the re enactor, issue 52
DESCRIPTION
Monthly online magazine for all periods of re-enactment historyTRANSCRIPT
The Re-Enactor Issue 51 May 2013
Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) The Little Battle of Chalons
The Military Flying Show
A Huey-Will be taking part in The Military And Flying Machine Show August 2013
Features This Month 1 The Mutton Battle 2 Book Review-The Historical Novel Soc
3 Military and Flying Machines Show
4 The Little Battle of Chalons
5 Event Information
Greetings All
Welcome to issue 52
The weather is trying to improve here in the
UK with a few days of warm sunny
weather but it isnrsquot lasting long enough-but
we keep praying that it will stay warm
I am at Hay Castle this bank holiday
weekend during the main Hay Festival so I
expect it to be busy
I am after more reports stories and details
of what you are doing as I really want to
have more content for each new issue-So
get writing and emailing me your details
The events list has grown so do take a look
through and see what is happening near
you if you see that an event you know of
isnrsquot in the list please let me have the details
and I will be sure to add it
Please send all correspondence to the
following email address
thereenactorbtinternetcom
Competitions
All competitions are free to enter
Winners will be selected at random on the 24th
of
each month for the relevant competition
Winners will be notified via email shortly after
the draw takes place
No correspondence will be entered into
The editorrsquos decision is final
The views and opinions expressed in the articles in
this ezine are those of the individual authors
themselves and not those of the Editor
Note If you have any questions
queries thoughts or ideas for and
about the magazine please do feel
free to contact me and we can discuss
them
To receive notification of each new issue
send your email address to
thereenactorbtinternetcom
Next Month I hope to run a competition to win one of five copies of Giles Christianrsquos new
book and also to print the interview I had with the author recently
For more details about Giles and his work check out his website
httpwwwgileskristiancom
The Mutton Battle or the Battle of the Samara Bend
Historical Background
The Mongols began a 4-year-long campaign in the spring of 1220 to pursue and destroy
Muhammad II of Khwarezm Following the Mongol invasion of Central Asia and the
subsequent collapse of the Khwarezmian Empire a Mongol force under the command of
generals Jebe and Subutai advanced into Iraq-i Ajam Jebe requested permission from the
Mongol leader Genghis Khan to continue his conquests for a few years before returning to
the main army via the Caucasus While waiting for Genghis Khans reply the duo set out on a
raid in which they attacked Georgia and killed its king Genghis Khan granted the duo
permission to undertake their expedition and after making their way through the Caucasus
they defeated a coalition of Caucasian tribes before defeating the Cumans
The Cuman Khan Koumlten fled to the court of his son -in-law Prince Mstislav the Bold of
Galich who he convinced to help fight the Mongols Mstislav the Bold formed an alliance of
the Rus princes including Mstislav III of Kiev
In May 1223 the combined Rus army at first defeated the Mongol rearguard For several
days the Rus pursued the Mongols but became spread out over a large distance The
Mongols stopped and assumed battle formation on the banks of the Kalka River Mstislav the
Bold with his Cuman allies attacked the Mongols without waiting for the rest of the Rus
army and were defeated on the 31st of May 1223 Then the Mongols turned their hordes
backto Asia
(DV Zyabkin Battle of the Kalka River httpwwwneizvestniy-
geniyruimagesworksphoto201210749679_1jpg )
Subutai after his victory over the Russians was instructed by Genghis Khan to search
for his son Jochis army of 20000 men and link up in an effort to defeat the Volga Bulgars
The Mongol army crossed the Volga River near modern-day Volgograd and passed in
reconnaissance through Volga Bulgaria reconnoitering the land and the possibilities for the
future large-scope invasion [12]
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria or VolgandashKama Bolghar was a historic Islamic Bulgar state that existed
between the seventh and thirteenth centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama
