The Re-Enactor Issue 52, June 2013

Development of Re-Enactment in Ukraine

Photo by Zhanna Saganyuk

Development of Re-Enactment in Ukraine

Photo by Zhanna Saganyuk

Features This Month 1: A Texas Mid Summer Trek. Jerry Bird

2: Book Review-The Historical Novel Soc.

3: Development of Re-Enactment, Ukraine

4: Event Information

5: Polish Winged Hussar re-enactment.

Greetings All

Summer may well have finally arrived here

in the UK, albeit only for a day or two at a

time but it is nice to see the sun and have

some warmth.

July & August are the really busy months

with likes of Tewkesbury, Kelmarsh and

Berkeley Castle to attend. I will also be

trading at Chalke Valley, Chetwynd &

Berkeley so do come over and say hello.

A huge thank you to Jerry Tubbs, Middle

Ages Today and Rik Fox for their excellent

articles and stories.

I ran out time this month and haven’t had

chance to have my interview with Giles

Christian but it will be here soon!

I need more articles and stories for future

issues so get in contact if you have

something you would like to see published.

Please send all correspondence to the

following email address:

thereenactor@btinternet.com

Competitions:

All competitions are free to enter

Winners will be selected at random on the 24th

of

each month for the relevant competition.

Winners will be notified via email shortly after

the draw takes place.

No correspondence will be entered into.

The editor’s decision is final.

The views and opinions expressed in the articles in

this ezine are those of the individual authors

themselves and not those of the Editor

Note: If you have any questions

queries thoughts or ideas for and

about the magazine please do feel

free to contact me and we can discuss

them.

To receive notification of each new issue

send your email address to:

thereenactor@btinternet.com

A Texas Mid Summer Day Trek If it is possible to contract cabin fever during the long cold winters of the north, can not the

same be said for the long hot summers of the south? Here on the Texas Gulf Coast summer

comes quickly and stays for a long time. During those hot and humid days I become a mole

person. Hiding from the ever present bright light of the scorching sun, one tries to stay busy

doing things to occupy the time. The cabin fever finally sets in and the brain and the body

both agree that maybe it’s not so hot out there after all. Are we not nice a cool here in our

man cave? I bet if I were to venture out on a trek it would not be so bad and I may just have a

great time. Well with all common sense set aside I started planning a trek to co-inside with

the full moon.

So here it is mid August with the temperatures hovering in the high nineties and humidity

levels high enough to take a bath outside without the aid of pumped water. Undaunted I

started gathering what gear I figured I would need for two days in the woods on my own

hook. The plan was to arrive early enough of a Friday in the late afternoon and head out to

one of my favorite spots on the private property I was to use for my adventure. I planned to

spend the evening making a very simple camp of just two very light weight blankets and my

trappings for the weekend. Saturday’s plan was to wake early and walk the fence line of the

entire property making mental notes of places they might prove good to hunt deer from come

the winter. I wanted to test my new pack made by Chuck Cassada to get a better

understanding of what would work and what would not and to see how my shoulders would

react to the weight on them. Well all the best laid plans of mice and men, you know the rest.

With your kind consideration I would like to tell you just how plans can be changed by

Mother Nature and the elements.

It all started the Thursday before I was to head to the woods. I had finished carefully packed

all my necessities and turned to roll up the one wrap shirt I like to use but it was not to be

found. It usually hangs in my bedroom on a coat rack with some of my other gear. Not

locating the shirt and assuming the wife had washed it, I asked her where it might be found.

Mind you she knows not to do such a ruthless thing to this shirt but sometimes she is able to

get a hold of it and give it a cleaning thus undoing all the character I had put into it. A bit

frustrated that she had not touched it and had not a clue where it could have gotten off to, I

decided on another shirt to wear. Looking at the small pile of gear I had laid out on the bed I

decided that enough was enough and that I was getting a bit carried away with my packing.

Friday came and the day seemed to drag on forever but the time to leave finally arrived and

off I was in a flash. About halfway to my destination I noticed the clouds were starting to roll

in from the south. I could see pockets of rain in the distance and one really dark storm in my

rearview mirror. The storms were coming on fast and heading the same direction I was going.

Happily I was able to make it to my stepping off point which is a cabin used in the fall for

deer hunting. I was pleased to have out run the storm but not happy to find the cabin doors

locked. I thought to myself this is but a small set back and set about changing my clothes

using the screen porch as my changing station. I wasn’t in my long hunter outfit for too long

of a time when a major storm appeared from the north and was heading in my direction.

Common sense stepped in and told me that I better wait to see just what was to happen as a

storm from the opposite direction was about to converge with the one from the north. I was

glad I did as the sky grew very dark, the wind picked up and lighting was beginning to strike

all around the cabin. At times I could feel the electrical charge in the air before a bolt would

hit very close by. Well, there went setting up camp that evening. Disappointed but dry I made

the best of it by refreshing the edge on my knife and hawk while enjoying nature’s light

show.

After about two hours the storm subsided and the clouds parted to reveal the bright light of a

beautiful moon rise coming through the trees. The moon seemed close enough to reach out

and touch as it cleared the top of the trees. I swear it was so quiet that at one moment I

thought I could hear an unearthly vibration emitting from the moon as it quietly started its

path across the night sky. As I sat there watching this repeat of a heavenly dance that has

happen since time first began I could not help but think of those before us who have looked

up at this most wonderful display and pondered their own mortality. Many thoughts raced in

my mind as I enjoyed the peace around me and felt a sense of calm I had not had in a long

time. With the arrival of Joe, the ranch foreman, I sadly left my perfect repose and helped

him open the cabin and bring in some of his gear. After a few pleasantries and a couple

jiggers of rum it was time to fort up for the evening.

