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Sean Manning
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 Posted: Sun 12 Mar, 2017 1:18 am Post subject: Announcing: Armour in Texts |
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I think that this might be of interest to members of this forum: https://bookandsword.com/armour-in-texts/
| Quote: | Armour in Texts is a collection of texts which say something important about armour, and advice on how to find more sources from particular periods. My focus is on providing the original language, but where possible I provide a translation. Some texts are hosted on my website, and others elsewhere. If there is a source on armour which you have heard of, and you are from North America or Western Europe and not a professional historian, Armour in Texts will probably let you find it and read it in full, not through a paraphrase or translated translation.
Armour in Texts is a work of world history. In principle, anything from the origins of writing to the abandonment of traditional armour belongs, whether slat and coin armour from the Pacific Northwest, or the hide armour in Classical Chinese texts. Right now, it is strongest on the western half of Eurasia, because those are the sources and languages which I know best. However, I welcome suggestions of other texts which could be included!
Armour in Texts is a selection, not a universal library. I see it as a resource which someone could read through and learn something important every few pages, not a vast database which drowns readers in details. One day I would like to turn it into a book, translating all the sources in languages which I know myself, and illustrating it to help readers who are not experts in a particular period or culture understand the things which the words pointed to. That said, it might be worthwhile to add a user-submitted tagging system, or a search tool for finding the same term in different languages.
In short, Armour in Texts is my own idiosyncratic project, based on my own idiosyncratic skills and interests, meant to help readers find and read primary sources on armour. |
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Dan Howard
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Stephen Curtin
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| Posted: Sun 12 Mar, 2017 7:27 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for sharing this Sean.
Éirinn go Brách
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Mark Moore
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| Posted: Sun 12 Mar, 2017 7:55 am Post subject: |
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What a pleasant Sunday morning read!  Thanks, Sean!.....McM
''Life is like a box of chocolates...'' --- F. Gump
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Sean Manning
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| Posted: Sun 12 Mar, 2017 8:18 am Post subject: |
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Thanks guys! There are a few things in there which are not so famous ... and I hope that remembering one website is easier than remembering dozens of books and websites, and the alphabet soup which you need to find inscriptions or cuneiform tablets or documents in archives.
I will try researchgate, and if it works I will add a link. I also added a note to find and include the bit in Caesar's Civil War about his soldiers making themselves armour to protect themselves against Pompey's slingers and archers.
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J. Douglas
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| Posted: Sun 12 Mar, 2017 8:29 am Post subject: |
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Thank you very much for sharing! I will have to have a look now!
~JD (James)
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Niels Just Rasmussen
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| Posted: Sun 12 Mar, 2017 10:00 am Post subject: |
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Great work Sean.
While going through the ancient texts I noticed that you didn't have any Hittite textual examples.
I know we have some preserved images of hittites with weapons and helmets (both hittite and egyptian), but do you know if we have any hittite texts with detailed descriptions of martial equipment?
The Annals of Suppiluliuma I and Mursili II should have detailed information about the composition of the army and its arms, manpower, numbers and recruiting according to this article (source below), that also have images of some of the depictions and archaeological finds of Hittites weaponry and armour (page 128-133).
See: THIS LINK
Currently the problem is the following according to the article:
"Because sources are rare, even some terms designating types of soldier remain obscure. Hittite administrative documents contain a large number of terms for weapons and equipment. Some records mention them in such large numbers that the state production and issue of military equipment seems possible, but the written sources are not sufficient to verify this assumption.
A survey of pictorial and archaeological evidence provides a synopsis of common military equipment and weapons. It must be noted that identification of archaeological types with terms of the cuneiform tradition as well as attribution of weapons to ethnic groups remains in most cases a problem."
So it does seem like it's a problem that might be solvable if we can get a better grasp of Hittite terminology?!
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Sean Manning
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| Posted: Mon 13 Mar, 2017 2:15 am Post subject: |
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Hi Niels,
I have not been able to look at Hittite texts at all unfortunately. Apparently the place to start is a book by Beale "The Organization of the Hittite Military."
Generally, you can assume that in any area of arms-and-armour studies, there are whole shelves full of interesting sources in any big library which nobody interested in arms and armour has looked at within your lifetime (and quite a few of those are available to anyone with a connection to the Internet). But those texts won't get studied automatically: someone has to chose to do it, and invest the necessary time and labour. I have done what I can, and I hope that others will continue.
We only know anything about armour in the Nuzi texts, or Tutankhamun's scale armour, or the details of the weave of medieval shirt of mail because one person invested the time.
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Niels Just Rasmussen
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| Posted: Mon 13 Mar, 2017 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Sean Manning wrote: | Hi Niels,
I have not been able to look at Hittite texts at all unfortunately. Apparently the place to start is a book by Beale "The Organization of the Hittite Military."
Generally, you can assume that in any area of arms-and-armour studies, there are whole shelves full of interesting sources in any big library which nobody interested in arms and armour has looked at within your lifetime (and quite a few of those are available to anyone with a connection to the Internet). But those texts won't get studied automatically: someone has to chose to do it, and invest the necessary time and labour. I have done what I can, and I hope that others will continue.