rivers in what is now European Russia (mostly the territory of the present-day Tatarstan
Chuvashia part of Ulyanovsk Samara and Penza oblasts)
httpenwikipediaorgwikiFileVolgaBulgariajpg
The population was mostly Bulgars who had conquered Finno-Ugrics and Turkic speakers of
the region The population had been pagan but Islam was adopted as the state religion in the
early tenth century by Almış the iltaumlbaumlr (king) who united the Bulgar state and received the
famous embassy from Baghdad headed by Ibn Fadlan
Most scholars agree that the Volga Bulgars were subject to the great Khazarian Empire until
Khazarias destruction and conquest by Sviatoslav in the late 10th century after which Volga
Bulgaria grew in size and power Sometime in the late 9th century unification processes
started and the capital was established at Bolghar (also spelled Bulgar) city 160 km south
from modern Kazan
It is thought that the territory of Volga Bulgaria was originally settled by Finno-Ugric
peoples including Mari people The Bulgars moved from the Azov region in about AD 660
commanded by Kotrag Kubrats son They reached Idel-Ural in the eighth century where
they became the dominant population at the end of the 9th century uniting other tribes of
different origin which lived in the area
A large part of the regions population included Turkic or Iranic groups such as Suars Barsil
Bilars Baranjars and part of Burtas (by ibn Rustah) Modern Chuvashes descend from Suars
and Kazan Tatars descend from the Volga Bulgars Another part comprised Finnic and
Magyar (Asagel and Pascatir) tribes from which Bisermaumlns probably descend Ibn Fadlan
refers to Volga Bulgaria as Sakaliba which is a general Arabic term for the people of Volga
Bulgaria and it is probably related to ethnic name Scythian (or Saka in Persian) According to
the modern estimates based upon Abu Zayd al-Balkhirsquos data for Bolghar and Suar the
population of Volga Bulgaria at its peak amounted to about 15 ndash 2 mln people
Commanding the Volga River in its middle course the state controlled much of trade
between Europe and Asia prior to the Crusades (which made other trade routes practicable)
The capital Bolghar was a thriving city rivalling in size and wealth with the greatest centres
of the Islamic world Other major cities included Bilaumlr Suar (Suwar) Qaşan (Kashan) and
Cuumlkaumltaw (Juketau) Modern cities Kazan and Yelabuga were founded as Volga Bulgarias
border fortresses [3]
Devils Tower in Yelabuga 12th century httpnin-
grebnevayarurepliesxmlitem_no=44766
The Volga Bulgars mastered smelting pig iron and steel and were famous for their
metalwork Their builders erected stone and wooden mosques palaces with central heating
and plumbing as far back as in the 9th century In Central Asia and Iran the best leather is still
called Bulgarian [4]
Modern leather boots made according to the medieval technology and patterns
httpwwwrusskiymirrurusskiymirrucataloguerussiadetails16detail3html
The Volga Bulgars were also known for their skill in jewellery and ceramics Volga Bulgaria
also exported excellent furs Trade connections of Volga Bulgaria extended from Vikings
Bjarmland Yugra and Nenets in the north to Baghdad and Constantinople in the south from
Western Europe to China in the East
Gold temple ring (Volga Bulgaria late 11
th ndash early 12
th century)
httpkulturarusiruremesla-v-volzhskoy-bolgarii
Pectoral Volga Bulgaria 11
th century
httpserebnitiruforumviewtopicphpf=14ampt=19ampstart=3105ampsid=1c2bccb09d3636f0079
7bca179e27dc0ampview=print
Voga Bulgaria had its own science and literature In the first half of the 12th century Ya`qucircb
ibn Nogman al-Bulgari wrote his ldquoHistory of Bulgariardquo Scientist Burkhan ad-Din Ibrahim
ibn-Yūsuf al-Bulgari (d 1204) wrote treatises about medicines and rhetoric Philosopher
Abu-l-Alja Khamid ibn Idris al-Bulgari (12th
c) was well-known in the Islamic world for his
khadises The epic poem ldquoQiacutessai Yosıf (Tale of Yusuf)rdquo by Qol Ghali (between 1219 and
1233) is now considered to be one of the masterpieces of Turkic poetry (The poet was
probably killed in 1236 during the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria) [5 6]
Rich and prosperous Volga Bulgaria vied with Russian principalities for the control over the
