Early Lancers

[damaris]

> Mari gives greetings to all!
> 
> On Wed, 20 Nov 1996, Keith Ewing wrote:
> 

> 
> The earliest vaguely "SCA-period" lancers I can think of were the
> Sarmatians (200BC to 200AD).  They are often lumped together with the
> Scythians, probably the most renowned horse-archers of antiquity.  The
> Sarmatians, however, rode into battle clad in scale mail and weilding
> light lances and swords.
> 
> Of further interest is the fact that sometime during the 2 c AD, while
> the Romans were still cleaning up all over Europe, these same Romans
> conquered the Sarmatians back east, enlisted a bunch of their lancers
> and packed them off to north Britain for the usual 20 year enlistment
> period.
> Afterwards, as attested by stone memorials, at least some of them married
> local girls and settled there.  That puts lancers in Britain as of the
> 2nd c (around 180 AD if memory serves).
> 
> The Britons were also noted horse warriors (lance, sword and chainmail).
> Some scholars think this might be the influence of the "British"
> Sarmatians.  Coincidentally, the Sarmatians may have come to Britain
> bearing tales of a tribal god/hero who possessed two swords, one of them
> given to him from a lake goddess, and whose name was something akin to
> "Artos".  Intriguing, yes?

This is interesting, Mari.  What book did this come from.  Herodotus 
refers to the Sarmatians in his history.  I believe this is where the 
legend of Amazons came from.  There is a book, which is no longer in 
print called The Sarmatians.  In it they give some evidence of the Huns 
scattering them across Europe to as far as the British Isles.
 
> Incidentally, I think the "King's Lancer" idea is pretty cool.  Makes me
> want to get on a horse and practice.

Yeah.  Makes me wonder what ever happened to the Bryn Gwlad Horse Guard.

-- 
Damaris of Greenhill /mka Susan Wieland
"Mead brewer extrodinaire"
---Azure, three labryses in pall inverted hafts to center
within a bordure or---

A great many people think they are thinking when they are
only rearranging their prejudices.  William James.