The next morning my biological clock had gone off at my usual time to rise and I was up

quietly gathering my gear. I open the cabin door to be greeted by a cool but extremely foggy

morning. Now what, I thought to myself. Do I wait until the fog burns off which very well

could be mid morning or bite the bullet and head into the soup? It did not take much time to

ponder the situation as I figured better fog than the heat that would be arriving before much

longer. With my smooth rifle loaded and primed I set out for my weekend adventure. I had

not walked a hundred yards when I approached one of the many stock ponds. It was there at

the pond that my first taste of an interesting weekend was to occur. Somewhere in the fog the

sound of a deer giving a warning whistle stopped me in my tracks. I peered as hard as I could

into the fog straining my eyes to see where the sound had originated. Not moving anything

but my eyes I could see to my right three ghostly forms coming from the pond no less than

thirty yards from where I was standing. At about the same time I spotted the deer, the lead

deer spotted me and all three froze in their path. It was now a test of wits as I could see them

but not see more than just an outline of their forms in the fog and I am sure that was what

they were seeing of me. As my heart raced as I stood there watching and hoping they would

continue to come closer but this was not to happen. The lead deer finally had enough of this

strange form in the fog so after a couple of whistles and a stomp of a hoof they melted away

into the mist. This was the first of many thrills I would have this weekend and will remember

for a long time.

Continuing on I made it up a steep ridge and crossed over to the main pasture. Here the fog

was gently being mixed as a small breeze was passing across the pasture making visibility

less than at the stock pond so I had to tread carefully being sure not to step in any meadow

muffins or standing water. In this pasture stands a mock-up of one of the walls of the Alamo.

This wall was built for a History Channel presentation on the history of the Alamo and the

attack on it by the Mexican Army in March of 1836. I was part of the Mexican Artillery crew

that fired six pound iron balls at this wall to demonstrate the effect of a siege. This was a

sizable representation of the Alamo wall but at two hundred yards it looked more like a

postage stamp. I will not go into detail on this subject and just say I had to stop and pay

homage to “The Wall” as my friends and I call it. Crossing the pasture and heading for the

tree line I was greeted by the mooing of some of the land owners steers. Not knowing exactly

their location ahead of me I kept my course in hope of not disturbing them as they grazed.

Well my luck ran out as I came upon a large herd of them and you would have thought they

had seen a ghost. The ones that I could see stopped their chewing and let out a load warning

of my approach. It was then the bull of the woods stepped out of the fog and put himself

between me and the rest of the herd. I cannot say for certain I was truly in any danger but I

figure it is too late now to change direction so gathering up all the courage I had and stood as

tall a figure as I could make and walked on past if I was the boss and not him. It was later that

I was to learn this bull is a gentle creature and was just most likely curious as to why I did not

stop and feed him.

After making a rest stop to take care of nature’s calling I made it to the edge of the woods and

to a point that I could see there were three trails I could take. Knowing where two lead I

decided to take the one I hope less traveled by the cattle and was new to me. I had just

stepped off onto the trail when out of the corner of my left eye I caught movement in the fog.

Freezing in my tracks, I turned at the waist to try and capture a glance at what was out there.

It turned out to be a sizable pack of wild hogs making a hasty retreat to the fence line and the

safety of the neighboring property. I had the opportunity to take aim at the last little hog but

that meant I would have to stop my trek and take care of the meat. Luck this time was in the

favor of the hogs.

Continuing on the new trail I soon found myself stepping on a field of clover with pink

flowers abundantly growing in every direction. As pretty as it was it also had a sinister side as

all the blooms were covered in honey bees gathering pollen. The sound of their buzzing was

loud enough to make me feel as if I was in the middle of the hive. Caring less about me and

more about the work at hand, the honey bees buzzed around my feet as I moved on making

my way from a pleasant trail to one full of mud and hoof prints. The ground became harder

and harder to walk on as my moccasin bottoms begin to become bogged down with mud and

I found myself slipping from one hoof print to another as I struggled to keep my balance.

Travel became increasingly slow and tiring as I found myself having to pick and choose

where my next step was to be. Luckily I was able to find a small spot of high ground under a

large tree to take a break while having a quick morsel to eat and rearrange my pack. There I

stood pondering if I was to continue on or turn back to the trailhead and start on a different

path. The right side of my brain was arguing with the left side as to my situation and what to

do when I made an executive decision to keep going on what I now dubbed “The Warrior’s

Path”. So with my stomach happier, my thirst satisfied and my pack feeling better on my

shoulders I stepped off into the mud to continue my trek into unknown territory. I found

myself picking landmarks to use as my next goal to make. There I would stop and remove as

much mud as I could from the soles of my mocs and head for the next goal. After what

seemed like hours I made it to a point where the property line ended and I had to head north

on the trail. At this point I thought of turning back but the prospect of a better trail ahead and

knowing that the area I wanted to camp was about a mile ahead I pushed on. Well, the trail

did get better and I was making good time until I noticed the path getting narrower ahead.

