“ Someone Recently Commented On This Page That They Would Rather Use A “battle Axe” Than A Small-sword.

Irish Swordsmanship: Fencing and Dueling in Eighteenth Century Ireland

Someone recently commented on this page that they would rather use a "battle axe" than a small-sword. In response to which, we cheerfully post the following image and excerpts from William Hope's...

“ Someone recently commented on this page that they would rather use a “battle axe” than a small-sword. In response to which, we cheerfully post the following image and excerpts from William Hope’s 1707 “A New Short and Easy Method of Fencing” (admittedly, Hope was not an Irishman but a Scot): “The small-sword or rapier, was formerly confin’d to too narrow bounds; ‘twas judged only proper to engage a weapon of its own size and strength; but you have after a most convincing manner undeceived the world, and turn’d it loose, to stand and maintain its ground, both a-foot and on horseback, against the strongest and most bloody weapons, such as sheering sword, sabre, battel-ax, &c. Arms it durst never encounter with until now, without a too too visible disadvantage; all which is wholly removed, by this new and excellent method of yours; for which, everyone who reads it, and is a lover of the art, will pay everlasting respect to your memory.” (William Machrie to William Hope, Edinburgh, Scotland, August 1707) “AGAIN, for parieing the Blows of the Back-Sword, nay of any other edged Weapon whatsoever, such as the Pole-Ax, Lochabber-Ax, Halbard, or Quarter-Staff, the position of the Sword, and motions of the Hand, are the very same; and altho’ it is not possible for any Man to ward off with one hand, a full disharged Blow, of any of these two-handed Weapons I have named, because of the great Force they carry along with them in delivering it, yet it still shows the excellency of this Posture for a general Defence; that altho’ a Man hath not the strength, to Parie and put by those violent Stroaks with one hand, yet he shall alwise meet with the Adversary’s Weapon, when he is delivering a Blow; which makes it clear, that it is only for lack of strength, that he cannot ward it, but is necessitate to receive it, because of his being overpowered with its Force; and which signifies nothing at all against the usefulness of this Posture, because if his one Hand, had strength equivalent to his Adversary’s two, it would certainly ward and defend him.” (Transcriptions excerpted from the Linacre School of Defence; image from the SmallSword Project) “

Found here.

The Witches Ballad (by Doreen Valiente)

“Oh, I have been beyond the town,

Where nightshade black and mandrake grow,

And I have heard and I have seen

What righteous folk would fear to know!

For I have heard, at still midnight,

Upon the hilltop far, forlorn,

With note that echoed through the dark,

The winding of the heathen horn.

And I have seen the fire aglow,

And glinting from the magic sword,

And with the inner eye beheld,

The HornÈd One, the Sabbat’s lord.

We drank the wine, and broke the bread,

And ate it in the Old One’s name.

We linked our hands to make the ring,

And laughed and leaped the Sabbat game.

Oh, little do the townsfolk reck,

When dull they lie within their bed!

Beyond the streets, beneath the stars,

A merry round the witches tread!

And round and round the circle spun,

Until the gates swung wide ajar,

That bar the boundaries of the earth

From faery realms that shine afar.

Oh, I have been and I have seen

In magic worlds of Otherwhere.

For all this world may praise or blame,

For ban or blessing nought I care.

For I have been beyond the town,

Where meadowsweet and roses grow,

And there such music did I hear

As worldly-righteous never know”

Always baffles me how everyone wiccan, trad, eclectic knows the charge of the goddess, the witches rune etc.

But we all neglect this beautiful piece which i feel sums up what witchcraft is regardless of tradition, that energy and wonder and defience and mystery.

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kaivenna

1 year ago