[Ansteorra-announce] Pas d'Arms at Elfsea Defender

[Timothy Rayburn]

Unto the heroic warriors of Ansteorra does Seamus O'Dubdah and Genevieve de Lironcourt send heartfelt greetings and word of the coming Pas d'Arms at Elfsea Defender which shall be presided over by Qadi Abd al-Mahdi Jamal ibn Hakim.

As was customary in the times of our ancestors, it is hereby Our desire that in the midst of the Defender tournament in the Barony of Elfsea, that We celebrate through skillful and noble deeds of arms the wedding of Lady Genevieve de Lironcort. It is thus Our desire to test the mettle of knights and other men-at-arms in a pas d'armes to provide a chance for the knights, squires and men-at-arms of the Kingdom of Ansteorra to demonstrate their prowess, their courtesy, and their eloquence. We intend that they defend Our field, beginning after evening court on the night of September 21st, 2002. In the words of the chronicler Froissart, "We beg all those noble knights and squires who are willing to proffer challenge, not to imagine for a moment that we are doing this out of pride, hatred, or malice, but in order to have the honor of your company and to get to know you better, a thing which we desire with our whole hearts. And there shall be no unfair advantage, fraud, trickery, or evil design, nor anything not approved by those appointed to guard this lists."

Item: This pas d'armes will be held in the customary manner, being contested solely for honor and renown, rather than for the base spirit of victory.

Item: The list shall be defended by a those knights and men-at-arms selected by the gallery of Ladies at the commencement of the tournament to do them honor.

Item: All who would fight in this pas d'armes, be they knight, squire or man-at-arms, should come to the field at the closing of evening court, to the list enclosure before the wedding pavilions, bearing their pennant and arms as are appropriate for knights to bear: poleaxes, swords, masses, or axes.

Item: Shortly after the close of evening court the King of Arms for the tournament shall let all know the rules of the list and begin the procession before the ladies gallery at which time each shall be divided between defenders and challengers by the gallery, and the combatants might introduce themselves to the gallery.

Item: Following the introductions, there will be a Grand Mêlée, in which all combatants are invited to take to the field, armed with but a one single-handed sword and no shield, to be fought for the entertainment of the gallery and for the joi de combat of the combatants. This combat will use counted blows, there each combatant may be struck with three good blows before they must retire from the field.

Item: The defenders will form a line on the Gallery’s right side of the lists, holding themselves ready to receive their challenges and then shortly to report for combat.

Item: The challengers will then form a line on the Gallery’s left side of the lists, offering persuasive words of challenge while the previous combatants arm and prepare to take the field.

Item: For the challenge, the attackers should indicate the kind of combat they desire: counted blows (thrown); Combats over the barrier; Single combats in the field, the number of blows received to be one, three, or five; or any two combatants with single swords only, fought in the usual way.

Item: After everyone has had an opportunity to challenge, a barrier will be erected across the center of the field, and gentles may defend their side of the barrier with single sword. When struck, they must retire to their banner issue their war-cry, at which point they may re-enter the fighting. This combat will take place for fifteen minutes.

Item: The ladies of the gallery will then choose five of the challengers whose virtue stands out, requesting of them single combats in any style that is pleasing to the gallery. These gentles may in turn take this commandment to any member of the defenders, sharing their honor with them. These five fights will take place one after the other, for the pleasure of the gallery and the combatants.

Item: If there is time, other single challenges might be accepted by the defenders following the five champions.

Item: We will close the pas d'armes with a grand mêlée over the barrier, fought with spears. A single kill will be sufficient to eliminate a combatant, but they might petition the gallery to allow them to rejoin their companions. The combat will end when there are no companions left on either side, or when the combatants determine that the fight should be ended.

Item: In celebration and recognition of the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, which celebrates when the Blessed Virgin did in the year of Our Lord 1218, through holy miracle, ransom all Christian knights from the Moors, all ransom shall be considered paid in full by the grace and beauty of the Gallery.

Item: The Gallery will be recognizing the deeds of the knights and men-at-arms with prizes from their own hand.

Written this 6th day of September by our hand in the Barony of Elfsea, peacefully nestled within heart of the Kingdom of Ansteorra.