Out now

 Here

From the forthcoming Osprey

 

‘OFFA’s DYKE’, LATE 8th CENTURY AD

(1) King Offa of Mercia

Offa is credited with ordering the construction of this impressive earthwork along the border between Mercia and the hostile Welsh kingdom of Powys. We reconstruct the king’s appearance as in his vigorous middle age, and his costume partly from the carvings on the Franks Casket. 

(2) King Beorhtric of Wessex

To Offa’s left side stands his younger ally Beorhtric. He wears a blue cloak hanging open at the front to below his knees, copied from the Franks Casket; its silver disc brooch with small raised bosses is from the Evington specimen. His rich saffron-yellow tunic is, again, pleated below the waist. He holds a sword with a silver and gilt pommel, from a specimen found at Chiswick on the river Thames.

(3) West Saxon warlord

Between and behind the two kings, a warlord stands in attendance on Beorhtric. His helmet is a composite of the Coppergate and Wollaston specimens, in comparison with the Franks Casket. He is protected by a knee-length leather coat quilted with diamond-pattern stitching copied from the St John’s Bishopshill Cross, and a high collar. The bindings of his trousers would again have small silver fastening tags. His sword has a silver pommel with inlaid gilt panels (from the Windsor specimen), and at his feet is a shield with a ‘sugarloaf ’ boss (from British Museum specimen 1912, 1220.3). On campaign, he carries a finely mounted drinking horn as a sign of status.

From Anglo-Saxon Kings and Warlords AD 400–1070.

Illustrated by Raffaele Ruggeri.

6th century British Kingdoms

 Green are new Anglo-Saxon.

Webinar on the Staffordshire hoard

 

From Victrix

 Early Saxon Warriors - Command Figure Renders!

Here we have renders of 3 of the command figures for the Early Saxon warriors we showed you a few weeks.

There will be 6 figures on the command frame wearing a mixture of elaborate helmets, cloaks and standards. Can be used as champions and warlords, standard bearers and musicians. 

This will be a really versatile set of miniatures and fit into many different armies for the Dark Ages and many will find their way into Fantasy armies.

We have 3 more command figures to sculpt which should be ready in a  few weeks and then off to the tooling department. It is highly unlikely they will see release this year but more like early in 2024.

Beowulf and Grendel movie 2005

 We watched this movie today. Was very good. I think it might be the best film of this period I have seen. Set in 500 CE. Wiki. Filmed in Iceland. Trailer here. I think it is up in full on Youtube. 

Y Gododdin

 The men went to Catraeth, swift was their host, the pale mead was their feast and it was their poison.

Aneirin

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Catraeth

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_Gododdin