Volga River trading intriguing waging military campaigns Under Russian pressure from
the west the Bulgars had to move their capital from Bolghar to Bilaumlr In 1220-1221 Rus
principalities and Volga Bulgaria waged a large-scale military campaign with mixed success
What We Do Know About the Battle
In September 1223 (late 620 Hijri year according to Ali ibn al-Athir ndash due to the intricacies of
Hijri chronology the accurate date is unknown autumn of 1223 or 1224) near the present-day
Samara an advance guard of Genghis Khans army under command of Uran son of Subutai
Bahadur entered Volga Bulgaria at the southern border
An army led by the Bulgar iltaumlbaumlr (king) Ghabdulla Chelbir including the armies of allied
Mordvin princes Puresh and Purgaz ambushed and defeated Subutaiss vanguard forces in
1223 at the Battle of the Samara Bend near the Bulgar city of Kernek There are also some
vague mentions of building special fortifications near the present-day Zhiguli Mountains in
the oral tradition
Ali ibn al-Athir wrote that when the Bulgars learnt about the approach of the Mongol army
they arranged ambushes in several places marched against the Mongols engaged them and
retreating lured them to the place of the main ambush Then the Bulgars struck from the rear
closing the pincers on the enemy After Mongols were rounded up the Bulgars massacred
them and only 4000 managed to escape according to local legends and proven from Arabian
chronicle (the Khwarizmian historian Shihab ad-Din Mohammad ibn Ahmad al-Nasawi) The
surviving Mongols fled to Saqsin This is considered the only major failure of the Mongols
during the rule of Genghis Khan
The captured Mongol troops were later sent back in exchange for live stock This was
unusual for the period as captives were usually executed or sold into slavery Al-Nasawi says
that one Mongol captive was humiliatingly exchanged for one ram that is why the battle is
also known as the Mutton Battle
The details about the Bulgar ambush and the Mongol victory at the Kama river have not
survived It is highly unlikely that even with Jochis reinforcements Subotais army
numbered more than 30000 men since Subotai and Jebes army combined was estimated to
only be between 25000-30000 men at the start of their western reconnaissance raid in 1220
His and Jebes decisive defeats of the numerically superior Georgian Cuman and Russian
armies with less than 3 tumens (30000) makes it reasonable to assume that Jochis
reinforcements were an effort to bring back Subotais depleted army to its original strength
[7 8]
A Bulgarian noble man-at-arms late 12
th ndashearly 13
th century (reconstruction by MV
Gorelik)
httpwwwgoogleruimgresimgurl=http3A2F2Fi56photobucketcom2Falbums2
Fg1612FVruk2FHistory2FBulgarian2FBulgarandSlavWarriorsVIIcjpgampimgrefurl=h
ttp3A2F2Farchiveworldhistoriacom2Ftopic1829026OB3DDESChtmlampdocid=I
Xs6D5RaHUKTbMamptbnid=kqkqGCyIcavkkM3Aampw=534amph=799ampei=rRGGUfDLDJTS
4QSZ14G4Bwampved=0CAIQxiAwAAampiact=ricl
A Bulgar-Chuvash cavalryman
Ospreys Armies of the Volga Bulgars amp Khanate of Khazan 9th-16th centuries by
Vyacheslav Shpakovsky and David Nicolle illustrated by Gerry Embleton
httpwwwarmchairgeneralcomforumsshowthreadphpp=1958748
The crushing defeat of the Mongols can be explained by two main reasons their considerable
losses during the previous battles of the campaign (especially during the Battle of the Kalka
River) and by the well-organized intelligence and tactical skill of the Bulgars They actually
turned the Mongolsrsquo weapon against the Mongols themselves performing feigned retreat
followed by the strike of the ambush force The main Bulgar-Chuvash heroes of the battle
whose names stayed in the legends are Jalal al-Din Altynbek Alan [13] brother of Ghabdulla
Chelbir the future king of Volga Bulgaria after his brothersrsquo death (1229 1230-1236)
generals Savrush Bator Ubi Bator and Sugut Bator [11]
Kazan museum of regional studies armour of a Bulgar warrior
httpforumna-svyazirushowtopic=375983ampst=90
The Mystery of Kernek
Where is Kernek Or at least where WAS Kernek Surely the people must
remember the place where the invincible Mongols were put to shame the place of Bulgar
glory We know what happened to Kernek Kernek was razed to the ground in 1236 by the
returning Mongols But unfortunately we do not know where Kernek was It is known