The path finally just stopped as the woods had closed in at this point and there was just no

way to go around because of the low ground just off the path and standing water. It would

appear that Mother Nature had made the decision for me to backtrack and start over. By this

time the stubborn fog had lifted considerably and the warm glow of the sun was making its

appearance. While backtracking I made an observation that explained to me why I was tired

in such a short time. Besides the mud and hoof prints in the trail, I could see where the dew

on the clover had been removed by my steps and where I had weaved back and forth in the

trail. I can safely estimate that I had doubled my distance by all the weaving I had done.

I had just about made my way back to the head of the trail when I walked up on a doe and a

yearling fawn feeding about 20 yards ahead of me. The doe casually walked off but the fawn

froze while all the time keeping an eye on me. Not wanting to scare the fawn, I gently eased

to my left putting a low branch full of leaves between myself and the young deer. Using this

natural blockage to my advantage I was able to get close enough to get a good look at the

spots that remained on the fawn and thought to myself that these spots would soon be gone as

winter approached. Feeling as if I had been given a huge dose of energy by the sight of this

juvenile deer, I stepped from my blind spot and with a flick of the tail the yearling bounce off

to catch up with its mother which was patient waiting and the edge of a thicket. I could feel

my grin as it stretch from ear to ear and I reminded myself that this is why I love this hobby

so much.

Back at the intersection of the trails I once again stopped to remove my gear and take a much

needed rest in the shade of a large oak tree. Taking a sip of water from my canteen to refresh

my dry throat it dawned on me just how quite the woods had become. The birds had stopped

their singing and there was a strange stillness to the trees. I looked about the woods to be

sure I was the only creature in sight and not in danger of being attacked by a wild hog.

Satisfied I was not in any immediate danger I scanned the sky and noticed dark clouds were

starting to roll in from the north. It was then I felt a cold breeze and a chill ran down my

back. With the sound of thunder in the distance I knew what was headed my way so once

again mother nature was to keep me from my the area I had hoped to camp for the evening.

With my gear once again on my back or about me I headed back to the cabin to fort up again

and avoid being soaked by the approaching storm. I had almost made it across the pasture

when the rain caught up with me. It was not a driving rain but more along the line of a gentle

spring shower. Although I was getting wet the cool rain felt wonderful on my face. As fast as

it had come it was over. All that was between me and the cabin was a small ridge that I had

crossed earlier that morning. Determined to cross it again I begin the assent to the top. As

tired as I was, this hill could have well been Mount Everest as I struggled to get to the top.

With the help of my smooth rifle as a walking staff I made it to the summit and within sight

of the cabin. It was there I decided to take one last rest. Not wanting to remove any of my

possibles and my pack I just feel to my knees and turned over so the pack and bedroll made a

support for my lower back. I am not sure when I fell asleep but I figure it wasn’t too long

after I had reclined on my pack and my feet felt the load taken off of them. I probably would

have been there in my quite repose for some time but the sharp pain in my right arm woke me

up. Ants were covering the arm from the wrist to the elbow and all were stinging me with a

vengeance. I may have been tired but I found the strength to jump to my feet and start to rid

myself of the pain the little critters were inflicting on me. Once satisfied I had removed the

little devils I begin the walk back to the cabin and a much earned rest. It would seem the ants

had done me a favor because the rain returned and much harder this time. After I had seen to

the care of my smooth rifle and my gear hung out to dry I sat down on the steps of the cabin,

took a deep breath and decided I was not done yet. There was still the back twenty two acres

to explore. So soon as the rain was to let up and I had rested my tired back I was to be off

once again before the day’s end.

The rain stopped somewhere in the early afternoon and the sun returned to its job of

scorching the earth. The one good thing about the back twenty two acres is the earth is mostly

sand compared to the muddy river bottom soil of the pasture land and no cattle were allowed

on it. With a renewed strength in my back and legs I once again gather my gear, check the

prime in my smooth rifle and prepared to head out. The trail I took is rock covered and very

hilly at first with a lot of turns in it making a challenge to the feet but adding a chance at each

turn to sneak up on any animals that might be ahead. I was rewarded very quickly as I eased

around the forth turn in the trail and came upon two doe feeding on grass growing along the

side of the path. I tried to retrieve my camera from my haversack as quietly as I could but the

sound of my rummage around in it caught their ear and off they went without even a glance

back to see what had made the sound that spooked them. I knew my time was growing short

before the sun would set so I made my way to a nearby stock pond to try and catch some pan

fish or maybe even a catfish or two for supper. Using bacon as the bait I soon had my line

cast and a nibble at the hook. It looked as if my luck was going to change and fish was going

to be on the campfire soon. Not so as all I was able to catch was three very small perch for

my efforts.

Still it was fun to get a line wet and do some cork watching. With the line dried off and put

back into its tin, I headed off to follow the creek that feed off of the pond as best I could. I did

find some nice deep pools here and there and always under the shade of a large cedar tree.

Perhaps this is where the larger fish were hiding but they would have to wait until my next

trip. Coming out of the thicket and back on the same trail I had headed in on, my thoughts

returned to making camp for my last evening. I located a sandy clearing under a cedar tree

but unfortunately the sound of vehicles on the nearby major highway made it clear that this

spot would not allow for a peaceful night of rest. With that I turned to watch the sun set in a

beautiful orange ball in the western horizon and with the shadows growing longer by the

minute I unloaded my gun by taking aim in a large knot in a nearby a tree and headed back to

the cabin.

