How cool is this, I received a formal challenge today to participate in a state-of-the-art 14thC pas d'armes as part of Abbey Medieval Festival held in Caboolture, Queensland in Australia on the 9-10 July 2011.

The pas d'armes will involve passes with the lance a plaisance, strokes with the longsword and poleaxe. Two tenans will hold the ground, being Sir Justyn Webbe and Sir Luke Binkes against all those who accept the challenge.

This will be an absolutely top notch effort with all participants pulling out all the stops with regards kit, encampment and all the trimmings.

Amongst the venans will be myself and several esteemed and worthy champions within whose company I feel most humbled. We have one challenger of great renown travelling from as far as the low countries to participate.

I have included the wording of said challenge to set the tone and get the juices flowing!

I will update the thread as news comes to hand and will invite the tenans and venans to participate and add to it build the tension during the training and preparations!

Enjoy!
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The wording of the challenge!

"In honour of our Lord and of his most glorious mother and of my lord St. Michael, I Luke Binkes of Yorkshire, knight counsellor and chamberlain to the most high most puissant and excellent prince the duke of Cornwell, Prince of Aquitaine and Prince of Wales make known to all princes barons knights and esquires without reproach, with the exception of those of the kingdom of France and of the countries in alliance or subjects to my said sovereign lord that for the augmentation and extension of the most noble profession and exercise of arms my will and intention is in conjunction with one other knight Sir Justyn Webb of Scarborough to guard and defend a pass d'armes situated on the great field north of St Michaels Abbey at the great Field called Abbeystowe in the form and manner following.

In the first place three shields The first a shield Argent representing a challenge to joust on horseback with lances of peace The second a shield of Gules representing a challenge to fight on foot with swords The third a Shield of Sable representing a challenge to fight on foot with poleaxes shall be suspended on a tree in the field of Abbeystowe beside the Lists and all those who shall by a king at arms or pursuivant touch the first shield shall be bounden to perform courses on horseback with myself or with Sir Justyn with blunted lances

Item if either of the champions during their courses be unhorsed by a direct blow with the lance on his armour or shield such person thus unhorsed shall present to his adversary ten gold nobles

Item any man deamed to have been bested in his combat either by clear defeat decision of the Marshal or king at arms or by the Ladies present shal pay his adversary five gold nobles

Item the champions may arm themselves according to their pleasure but without any wicked intentions having their rest similar to the usual custom in war

Item the lances shall be all of similar length from the point to the rest

Item for the accomplishment of these feats of arms on horseback I will supply all who may come without lances precisely like to my own and to those of my companion

Item these deeds of arms on horseback shall be performed a la toille which shall be five and a half feet high

Here Follow the Articles for the Deeds of Arms on Foot

Those princes barons knights and esquires of the rank before mentioned who shall rather take their pleasure in performing feats of arms on foot shall touch either the Gules shield or the Sable shield and shall perform feats of combat with battles-axes or swords to the best of five courses or as may be most agreeable to them

Item if during these courses any champion shall touch the ground with his hand or knees be deamed bested by the Marshal or considered beaten by the gallery of Ladies he shall be bounden to present his adversary with five gold nobles

Item each champion shall be armed with the accustomed armour for combating in lists

Item should any person be unprovided with battle-axe or sword of suitable size and weight I will furnish him with the same similar to my own or to those of my companion/ These axes and swords are not to have anything extraordinary in their make but such as are usual in these kind of combats

Item he that shall have engaged himself to fight with me or either of us and shall throw the other to the ground the person so thrown shall be obliged to surrender himself a prisoner whithersoever the conqueror shall order him

Item the person thus made prisoner shall pay for his immediate ransom to whomsoever the conqueror shall direct the sum of five gold nobles

Item foreigners need not seek for particulars from me or from my companions for they will find persons ready to deliver such at the usual hours and placesItem no stranger will be permitted to enter the lists with me or with any one of my companions for more than one course at arms namely once on horseback and once on foot and no one can require more of any of us during the present undertaking

Item the aforesaid feats of arms on Horseback and on foot shall be performed on the following days and times/ those on horseback on Saturday Morning and Sunday Morning those on foot Saturday midday and afternoon and Sunday midday and afternoon

Item this pass d'armes shall commence on the ninth day of July in the year 2011 and shall last two days

Item no prince baron knight or esquire of quality shall pass within a quarter of a league of the spot assigned for these combats without entering the lists and taking part or otherwise leaving as pledges his sword or spurs according to his pleasure

Item for the accomplishment of these feats of arms as well on horseback as on foot to the articles above specified I have most humbly supplicated and entreated my aforesaid sovereign lord that he would grant me his licence and permission to perform them he has most benignantly assented to

Item I beseech all princes barons knights and esquires of worth, not to construe this my intention as proceeding from any presumption on my part/for my sole motive is to exalt the noble profession of arms and to extend the exercise of it and also to make acquaintance by arms with such renowned and valiant princes and nobles as may be pleased to honour me with their company

Item, all noble foreigners shall have sure and loyal passports from my aforesaid sovereign lord or in his absence from his marshal

Sir Luke Binkes Sir Justyn Webbe"

Whoa.
All I can really say is that I look forward to the day that I receive one of these in the mail :lol:
I guess this is how you know you've made it within the Australian jousting/melee/reenactment/education circut!
I'll get there one day!
But yeah, great work and well deserved.
Oh, and say "Hi!" for me :P

Damn, congratulations Andrew! That is the coolest thing I've seen this month. :)

You have no idea what i'd do to receive one of those...

Very cool indeed!

Andrew,

That is quite an honor indeed! Represent yourself well with honor, dignity and humility. And, don't forget to post photographs please. :)

Very best wishes to you,

Scott