ANST - Better Bannering

[Dennis and/or Dory Grace]

Salut, Cozyns,

Lyonel aisai.

Melody wrote (with input from Askell):
>While I admit I loved the "bobbing Bob the banner bearer" I do have a
>question.  My lord pointed out that it seemed a bit tacky to use our banners
>as/on weapons--you know, the dragging in the mud, using our rallying point as
>a weapon and all that.  His point being that banners/standards should get a
>little more respect than being used as something to (theoretically) shed
>blood.
>
>Why not use fully armored non-combatants (willing to take a few shots if
>necessary) to carry standards/banners?  It seems like an excellent idea to
me.

Essentially, that was the initial idea Stefan was proposing.
Unfortunately, however, battlefield dynamics being what they are, sometimes
the banner bearer loses all of his support.  Not to say the banner bearer
is necessarily the last warrior standing (though that can happen, too), but
what if the banner bearer gets culled from his unit.  In such a case,
he/she should have an opportunity to defend him/herself.  Tomonaga
described how a Japanese banner bearer would accomplish this, but most of
us aren't Japanese.  On a European battlefield, the banner would be flying
from a spear precisely so that the banner bearer is armed for such
eventualities.  As for the banner being used to shed the blood of an enemy,
may all our banners be so honored.  What warrior among us would not proudly
bear a banner that had slain a foeman of Ansteorra?

lo vostre por vos servir
Sir Lyonel Oliver Grace 
(who also loved Ulf's bobbing banner bit)
_____________________________
Dennis Grace
University of Texas at Austin
English Department
Recovering Medievalist
mailto:amazing at mail.utexas.edu

Micel yfel deth se unwritere.
                           AElfric of York
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