That evening while setting in front of the cabin and raised my eyes to view another beautiful

moon rise and the canopy of stars above me. I ran the day’s events through my mind and

although the past couple of days had not turned out as I had originally planned them to be, I

found myself planning another trip back come the fall and cooler weather. Yes, I did get hot

and covered in a greasy sweat and my arm itched from the ant bites but I still had the time of

my life. I had come close to what I wished to accomplish and felt a deep satisfaction in

myself as I had taken on the heat of a Texas summer day and won.

A Huge Thank you to Jerry Tubbs for this excellent story!

WOLVES IN ARMOUR BY IAIN CAMPBELL

This is the first book of the author’s Norman Conquest trilogy. It tells the story of a young

Norman noble, Sir Alan Gauville, who joins William the Conqueror’s army just before the

crossing to England. At Hastings he intervenes to help the Duke, and is later rewarded by

being granted a manor and associated “Hundred”, a collection of villages in the area of

Colchester. Once there he settles to the task of fortifying the manor, building an army and

dealing with Viking invaders, local bandits, and a romantic thread in the form of his wooing

and eventual marriage to a local Saxon noblewomen.

Campbell clearly enjoys his historical detail and he has spent a lot of time researching life,

traditions, customs and legal affairs of the 11th century, with much of his gleaned information

forming the narrative background. Which, from a historical view is highly interesting, but

perhaps at the cost of slowing the pace of the plot down.

The author has created a detailed, well developed world of early Norman England, but

attention to more characterization would have enhanced the storyline. Wolves In Armour

could benefit from some of the in-depth details being trimmed down to allow the underlying

over-shadowed story to come to the fore.

There is a story here – a very good one. Campbell has a deep interest for this period; to bring

his characters to life and expand their portrayal he needs to liberate that passion into the

fictional element as well as the historical. However, for readers who prefer to learn

something from the fiction they read, this is an ideal exploration of England during the early

years of the Norman Conquest.

For other great reviews checkout

http://historicalnovelsociety.org

Development of reenactment in Ukraine: East and West

Any relatively big country has regional peculiarities. Difference in history, in traditions,

difference in ethnic groups and difference in languages or dialects – all these aspects have

impact on a definite territory. Ukraine, as one of the biggest countries in Europe is also

divided into such regions, which can be identified like West and East, and in some situations

the division into South and North can be considered. Traditional division of Ukraine into

West and East has always been the reason for misunderstanding on the political arena, but at

the same time on both sides of Dnieper people of the same nationality live, they are united by

common traditions despite some differences. And one can’t say whether it’s good or bad.

Historical reenactment as a mass movement, that requires great time and effort costs from its

representatives, surely feels the impact of the regional peculiarities. Historical reenactment in

the West and in the East of Ukraine is different and this difference is supported by many

reasons.

Festival activity.

Western Ukraine is leading in festival activity now. A good proof for this is the list of high

quality events like Forpost, Porta Temporis, Legends of Lviv, Silver Tatosh, Medieval Hotyn,

Medzhybish etc. The top festival city now is Kamianets-Podilskyi, because starting from the

1st of May one by one high quality festivals take place there almost every week. The festivals

are well prepared, they are advertised, they are waited for. Fortress sieges, that attract re-

enactors so much during May role-playing games, returned to the programs of the festivals,

equestrian tournaments appear in Ukraine step by step. For Ukraine equestrian tournaments

in reenactment will be a great step forward. Of course they have already been organized

before, but very seldom. And this spring the equestrian tournament of great interest is the

one in Medieval Hotyn, where even horse archers was competed.

At the same time in the East of Ukraine there isn’t such a big number of festivals. Most of the

events happening have sport tournament character and the level of reenactment of arms and

armor quality accepted is much lower.

What are the reasons? The true reason can’t be only one, so let’s try to figure out all possible reasons.

The first thing to be mentioned is the geographical position and peculiarities connected with

it. In Western Ukraine there are dozens of castles and many of them are in rather good

condition for the tournament to take place in. Of course it is more interesting to have a

knightly tournament in a castle, it becomes easier to advertise it, more spectators will come,

maybe even foreigners will come. In Southern and Eastern Ukraine there are fewer castles

and they do not attract so much attention. Of course special attention should be paid to an

enormous in size Genoese fortress in the city of Sudak (Crimea). But this fortress doesn’t

have any problems with festivals, though in quality they can’t be even compared with

festivals of Western Ukraine.

We have already mentioned foreigners. It is a very important factor because when foreigners

submit applications to the festivals at once it gets called international. And it doesn’t matter

whether the festival is worth to be called international or not. But anyway the possibility to

compete with foreigners attracts everyone and sharing the experience between reenactors in

such cases helps to development the movement. It is closer to get to Western Ukraine form

Europe and Belarus and their participation also increases the level of events. At the same time

from Russia it is closer to go to Eastern Ukraine but anyway they usually go to Western

Ukraine, and that also shows the level of festivals.

Foreigners do not come to the sport-tournament events and I don’t think they will. After all

the visual appeal is very important at the knightly tournament, and if the tournament doesn’t

have it, then it loses its emotive power, its coloring. Entertaining activities play a very

important part at the reenactment events: musical folk group performances, medieval fairs,

medieval amusements, master-classes in crafts and dances, fortress sieges and bowmen

performances. All these things look much better with the background of a medieval castle

and not the local history museum: more participants will come to the castle, more tourists will

arrive, there are more chances to cover all the financing of the festival and to gain some

money on it. The factor does not combine well with knightly romance, but it is one of the

leading factors on the way to organize a festival.

