Hever-by the sword...

 Greetings

I have recently been at Hever castle for a three day re-enactment. I will blog about the event in general later.

Now, however, I am now going to give an account of the Monday battle.

This is partially for myself and partially to warn any other medieval re-enactment fighters who might read this. This is what can happen on the field- and , whilst I am carefully not mentioning any names, it might lead to someone being able to avoid the instigator.

I had decided that I would not wear my brigandine, as it was very hot and this meant I could fight easier with hand and a half sword. I left off my surcoat and made it very clear at the muster that I was lightly armoured in the body.

The battle started well and I had two good scraps. One was against a young lad with hand and a half, who I easily bested. His reaction was everything one could wish for. He praised my sword work and wanted to know how I did it. I think he was with the Medieval Combat Society. I told him I would be happy to show him some moves- but not that day , as I had to pack up my tent.

The second fight was against an older man with a polaxe.  Apart from him not feeling one of my hit to his helm ( that was ok -I just gave him another one, slightly harder) this fight also went well- included a controlled thrust  that caused no injury, mark or bruising, despite being against opposed only by an arming jack. I think this chap was with 1415.

The trouble came when I found myself fighting -let's call him K- from another group of Fifteenth Century Knights

It soon became clear he was not coping well against the hand and a half- but was not acknowledging any hits.

The situation was a s follows. We were both stationary and I was putting in a blow to his helm( right down the middle, as is right and proper).

Without warning, or moving his feet, he suddenly ( using his right hand) raised his sword between us and the tip hit me at the corner of my left eye.

I shouted "You nearly hit me in the eye!" and his response was " I was just doing a block."

Not , you will note, " Are you alright?" or " Sorry." or " Oh, Shit!" or anything similar

The marshal arrived promptly and I told him what had happened. I was helped back to my side of the field and I learned later that K had been sent to sit down on his side- but I saw him take part on the final fight.

When we were forming at the end to take bows etc, the head of his group , let's call him J ( who used to fight as a Scots Lord and I had though was a reasonable chap) came to find me and tried to promote the "it was just a block" story.

I took this on board-I was still a bit in shock- but did point out that, if it was a block , why wasn't K stepping back to make it?  That action would not have been able to block my sword from where he was standing- at all.

Dave ( playing K's commander- De Spencer) and Gary ( playing my commander- Lord Neville) met with K and - think the phrase is "Tore him a new one". Dave had been nearby and witnessed the blow. He as also able to dismiss the claims of  another member of  K's group, who said he's seen the incident and hadn't been anywhere near it.

K did not accept he had done anything wrong. Nor did he make any attempt to apologise, or find out if I was alright.

(This is also not the fist time he has caused injuries on the field and he is notorious for failing to accept the he had been hit. He has previously deliberately smashed the edge of his buckler down on my sword hand during a fight. On another occasion, he complained that he was wearing no body armour when I put in a good (pulled) hit with a polearm. I responded that I also was not wearing body armour and asked if it had been too hard. He replied "No." and still did not accept the hit.)

In discussions after the event at Hever, J claimed to have come over when the marshal did- but, of course he hadn't. He also claimed that it must have been my mail avental that hit by my eye and not a sword at all.

Now, I've worn a bassinet with an avental for years and , somehow, I've never had an eye injury from it before.

Also, whilst the mail may have made a slight scrape next to my eye, it had to be pushed there by the blow and it didn't cause the injury at the corner of my eyelid which was still swollen and tender two days after the incident and is still visible and slightly tender three days after. 

There is also a small dent in the orbit ( bone).

Here's a selfie ( my first selfie ever) that  I j took three days after the incident.

Here's a close-up. This is just how close he came to hitting my eye.

K is  now saying it was all my fault and I walked onto his sword. That would be interesting to arrange ,as we were both stationary at that moment.

So, it is clear that the C15 group are not going to take any action against their member , despite him causing an injury on the field.  Indeed they all seem to be spreading all sorts of fictions in K's defence.

I , however, am no longer prepared to fight K and will walk away from him on the field. Dave has also said he will no longer fight him.

I have also re-assessed my opinion of J, who seems to think he can play fast and loose with the truth, regardless of evidence and witnesses.

As the group do not seem to understand the meaning of the word "Honour" , I shall , henceforth, replace it for them with the French word "Honi".

Until next time

Adieu