50per cent of a Viking national army might in fact be bow armed.

VIK-40A
THE AGE OF ARTHUR,
THE VIKINGS,
VIKING ARCHERS.
(2 pcs)

VIK-40B
THE AGE OF ARTHUR,
THE VIKINGS,
VIKING ARCHERS.
(2 pcs)


I notice that the kneeling archer has what appears to be a cross around his neck. I wonder what that is about?

 

[marco55]

I'll tell you Jenkins figures look good on their own but put them together and they look great! He must design all of them together first and then start making them.:salute::
Mark

 

[NZGary]

Siege of Malta figures look epic all together.

 

[jason foote]

Wow, i love all of these except the Malta knight. I am no expert in this period…at all, but he seems too “knight in shining armour” fir me.
loving Bishop Oddo, he is a must.
definately in on the archers, i think this is the last set.
Love the Skraeiling, i have 3 and will get one or two more but am just sitting on the fence and keeping it small. John makes so many beautiful figures, he just sucks me into too many things…. But thats an awesome thing!

 

[bradleyl30]

Wow, i love all of these except the Malta knight. I am no expert in this period…at all, but he seems too “knight in shining armour” fir me.

My initial thought was the same. He would be great for the first Siege of Rhodes, and possibly the second (not counting the one where the fleet was destroyed/driven away by a storm.)

There are some people I know who study this area so I asked them for confirmation, but there would have been foot knights looking like this at Pavia only 40 years before. So, I do think it is possible there would be knights in this type of harness.