Beside the above mentioned reasons special attention should be also paid to some difference

in mentality and character of the regions. Western Ukraine is closer to European countries,

the region is less urbanized generally, that’s why the soil is more favorable to preserve

traditions and develop the reenactment movement.

For Eastern Ukraine it is very important now to show its abilities in organizing the festival of

a high level, because later if the trend maintains all the serious reenactment movement will be

focused in Western Ukraine. Despite all the above mentioned factors the possibilities exist:

the region is very rich, it is close to Russia(and re-enactors from Russia are always waited for

in Ukraine, because serious Ukrainian re-enactors would not lose a chance to meet them to

share the experience), numerous high level clubs exist and they could easily ensure the mass

character and high quality of the event.

Let’s hope that soon East of Ukraine will please us with large-scale, spectacular and high

quality festivals. And the re-enactors will surely support such events.

Ivan Jaremchuk

Middle Ages Today

http://middleagestoday.com/en

Event Information

July

5th – 7

th LARP Camp, Huntley Wood, Staffordshire, UK

www.larpcamp.co.uk

6th & 7

th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament, Linlithgow Palace, Scotland

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_199&PropName=Linlithgow%20Palace

13th

& 14th

The Battle of Tewkesbury, UK

http://www.tewkesburymedievalfestival.org/

13th

& 14th

Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament, Hever Castle, UK

http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/

20th

& 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament, Hever Castle, UK

http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/

26th

– 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament, Hever Castle, UK

http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/

27th

& 28th

Berkeley Skirmish, Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire, UK

Office@Plantagenet-Events.com

27th

& 28th

Smugglers Island, Appuldurcombe House, I.O.W. UK

Email: ednash.1993@hotmail.co.uk

July 27th & 28th: Hughenden’s Victorian Weekend, Hughenden Manor, Buckinghamshire.

www.eventplan.co.uk or www.facebook.com/EventplanUK

27th

& 28th

Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend, Camelford, Cornwall, UK

heburbeck@gmaiI.c0m

August

2nd

– 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament, Blenheim Palace, UK

http://www.blenheimpalace.com/

3rd

& 4th

The Midlands Festival of History, UK

http://www.mid-fest.co.uk

3rd

& 4th

The Loxwood Joust, Loxwood Meadow, RH14 0AL, UK

www.loxwoodjoust.co.uk

9th – 11

th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament, Hever Castle, UK

http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/

16th

– 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament, Hever Castle, UK

http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/

17th

& 18th

Scotlands Festival of History, Chatelherault, Scotland

www.scotlandsfestivalofhistory.co.uk

17th

& 18th

M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend, Spetchley Park, Worcs UK

Website – www.m5show.co.uk

23rd

& 24th

Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament, Hever Castle, UK

http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/

25th

& 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament, Hedingham Castle, UK

http://www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk/

25th

& 26th

The Sheffield Fayre, Norfolk Heritage Park, Sheffield.

www.eventplan.co,.uk or www.facebook.com/EventplanUK

August 31st & September 1st: On the Home Front 1939-45, Rufford Abbey Country Park,

Notts. Annual 1940s show. www.eventplan.co.uk or www.facebook.com/EventplanUK

September

12th & 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms

www.1474.eu

14th

& 15th

The Battle of Mortimer’s Cross, Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire.

www.mortimerscross.co.uk

September 21st & 22nd: Wimpole at War, The Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire. Annual

1940s event. www.eventplan.co.uk or www.facebook.com/EventplanUK

September 28th & 29th: Sherwood through the ages, Sherwood Forest. Annual Ancient to

1980s multi-period event. www.eventplan.co.uk or www.facebook.com/EventplanUK

October

October 5th & 6th: Hughenden’s Wartime Weekend, Hughenden Manor, Bucks. Annual

1940s event. www.eventplan.co.uk or www.facebook.com/EventplanUK

12th

& 13th

International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal

Email: artesanatocomhistoria@gmail.com

November

15th

-17th The Original Re-Enactors Market, Ryton on Dunsmore, Coventry, UK

www.reenactorsmarket.co.uk

16th

& 17th

The National Living History Fair

www.nlhf.co.uk

23rd

& 24th

The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair, Ludlow Castle, Shropshire

http://www.ludlowcastle.com/pages/events.aspx

Whittington Castle Multi-Period show

July 27th

& 28th 2013

Shropshire, SY11 4DF

Calling all interested re-enactors!

Whittington Castle is hosting a multi Period

event and are after anyone who fancies joining

them for the weekend to get in contact

www.whittingtoncastle.co.uk

Polish Winged Hussar Re-enactment in America by Rik Fox © 2013

The roots of Polish 17th

century and winged

hussar re-enacting in

the United States

actually go back to

sometime during 1998

in California of all

places, and what would

become a man and a

dream…

This is not a subject

that can easily be

summed up in a few

paragraphs, so I will

just tell you my

story…It was 1998, and

I had taken a break

from my rock and roll

career and while working in the film industry, I just spent about three years

working my way up thru the ranks of what was one of the largest and most

prestigious Renaissance Fair groups in the Southern California, Los Angeles

area; The Royal Spanish Court, representing the era of not only Queen

Elizabeth I, but also that of King Philip of Spain and the time of the Armada. As

per expected, is was something of a swarthy and dashing collection of rogues

and courtly ladies. Myself having been weaned as a young lad, on the

Hollywood swashbuckler classics such as any of Errol Flynn’s, along with

Tyrone Power and Ronald Coleman, I fancied myself just as much a

swashbuckler as any of them, complete with Flynn/Power/Coleman pencil

mustache and rapier-like wit. I seemed to have a natural aptitude with a sword

as well for some reason. In short time, I went from the lower position of King’s

Herald to full-blown stage actor, choreographing my own comedic sword

fighting segment of the groups’ stage show. At some point, I noticed that

virtually all of the European powers were represented at these Renaissance

Fairs, including the Ottoman Empire, but something seemed to be missing.

