eRF, I wish I had enough to get one of these. ;_;

awsome u got it finished :)

Wow awesome art...but wingged hussars were not in medieval but barokko (16 th century)

>..< shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Polska Hussaria!

One of my most favorite ethnic armor patterns.
One day I SHALL find the time to finish a set for myself!

-Badger-

Tak! "VIVAT HUSSAR"

I may steal it off you as i too am a fan of that design :P

For now i will have to content myself with making the polish zupan .....all i can do to >..>

For those not familiar-



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9x5ADYWXeo


The hussars of the Grand Duchy of Poland and Lithuania were famous for their courage and displays of beautiful armor.
Noe one actually knows the real reason for the wings- but they did make for one hell of a show on the battlefield!


-Badger-

funny thing abut wingged hussars was that they were not wearing those wings during battles. Only for ceremonies and funerals. :)

Oh?

Thats actually the first I have heard that.

Theres a lot of debate over here about the function or intent of the wings, actually.

We have a few SCA fighters who do Hussar personas, but getting the armor is not easy.
(It also often has to be modified to work in SCA combat; since many of the movements are actually more suited to bouhard/baton than steel weapons.)

-Badger-

and btw...
Winnged Hussaria was not common army
one of the conditions to joint tham was Noble Roots so this is the only cavalry unit 100% made of NOBLES !
its because Polish Nobles was convinced they are chosen by God to prevent Christianity from fall so they are only who could fight in hussaria units
and because polish noble was learning how to fightt starting with age 5 !!! ( fe in Sweden Fencing lessons were starting with age 14 )
So Polish nobles accually had more experiance at young age rather to common soldier

Yep! Knew that much- Noble families protecting the Grand Duchy from invaders as True Noblemen should!

Since from your account pics you have access to hussar armor- perhaps you can help me?


I do make armor, and I try to be as accurate as possible.
The one thing I simply cannot find, and desperately need are good photos of the INSIDE of a hussar breastplate and backplate.

Specifically, the articulation.

I know that both sliding rivets and suspension leathers were used- some being all sliding rivets, and some mixed...But I cannot find any information at all on how the articulation is constructed.
The rivet patterns and their sliding slots, specifically.

All I really need are photos of the inside of a well constructed modern reproduction- but pics of the inside of an original, or better yet, several originals would be a huge help to me, and I would be forever grateful.

I would be hopefully sharing the photos with other armourers, in the hope that we can encourage more proper hussar armor to be made and worn.

Theres several decent sources online for pics of the outside of harnesses in museum collections, but those are helpful more for the decorative details, rather than the actual construction of the basic harness.

The lack of good information on the articulation of the breastplate is the main problem for us in making these over here.

Thanks!


-Badger-

of course I will help you :) I ill make some photos for ya
btw- there wan no backplate...just round piece of metal called umbo (maybe with a piece of leather) (this is cavalry armor so backplate was not so important as the front brest)
Tommorow we have show so i will make all important photos for you

http://www.husaria.jest.pl/rtszh23.jpg thats the nice pic of typical breastplate
on his right side hussar had hussarian cross
on his left side (left is meant to be closer to heart) a symbol of Marry the Godmother

But many historics accually found a reason for those wings

there are many theories for that:

1) Wings for armor were used even before 13th century by mongols to prevent catching horseman with lasso (opponents rope was catching wing instead of horseman)
2) those wings were used only for ceremonies and FUNERALS so some hussars accually were wearing them (something like white karate kimono >>japanese funeral clothes<< "It could be the last day of my life"
3) the most possible theory -> many merc's companies in western europe had 2 contracts (the second contract was allowing them to retreat if there will be hussaria on battlefield and still those mercs will be paid -and i am not kidding those contracts were found in France, Portugal, Spain and in Germany) So in time without GPS those wings could be used as a sign to spot the hussaria from long distance "Hey we are here so go home boys" Jan III Sobieski used one trick to make 3 merc's companies go home before battle of Kalubnie -> he ordered to dress that wings to the dragoon companies (light cavalry) and 3 mercs companies acually retreated before battle when they spotted those wings from long distance)

On Pictures from that period it is accually shown that HUSSARS WERE NOT WEARING WINGS DURING BATTLES
according to personal diarys from that period even the False Ivan when he ordered hussars to wear this wings before battle - Hussars were mad because "WHAT ! WINGS ARE SO EXPENSIVE AND THAT SON OF A BITCH ORDER US TO WEAR THAT ?"

Myth of that wings was born by Matejko (famous historical polish painter who was painting them that way)