however that Kernek founded in the 10th century stood to the south of Bolghar on the left
bank of the Volga somewhere near the Samara Bend
Alexei Domnenko an enthusiast of the local history of the Samara oblast has come
up with a very plausible hypothesis as to the exact place of the mysterious Kernek
According to his theory the only place on or near the Samara Bend where the
mountains might play the part of natural fortifications and where therersquos a field between the
Volga and the Zhiguli Mountains large enough to accommodate two large armies is the
stretch of land between the present-day villages Shelekhmet and Podgory In all the other
places the Zhigili Mountains steeply descend right into the Volga Analyzing the features of
the landscape and taking into account the existing Bulgar barrows in the area he has come to
the conclusion that Kernek might be associated with the present-day Tornovoye
Though Tornovoye is on the right bank of the Volga and not on the left therersquos a
formidable reason for the Mongols being interested in the place Through the place passed an
ancient tract connecting Asia and the East European Plain (on estimate the tract may now be
4000 years old) and near Tornovoye before the Volga changed its course in 1637-1638
moving closer to the Sokolyi Mountains (Falcon Mountains) and the River Samara forming a
new chute there existed a ford or at least a waftage the only place to cross the Volga more or
less conveniently for hundreds of miles (even now there are only 11 bridges across the Volga
from Kazan to Astrakhan and 6 ferries the closest one in the present-day Kamyshin almost
near Volgograd) The Volga flowed fast at the time as there were no artificial water storage
basins and hydroelectric power stations so there may have been even fewer places for safe
crossing then Then the tract crossed the Samara Bend from south to north coming close to
the present-day village of Zhiguli (near the village there still can be found the remains of a
large Bulgar city which according to the archeological finds was ruined and burnt in 1236
Archeologists say that the cityrsquos population when it perished was 10000 people ndash the same as
the population of London at that time The name of the city is yet unknown though therersquos a
hypothesis that it might be Shugal Muran or Banju (On the whole there are 2 cities 11
hillforts and 39 pre-Mongol Volga Bulgar settlements on the Samara Bend) [16] The tract
itself is now almost impassable on the Samara Bend as it is now in the territory of the
Zhiguli Forest Preserve and the Samara Bend National Park but it was still in use as recently
as the 19th century) So the tract was literally the road to Volga Bulgaria to Rus and further
on westwards Bearing in mind that Ghengis Khan was planning a massive invasion in the
western lands it seems crucial for the Mongol army to reconnoiter the lay of the land the
ford or the waftage and the defences built by the locals as well as their battle skill and
resilience Even if Tornovoye was not THE Kernek it still might be a place of a massive
battle engagement as it actually protected the ford
The map dates back to 1824 The tract going from right to left across the Samara Bend
and turning north is shown in brown Tornovoye is opposite Samara on the Samara Bend on
the bank of the Volga - httpsamaranamecontentview155
Behind the big field between Novinki and Tornovoye near Tornovoye there rises the
Tornovsky branch of the Zhiguli Mountains in front of it therersquos a ravine (which is
suspiciously even straight and uniform throughout its whole course ndash see the green arrows in
the picture below) and the swampy Volga mortlakes The ravine suddenly turns into a high
rampart when it joins the natural wall of the Zhiguli Mountains The ravine also takes its
beginning near this wall circles the hillfort makes a loop and then ends abutting the natural
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
The Military Flying Show
A Huey-Will be taking part in The Military And Flying Machine Show August 2013
Features This Month 1 The Mutton Battle 2 Book Review-The Historical Novel Soc
3 Military and Flying Machines Show
4 The Little Battle of Chalons
5 Event Information
Greetings All
Welcome to issue 52
The weather is trying to improve here in the