Being of Polish ancestry, I noticed that there was a very large and obvious lack

of Polish representation. I had met one or two Polish Renfair characters

portraying Poland, yes, but nothing formalized, nothing that stood out and

screamed the power and might of Poland…Upon receiving a handsome

promotion and acknowledgement within the Spanish Court to Captain of the

King’s Flagship for distinguishing myself within the group, and all titles therein

accompanied, I turned to my late father, Chevalier Leonard J. Sulima-

Suligowski, who was, at the time, the Director of the College of Heraldry in the

U.S., and the leading authority in the United States on Polish Heraldry. Who

better to know what I was curious about than he…

Come to find out, as he informed me, Poland was the largest land empire of

Europe at the time with a ratio of around 10 % nobility and gentry amongst its

population, which was more than all of Western Europe combined! The concept

of which runs somewhat different from that of Western Europe, and families

were gathered together something akin to the Scottish system of Clans, with a

myriad of Coats of Arms applying to many different branches of those families.

The nobility of Poland ran from the poor and impoverished all the way up to

magnate; rich or poor if you held some kind of title of nobility, you were

considered among the gentry of knightly brotherhood. And, at the most

important level (to me), of that knightly nobility: the legendary Polish cavalry:

the winged hussars. Of all the available personas to pick from within this era of

Polish history, no mere obvious choice was it; there was a bigger picture to

come at work here. One that was yet to be revealed…Once my father began to

supply for me, whatever educational materials I needed about the background of

Polish History during the Renaissance and subsequent Baroque period, I was at

that time extremely ‘new’ to the internet and although there was at that time

virtually nothing available (at least, in the English language) on the winged

hussars with whom I was so struck by their awesome imagery, I sought as much

materials as I could get my hands on. It was then, that my father reminded me of

a scratch built model he created back during the 1970’s, based off the original

Lone Ranger on Silver plastic model kit he built, and variated into a winged

hussar from an old illustration

from an old Polish book. As I

recalled the model he built, he

reminded me of my asking him

upon its completion ‘what is

that? I’ve never seen a knight

in armor with wings before.’

My father replied with ‘that…is

you ancestry and

heritage…these are the guys

that saved Poland from the

invading Swedish and other

forces in Poland and also

saved Christian Europe at The

Battle of Vienna.’ It wasn’t until he sent me copies of the Polaroid photos of the

winged hussar figure he made and also, copies of some of the Coats of Arms

represented by the knights who rescued Vienna that the distant memories began

to emerge.

Among them, up on the wall in the

chapel at Kahlenberg, from which the

famous charge commenced and which

overlooked the battlefield, was a copy

of our clan arms of Sulima. And so, I

saw, proof that our family clan arms

were among the winged hussar knights

who charged with King Jan III Sobieski

at Vienna on September 12, 1683…

With all the talk of Polish Solidarity,

ironically enough, it also walks hand-in-

hand with the legendary issue of how

the Polish nobles continuously

squabbled amongst themselves,

sometimes leading to some deadly

arguments. A small example (minus the

deadly), of a similar matter came about

when, sometime around 1999, dressed in my first elementary level attempt at a

Polish period persona, I actually met a Polish guy at a local Renaissance Fair

who, naturally, portrayed a Polish noble. When I told him I had a notion of a

dream and intent of creating a Polish group dedicated to the winged hussars, he

flat out laughed at me. He told me about how ‘anything Polish’ is looked down

upon, disrespected and the source of jokes in America. ‘Don’t bother, he said,

it’s not popular to be Polish, so you will fail and everyone will laugh at you.’

OK, I thought, throw an obstacle of adversity in my path and telling me I can’t

do something is only going to result in my proving you wrong…you just put

gasoline on the fire pal.

Within a few weeks I had made the decision to leave the Spanish Court and I

had already begun putting together my small offering of a Renaissance Polish

hussar camp. I had some armor and a small display of some of my first research

items to further show visitors exactly what and who we (my wife and I) were

portraying. Being fairly well-known among the renaissance Fair circuit in the

Los Angeles area, we began to receive many curious visitors and participants

alike inquiring what winged hussars were.

SEPTEMBER 2000; ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRST ‘OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED’ POLISH REPRESENTATION AT RENAISSANCE FAIRS IN THE U.S.: THE POLISH NOBILITY COMMONWEALTH GUILD

Not long after, oddly enough, along comes the very same Polish guy who tried

to dissuade me from embarking on such a foolish venture. Only now, he and his

pushy wife were suddenly very interested (especially, after seeing how someone

had the balls to finally take the lead in actually creating such a presentation),

and they began to insert themselves

into our group with all manner of

grandeurous plans of courtly intrigue

and drama, and to use me as the

‘figurehead image’ of the group while

they planned to now run it from within.