We only know anything about armour in the Nuzi texts, or Tutankhamun's scale armour, or the details of the weave of medieval shirt of mail because one person invested the time. |
Hi Sean.
Since the Hittites used cuneiform can you decipher at least some of it when they use established sumerograms and akkadograms?
We also have the problem, that if the terminology already is uncertain, then the Hittite texts that are translated (into english, frrench or german) might give a layman researcher the wrong ideas. [It is a place to start though].
So you have to have people with knowledge of hittite and an interest in arms and armour and they are probably not so common.
I've found the annals of Mursili II online here: So I will go have a look.
Source: http://www.assyrianlanguages.org/hittite/index_en.php?page=textes
Edit: While the text mentions in translation "army", "troops", "levy troops", "officers", "soldiers", "horsemen", "cavalry", "chariots" and "prisoners" it sadly says nothing of martial equipment.
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Sean Manning
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| Posted: Tue 14 Mar, 2017 2:27 am Post subject: |
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Hi Niels,
The one time that I looked at a Hittite text, I could recognize some of the logograms. But deciphering terms for arms and armour involves a lot of working through documents, many of which may be just published as sketches or photos, and I can't afford to spend the time. I would be better to spend it improving the languages which I already know a bit of.
Armour in Texts mostly contains texts which I discovered during my research or read years ago when I had more time. While I would love to spend more time on it, I can't afford to do that. But when I remember a source which should be included, or discover a new one, I try to at least add a note about it.
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David Clark
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| Posted: Tue 14 Mar, 2017 8:56 am Post subject: |
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I don't really have anything of import to add other than my praise for undertaking such a grand and helpful task.
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Niels Just Rasmussen
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| Posted: Wed 15 Mar, 2017 8:17 am Post subject: |
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| Sean Manning wrote: | Hi Niels,
The one time that I looked at a Hittite text, I could recognize some of the logograms. But deciphering terms for arms and armour involves a lot of working through documents, many of which may be just published as sketches or photos, and I can't afford to spend the time. I would be better to spend it improving the languages which I already know a bit of.
Armour in Texts mostly contains texts which I discovered during my research or read years ago when I had more time. While I would love to spend more time on it, I can't afford to do that. But when I remember a source which should be included, or discover a new one, I try to at least add a note about it. |
Hi Sean.
So it could be technically doable, but extremely time consuming; so I totally understand your position (it's a PhD work in its own right).
There is actually not that much hittite textual stuff that is readily available on the net (with both facsimile, transcription and translation) from the search I casually tried. The source I gave in the above post are a really good one, but with only 5 texts.
So the possible "gold mine" for hittite terminology would likely be dry administrative papers and they are way behind the list of texts with historical and religious significance when it comes to available translations.
So the Mursili II text has lot of "campaign" info, if you have another "box" for such texts.
It has one occurrence of maneuvering, which is interesting (rear-attack).
15) "But after I had marched and arrived at Lawasa, my lord the awesome Tarhus worked a miracle: he threw a bolt of lighning. My army looked at the bolt of lightning, it looked at the land Arzawa, the bolt of lightning crossed and struck the land Arzawa. It struck Apasas, the town of Uhhaziti, it constrained Uhhaziti in his knees and he fell ill. Since Uhhaziti had fallen ill, he did not come to fight me, but he sent his son SUM.MA-dKAL with troops and cavalry. He came to fight me at the river Astarpa at Walma. Then I, the Sun, fought him. My mistress the Sun-goddess of Arinna, my lord the awesome Tarhus, Mezzullas and all the gods came along with me. I defeated SUM.MA-dKAL the son of Uhhaziti with his troops and his cavalry and I injured him. Moreover, I caught him in the rear. I crossed the land Arzawa and I entered into Apāsa, the town of Uhhaziti. Uhhaziti did not resist and he fled in front of me. He crossed the sea toward an island. He remained there".
Source: http://www.assyrianlanguages.org/hittite/en_t...v_col2.htm
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Sean Manning
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| Posted: Wed 15 Mar, 2017 9:52 am Post subject: |
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Hi NIels,
I think that if ancient historians spent as much time studying combat descriptions in Assyrian epics and Babylonian chronicles as they do studying combat in the Iliad, the debate about ancient warfare would be in a very different place. But the good thing is that there is lots of room for different people to contribute! Ancient Near Eastern warfare, or arms and armour studies, are an area where discoveries can come "like arrows in an English battle" when you start looking at written sources. And a lot of those sources are available in free translations if you know where to find them.
The Ancient World Online https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.co.at/search/label/Hittite and the Melammu Project http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/home/homeres.php can be good places to find Near Eastern texts online.
Somewhere on my blog I have a link to the Hittite Rule for Palace Guards, and one of the standard English-language sourcebooks has the Instructions for Commanders of Border Posts (it might be Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament). Books like that are in a lot of libraries not just big university ones.
I will happily add the Annals of Mursilli II to the list of texts I would like to look at one day.