UK with a few days of warm sunny
weather but it isnrsquot lasting long enough-but
we keep praying that it will stay warm
I am at Hay Castle this bank holiday
weekend during the main Hay Festival so I
expect it to be busy
I am after more reports stories and details
of what you are doing as I really want to
have more content for each new issue-So
get writing and emailing me your details
The events list has grown so do take a look
through and see what is happening near
you if you see that an event you know of
isnrsquot in the list please let me have the details
and I will be sure to add it
Please send all correspondence to the
following email address
thereenactorbtinternetcom
Competitions
All competitions are free to enter
Winners will be selected at random on the 24th
of
each month for the relevant competition
Winners will be notified via email shortly after
the draw takes place
No correspondence will be entered into
The editorrsquos decision is final
The views and opinions expressed in the articles in
this ezine are those of the individual authors
themselves and not those of the Editor
Note If you have any questions
queries thoughts or ideas for and
about the magazine please do feel
free to contact me and we can discuss
them
To receive notification of each new issue
send your email address to
thereenactorbtinternetcom
Next Month I hope to run a competition to win one of five copies of Giles Christianrsquos new
book and also to print the interview I had with the author recently
For more details about Giles and his work check out his website
httpwwwgileskristiancom
The Mutton Battle or the Battle of the Samara Bend
Historical Background
The Mongols began a 4-year-long campaign in the spring of 1220 to pursue and destroy
Muhammad II of Khwarezm Following the Mongol invasion of Central Asia and the
subsequent collapse of the Khwarezmian Empire a Mongol force under the command of
generals Jebe and Subutai advanced into Iraq-i Ajam Jebe requested permission from the
Mongol leader Genghis Khan to continue his conquests for a few years before returning to
the main army via the Caucasus While waiting for Genghis Khans reply the duo set out on a
raid in which they attacked Georgia and killed its king Genghis Khan granted the duo
permission to undertake their expedition and after making their way through the Caucasus
they defeated a coalition of Caucasian tribes before defeating the Cumans
The Cuman Khan Koumlten fled to the court of his son -in-law Prince Mstislav the Bold of
Galich who he convinced to help fight the Mongols Mstislav the Bold formed an alliance of
the Rus princes including Mstislav III of Kiev
In May 1223 the combined Rus army at first defeated the Mongol rearguard For several
days the Rus pursued the Mongols but became spread out over a large distance The
Mongols stopped and assumed battle formation on the banks of the Kalka River Mstislav the
Bold with his Cuman allies attacked the Mongols without waiting for the rest of the Rus
army and were defeated on the 31st of May 1223 Then the Mongols turned their hordes
backto Asia
(DV Zyabkin Battle of the Kalka River httpwwwneizvestniy-
geniyruimagesworksphoto201210749679_1jpg )
Subutai after his victory over the Russians was instructed by Genghis Khan to search
for his son Jochis army of 20000 men and link up in an effort to defeat the Volga Bulgars
The Mongol army crossed the Volga River near modern-day Volgograd and passed in
reconnaissance through Volga Bulgaria reconnoitering the land and the possibilities for the
future large-scope invasion [12]
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria or VolgandashKama Bolghar was a historic Islamic Bulgar state that existed
between the seventh and thirteenth centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama
rivers in what is now European Russia (mostly the territory of the present-day Tatarstan
Chuvashia part of Ulyanovsk Samara and Penza oblasts)
httpenwikipediaorgwikiFileVolgaBulgariajpg
The population was mostly Bulgars who had conquered Finno-Ugrics and Turkic speakers of
the region The population had been pagan but Islam was adopted as the state religion in the
early tenth century by Almış the iltaumlbaumlr (king) who united the Bulgar state and received the
famous embassy from Baghdad headed by Ibn Fadlan