My wife and I looked at each other

and said ‘uhhh, no, this is not going to

be that kind of group; we’re not all

about all that Renfair gossip and

drama, this is going to be a group

dedicated to the winged hussars.’ We

got back to them and about two weeks

later we received a letter agreeing that

we both had very different ideas of

what my group was going to be and

so, they wished us luck with our little

endeavor and we agreed to go our own

ways. Exactly two weeks later, we

suddenly became the victims of a

massive program of ridicule by these

two, who were very well known and

established within the Renfair

community and a smear program became their latest campaign against me and

the creation of our Polish winged hussar presentation, now referring to me as

‘the Polish joke.’ Gee…I wonder why. They were out to prove that my creation

would fail and they would stop at nothing to extend their influence against me,

personally, and our group. LAND OF THE WINGED HORSEMEN EXHIBIT FROM POLAND

We didn’t let that stop us and with more determination than ever, we marched

on, step-by-step, proving them wrong, which only served to anger them all the

more. After the beginning of 2000, my father highly recommended that I see an

exhibit he covered with a Press Junket in Baltimore, Maryland, because of its

collection of winged hussar armor. I was granted special dispensation by the

curator of the San Diego Museum of Art and raced there from Los Angeles, to

see the final day of a touring exhibit from Poland: ‘Land of the Winged

Horsemen; Art in Poland 1572-1764’. It was then and there, that the bigger

picture was to finally and ultimately reveal itself to me…As I said; one of the

main highlights of this exhibit was a surviving collection of armor, weaponry

and paintings representing the winged hussar cavalry and The Battle of

Vienna, much of which was supplied by the Czartoryski Family. After having

just seen the Jerzy Hoffman epic film ‘Ogniem I Mieczem’ (With Fire and

Sword) based on the Sienkiewicz Trilogy, knowing that once gone, this exhibit

would soon be long-forgotten I knew I had to do something about that. As I

stood in the doorway of the hall of hussar armor, I suddenly experienced a

deeply emotional personal epiphany and was directly inspired to attempt to keep

the heart of this exhibit in America somehow.

I tread a road that was fraught with such adversities

coming from both, fellow Poles and non-Poles

alike. Starting out by introducing this portrayal at

various local Renaissance Fairs, I and our few

members bore the brunt of mean, cruel, and

insensitive W.W. II-based Polish jokes and

ignorant comments from both, fair participants and

visitors alike. Still, we pressed on, eventually

picking up members and raising eyebrows as our

presentation grew. Right: Making U.S. History as the first ever portrayal of a winged hussar in any parade in America; The 2002 NYC Pulaski Day Parade.

Changing our name from The Polish Nobility

Commonwealth Guild, to the more properly-suited

Suligowski’s Regiment of Sobieski’s Hussars,

eventually we began to make featured media,

newspaper and magazine articles and word began to spread, becoming,

(arguably it seems) known as ‘the first officially recognized presentation and

portrayal of Poland’s Winged Hussars and 17th

century military nobility in

America.’ We made U.S. History as I was the first winged hussar impression to

ride in the 2002 New York Pulaski Day Parade as well as any parade ever, in

U.S. History. Over the years, we changed from the drama of Renaissance Fairs

to military timeline events, reaping much more respect and admiration for

portraying a difficult but rewarding impression; further educating successfully,

the visiting public.

Despite more adversity in eventually drawing the confusingly jealous and

misunderstood ire from like-minded

17th

century Polish re-enactors on

the east coast, curiously spending

much of their time disputing the

point that I created the first

formalized 17th

century Polish

winged hussar re-enactment group

in the U.S., accolades, awards and

achievements of recognition were

now coming in from various

organizations, recognizing our

efforts, yet, there was something

missing. With the sudden passing of

my father in mid-2008, suddenly,

more and more people began to

notice our group and my efforts.

Right: America’s first officially recognized

winged hussar, Rik Sulima-Suligowski Fox;

2006 Texas Four Winds Renaissance Fair.

Photo © Tamara Fox

Although there are several other, smaller similar groups in the United States who formed up after I created our

representation, I am proud to say that we created the first officially recognized representation of the winged

hussars in U.S. History! This point of significance was also recognized in several other arenas; a friend I met

while in Poland, Bartosz Musialowicz, who is not only a respected historical researcher, author and re-enactor

himself, but also the Secretary to the Polish Consul in Kiev, after interviewing me for both, an online article he

wrote about me in my efforts to bring winged hussar re-enacting to America, and, as a co-author of the book

‘Kircholm-Klushino; The Victories of the Hussar Cavalry’ had, in recognition of those efforts, dubbed me with

the honorary title of ‘Pierwszy Szabla z USA’ (The First Saber of the USA).

Additionally, it was in issue # 60, pg. 15, in the nationally-published

‘Renaissance Magazine’, in an article about the winged hussars, contributing

writer Kenneth Mondschein, in his independent research stated thusly (at that

time) “Today, two groups in the United States reenact the glories of the winged

hussars. The first to be founded was Suligowski’s Regiment…by Rik Fox in

2000…he brought his love for his Polish heritage, as well as his rock star

personality and flair for self-promotion to historical reenactment; in many ways

he and the extravagant Hussars are a perfect match”, thereby establishing

documentation, in print, that I and our group were the first to create and

establish the official portrayal of the winged hussars in the United States. End of

story. End of controversy. Not long after, I and our group were generously

donated an entire chapter in the must-read Charlie Schroeder book: “Man of

War; My Adventures in the World of Historical Reenactment.”

