A Modest Proposal - Saxon Violence

[Jeff Tyeryar <tyeryar@netcom.com>]

Good Cousins All, Greetings From Beornheard of Wearmouth
 
The Barony of Storvik doth intend to host an event in September [other 
than 27-29] or October called Not Enough Saxon Violence, which I 
propose to autocrat.  This event shall attempt to recreate, in style, 
look and feel, a battle between a Viking army and Saxon army.  This Modest 
Proposal is being floated now to offer you a chance help generate ideas, 
make suggestions, and offer your help.  

The stages of the battle will be: the Meeting of the Vanguards, the Main 
Battle, and the Persuit.  The force that wins the Meeting of the Vanguards 
will get to pick its ground for the Main Battle.  The loser of the Main 
Battle must disengage during combat, flee with the victor in Persuit, and 
attempt to reach the safety of a Hill Fort with a specified percentage 
of its force intact.  At the Hill Fort, the persuing force shall 
then have the option of declaring a Siege, immediately ending the battle 
with a limited Victory, or storming the Hill Fort in an attempt to 
destroy the enemy.

If it can be documented to Viking-Saxon England, I'd like to have various 
champions challenge each other to single combat while the main armies are 
being drawn up for the main battle.  I have this notion, however, that 
this is a "celtic thing" and that the Vikings and Saxons "just wouldn't 
understand."  Can anyone document champions-sytle single combat as part 
of army warfare during 9th-11th C. England?  If it cannot be documented, 
it will not be part of the final battle plan.

If the site allows, following the battles there will be an open-air Saxon 
feast, with boasting and skaldry, the passing of drinking horns, etc.  The 
current plan is to do this as a camping event, with a Northern Regional War 
Practice on-site the following day.

Sides in the battles will be chosen as follows:  Each warrior, when they 
register at the List, must declare their allegiance to some person 
fighting that day.  Alliegance may be declared to one's self, a specific 
person, or "the King of the Saxons/Vikings".  A warrior may also declare 
themselves unalligned, to be assigned a side by the Autocrat.  

The person  with the most warriors in allegience to them, who is not 
themselves in allegiance to another warrior, gets to be King of the Vikings
or Saxons, their choice.  The person with the second most warriors in 
allegiance gets to be King of the Other Side.  Note that attribution rules 
will apply, i.e., if "AElfric", who has 10 warriors in allegience to him, 
swears allegiance to "Banewulf", Banewulf will be deemed to have 11 warriors 
in allegiance to him.                                                           

The Autocrat reserves the ultimate right to assign persons to a side, or 
shift household units, to ensure that the two Armies are evenly matched.

Now, I need some help.  Specifically, I need to find a site, somewhere in 
Northern Atlantia, preferable but not absolutely necessarily in Storvik.  
The site should permit camping for 100-200 persons.  A site where we can 
collect money (which we cannot legally do at State and National Parks) 
would be preferable, otherwise, the event will be "prepaid reservations only."  
Ideally, the site will be wet - and I don't mean wetlands.  I'm not 
attempting to recreate AElfread in the Swamps.

If this event is to successfully "recreate" part of the incessant border 
wars between the Danelaw and the Saxon Kingdoms, everybody needs to play 
their part.  I would STRONGLY ENCOURAGE everyone who wants to play to 
make a Round Shield and learn how to use it.  Technologically, Heaters 
might be The Thing, but so are Uzis, and the Vikings and Saxons had 
neither.  Also, consider weapons forms - both sides typically used
swords, axes, and spears.  "Two-sword", great-swords and polearms 
were unknown, would defeat the purpose of trying to stage a recreation 
event, and would to my Saxon eye spoil the visual image.

I would like to ask the Sea Stags and the people running the various 
fighting practice, particularly those in the North of the Kingdom, from 
whence most participants of this event are likely to be drawn, to 
consider scheduling one or two evenings of instruction in Round Shield 
fighting techniques and the use of Saxon and Viking weaponry and field 
techniques.  I for one would love to see a Boar's Snout in use, and a 
I think a team of Axe-wielding Vikings would be spif.

If anyone has any questions, or any suggestions, please write me at 
tyeryar@netcom.com or post them on the List for all to see.

Thank you.

Beornheard.