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Sean Manning
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| Posted: Wed 15 Mar, 2017 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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Also, even if you can only read English- there are 14th century Arthurian stories, or 16th century memoirs, which I guarantee nobody interested in armour has read since Claude Blair died. And you don't need to know enough Latin to win a debate with Cicero to work with inventaries and letters. There are all kinds of questions that anyone patient can help answer if they sit down and read some sources looking for the bits on material culture- just like anyone can submit new photos to Effigies and Brasses, or tag a Manuscript Miniature for having a face shield.
I am just trying to put some of the sources that I know of in one place, make them easier to read, and provide translations.
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Sean Manning
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| Posted: Tue 25 Sep, 2018 4:44 am Post subject: |
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Hi folks,
in the past year I have added a few more sources, including a brief note on Mesoamerican armour, Churchill on the Dervishes, the French ordinance on jacks for Francs-archers, and the anonymous French treatise on military costume https://bookandsword.com/armour-in-texts/#start_late_medieval
I also added donation buttons. Every visitor and email is appreciated (I sometimes find myself on myArmoury threads when I am trying to track down a source!), but a few donations would make it easier to make the time to translate some things and track down more sources.
I would like to check out some more Mesopotamian and Hittite sources, and maybe some of the sources for cloth armour from the 12th/13th century, but paid work and things face-to-face have to take priority.
weekly writing ~ material culture
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Stephen Curtin
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| Posted: Tue 25 Sep, 2018 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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Small donation sent your way Sean.
Éirinn go Brách
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Sean Manning
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Sean Manning
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| Posted: Sun 27 Jan, 2019 5:57 am Post subject: |
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Hi,
a couple of years ago there was a thread talking about the coverture (kovertúr) in the Norwegian King's Mirror. Håvard Kongsrud had a few comments on the Old Norse text. I went over the source, added one more paragraph and updated the translation slightly to agree with the usual English words we use today for medieval things like hosen, covertures, etc.
I have also added a guild rule from Troyes covering linen armour https://bookandsword.com/armour-in-texts/rules-of-the-troyes-guilds/
I would like to add some more ancient sources (and maybe some from China and the Islamic world) but I have to fit this in around my regular work.
weekly writing ~ material culture
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Sean Manning
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| Posted: Wed 10 Apr, 2019 10:49 am Post subject: |
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Hi guys,
over the last six months I have added some new things, including a page for the French ordinance on jacks (which tells you the differences between versions of the French, and a mistranslation in the English version which floats around the Internet), two English versions of Pietro Monte's Collectanea (miscellaneous thoughts and tips from a soldier who died in 1509), a link to the English translation of Usama the Arab-Syrian gentleman in the time of Saladin and Richard I, and links to several texts which so far are only available in the original language.
Its too bad that I can't take the time to transcribe, proofread, translate, and create a page for those other texts, but so far my Patreon and paypal.me are pretty quiet.
I hope to return to the Norwegian KIng's mirror after my chat with Håvard Kongsrud, but I can't spare the time right now.
weekly writing ~ material culture
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Sean Manning
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| Posted: Sat 02 Nov, 2019 2:38 am Post subject: |
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Hi,
One of the sources on quilted armour which floats around is by Pedro de Aguado. Aguado never printed his history of the foundation of the New Kingdom of Granada (roughly modern modern Columbia/Panama/Venuzuela), but the first manuscript was completed in roughly 1581. As far as I know, there is no full English translation, and the bit on quilted armour which floats around the Internet comes from the preface to a book published in 1922. As you would expect, its not really a translation, more of a paraphrase with information from other sources (the name escaiupil or escaupí) added and difficult phrases left out. So with the help of my generous sponsors like Jonathan, Stephen Curtin, Christian C, and Pavel V, here is the original Spanish together with a start at a translation.
Pedro de Aguado on Armour in New Spain
I am not trained in Spanish so I would appreciate thoughts!
| Quote: | I think that the material gives me an opportunity to describe the way in which they are armed, so in this place I will deal with it, although I had intended to write about it later, in the discourse on the discovery of the New Kingdom. Of anjeo or of light mantles of cotton they have sayos (skirted over-doublets) which they call sayos of arms; they are loose, and hang down to the knee or the calf, and all stuffed very deeply with cotton, to a thickness of three fingers (about 6 cm), the cotton being put for its better ordering between two canvases, which they cut in every quarter of the sayo, and then, after having been stitched through, the quilting (lo colchan) with fangs (cairos), which are twines (torzales de hilo) of cotton, and these quilted things they go, for the reinforcement of the sayo, bound/tied, such that in each stitched through they give a knot (nudo < Latin nodus).
Each quarter of the sayo is quilted on its own, the joints are such that there is no gap at all, and in this way and according to this order they make the sleeves of the sayo and its bevor, of the same way that they make the (bevors) of harnesses or corselets, and likewise they make their morions and salets of cotton, quilted, except for some few others who have them of tapir skin or cow skin, with its stuffing underneath, but he who has a morion or a salet of steel for the head does not refuse it, because of the beatings (macanazos) which are commonly given when they enter some shack or house.
Of this very same material, which is the cotton and canvases in the form described, they make a testier for the horse, … |
I have also made some other small improvements, mainly adding links to books available online and adding a few sentences of the original language or a translation here and there.
weekly writing ~ material culture
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