Armour is a key, if under-utilized, aspect of HEMA. As every major fight book, Italian or German, mentions Harness work in some manner. From detailed systems of fighting, to simple images, it’s quite clear that by only studying Blossfechten, we are not seeing all of our art.
Some incredible details exist in manuscripts such as the Cluny Fechtbuch, Codex Wallerstein, Die Blume des Kampfes amongst others in the German tradition, and Fior di Battaglia and De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi on the Italian side. And there are many more.
For some reason, these are not well looked at and the techniques discussed in both traditions are mostly passed over in our studies.
Could this be a mistake? Are we missing something vital?
This class will cover the basics of the harness. What are they? What are the key parts of armour? Some of the history of the harness will be covered, discussing the growth of plate and the eventual decline of armour. Also we will discuss how a person gets into harness. With some luck we will have opportunities to look at various harnesses from various eras.
This class only requires you. And any armour if you have it!
Bill Frisbee