In July of 2010 my wife Tamara and I were

featured guest participants in one of the largest

battle re-enactments ever staged in Warsaw,

Poland; The Battle of Kłuszyn, (July 1610), a

pivotal battle in the history of the wars against

Muscovy, where a numerically superior force of

Russian and western mercenary troops were beaten

by a Polish army consisting mostly of winged

hussars where the Poles were outnumbered nearly

16-1! We were among the best Polish winged

hussar re-enactors in the world, from Gniew, Poland which was documented by

The History Channel of Poland. All of which resulted in being featured in the

well-read U.K. publication for re-enactors: SKIRMISH MAGAZINE. I was

now becoming something of a much sought-after interview subject on the topic

of the hussars. But, there was still something missing…

In August of 2012, through our living history/ re-enactor website,

www.husaria.us I was contacted by a Director of Kensington Productions for a

cable television show called ‘MUSEUM SECRETS’ which is produced by

The History Channel in Canada. Upon researching the internet, they said they

were impressed at what they saw and read about me and our group and they

wanted to present this to the world. They were intrigued with some winged

hussar armor on display in the State Museum in Moscow, and so, some footage

was shot there in Russia, and the balance, was shot at our ranch in Santa Clarita,

CA, literally condensing a usually weeks’ worth of shooting down into one day.

The episode dealt specifically on the winged hussars and what were their secrets

and weapons that gave them the advantage as lords of the battlefields of Central

Europe for nearly 200 years, centering on Russian history and in particular

"The Times of Troubles" concentrating on the years 1605 -1618.

It must be said that

‘Hollywood always trumps

History’ and often, the

hussars are depicted in out-

of-period correctness. For

the most part, the winged

hussars mostly wore their

wings (usually singly),

attached to the cantle (rear)

of their saddles, until the

latter half of the 17th

century. Of the major

highlights covered for the

show, was the curious

legends of the hussars’ wings alleged to have made frightful sounds’ as they

charged into battle, (which couldn’t be proven or disproven) and also, the use of

their ‘kopia’ (specialized lance). Poland’s winged hussars have at times, been

unfairly or inaccurately represented in the media, so it was my goal to see to it

that I represented both styles of winged hussars. More importantly: ‘This marks

an extremely important precedent and moment for world-wide exposure to

this subject, because it will mark the first time in history, that the subject and

history of the elite Polish cavalry-the winged hussars, will be respectfully

covered in the English language without becoming distorted as with past

various productions.’

Episode 15 actually spearheaded the Canadian Premier of ‘Museum Secrets’

Season Three on March 14th

of 2013 for Canada, however, the Season Three

Premier release for U.S. viewers is pending until Season’s One and Two’s

completion which is usually carried on The Smithsonian Channel, so check

your local cable provider for more info.

Now, finally, after all those years ago, a man with a dream and a world full of

adversity was able to overcome all those obstacles, becoming a re-enactor,

living historian, advisor and ultimately teach, educate and share with the world,

exactly what he was attempting to do from day one; to educate the English-

speaking world of the U.S., a then, little-known (in the U.S.) but famous aspect

of Polish history, which eventually brought everything we know today about

cavalry fighting on horseback to America, came to us via the Polish winged

hussars.

I had a dream fulfilled

To some; re-enactment is merely a hobby, a

weekend-warrior campout, or a chance to educate

others about history. Real history. The kind that

impacted the world around us. That is why re-

enacting became a personal agenda and mission for

me.

Left: Rik Fox in the Documentary: ‘Return to Glory; The Rise and

Rise of the Polish Arabian Horse.’ Photo © Jen Miller

My passion has paid off; I can see today, just over a

decade later, that that impact has taken hold in

America; that whenever somebody sees anything on

the subject of the winged hussars in America,

through their emails, and comments to me from all

over the internet, they immediately identify with me

as their first source of hearing about or being

introduced to the subject. I have finally

accomplished that mission, which continues to this day.

Today, in Poland, my Polish re-enactor counterparts, hundreds of degrees much

more proficient than I, even recognize and acknowledge the work I have done,

so far away from Poland, in introducing the Polish Winged Hussars to America.

And for that I am eternally grateful. I have been blessed with a gift, and an

opportunity of a lifetime and am so very grateful to have been chosen by the

production, out of all the 17th Century Polish Hussar re-enactors in America

that they looked at, and, in the words of producer Marianne Kushmaniuk and

director Victor Kushmaniuk, as: “The most authentic and authoritative

representative on the subject of the winged hussars that they’ve seen in the

U.S.A.” Suligowski’s Regiment is named in Memory of the Late Chevalier

Leonard J. Suligowski.

-- Rik Fox

About the author:

In addition to his career as an Internationally known recording/performing artist as a member of the seminal

metal band STEELER, and an original founding member of the heavy metal band W.A.S.P., Rik (Suligowski)

Fox, is also a published writer, actor, and historical re-enactor. Rik is largely responsible for spearheading the

now-growing movement of interest in 16th & 17th Century Polish militaria and Husaria study, with his research

making him one of the leading proponents on the subject in the United States today. He is also generally

acknowledged as “The first Polish-American of noble ancestry to portray the legendary Polish Winged

Husaria Cavalry units in United States History”©, Rik is a member of the distinguished ancestral bloodline of

the Polish Clan of Sulima. Among his many accolades, Rik has been recognized by many Polish Organizations

for his contributions to Polish History and culture. Likewise, he is the recipient of the Knights Cross awarded

from The Order of St. Stanislas. Rik served two elected terms as Vice President of the Polish American

Congress, Southern California Division and is currently writing two books, one a biography and the other

about his creation of the winged hussars in America and is still active in rock music today and more popular than ever in Facebook