Most scholars agree that the Volga Bulgars were subject to the great Khazarian Empire until
Khazarias destruction and conquest by Sviatoslav in the late 10th century after which Volga
Bulgaria grew in size and power Sometime in the late 9th century unification processes
started and the capital was established at Bolghar (also spelled Bulgar) city 160 km south
from modern Kazan
It is thought that the territory of Volga Bulgaria was originally settled by Finno-Ugric
peoples including Mari people The Bulgars moved from the Azov region in about AD 660
commanded by Kotrag Kubrats son They reached Idel-Ural in the eighth century where
they became the dominant population at the end of the 9th century uniting other tribes of
different origin which lived in the area
A large part of the regions population included Turkic or Iranic groups such as Suars Barsil
Bilars Baranjars and part of Burtas (by ibn Rustah) Modern Chuvashes descend from Suars
and Kazan Tatars descend from the Volga Bulgars Another part comprised Finnic and
Magyar (Asagel and Pascatir) tribes from which Bisermaumlns probably descend Ibn Fadlan
refers to Volga Bulgaria as Sakaliba which is a general Arabic term for the people of Volga
Bulgaria and it is probably related to ethnic name Scythian (or Saka in Persian) According to
the modern estimates based upon Abu Zayd al-Balkhirsquos data for Bolghar and Suar the
population of Volga Bulgaria at its peak amounted to about 15 ndash 2 mln people
Commanding the Volga River in its middle course the state controlled much of trade
between Europe and Asia prior to the Crusades (which made other trade routes practicable)
The capital Bolghar was a thriving city rivalling in size and wealth with the greatest centres
of the Islamic world Other major cities included Bilaumlr Suar (Suwar) Qaşan (Kashan) and
Cuumlkaumltaw (Juketau) Modern cities Kazan and Yelabuga were founded as Volga Bulgarias
border fortresses [3]
Devils Tower in Yelabuga 12th century httpnin-
grebnevayarurepliesxmlitem_no=44766
The Volga Bulgars mastered smelting pig iron and steel and were famous for their
metalwork Their builders erected stone and wooden mosques palaces with central heating
and plumbing as far back as in the 9th century In Central Asia and Iran the best leather is still
called Bulgarian [4]
Modern leather boots made according to the medieval technology and patterns
httpwwwrusskiymirrurusskiymirrucataloguerussiadetails16detail3html
The Volga Bulgars were also known for their skill in jewellery and ceramics Volga Bulgaria
also exported excellent furs Trade connections of Volga Bulgaria extended from Vikings
Bjarmland Yugra and Nenets in the north to Baghdad and Constantinople in the south from
Western Europe to China in the East
Gold temple ring (Volga Bulgaria late 11
th ndash early 12
th century)
httpkulturarusiruremesla-v-volzhskoy-bolgarii
Pectoral Volga Bulgaria 11
th century
httpserebnitiruforumviewtopicphpf=14ampt=19ampstart=3105ampsid=1c2bccb09d3636f0079
7bca179e27dc0ampview=print
Voga Bulgaria had its own science and literature In the first half of the 12th century Ya`qucircb
ibn Nogman al-Bulgari wrote his ldquoHistory of Bulgariardquo Scientist Burkhan ad-Din Ibrahim
ibn-Yūsuf al-Bulgari (d 1204) wrote treatises about medicines and rhetoric Philosopher
Abu-l-Alja Khamid ibn Idris al-Bulgari (12th
c) was well-known in the Islamic world for his
khadises The epic poem ldquoQiacutessai Yosıf (Tale of Yusuf)rdquo by Qol Ghali (between 1219 and
1233) is now considered to be one of the masterpieces of Turkic poetry (The poet was
probably killed in 1236 during the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria) [5 6]
Rich and prosperous Volga Bulgaria vied with Russian principalities for the control over the
Volga River trading intriguing waging military campaigns Under Russian pressure from
the west the Bulgars had to move their capital from Bolghar to Bilaumlr In 1220-1221 Rus
principalities and Volga Bulgaria waged a large-scale military campaign with mixed success
What We Do Know About the Battle
In September 1223 (late 620 Hijri year according to Ali ibn al-Athir ndash due to the intricacies of
Hijri chronology the accurate date is unknown autumn of 1223 or 1224) near the present-day
Samara an advance guard of Genghis Khans army under command of Uran son of Subutai
Bahadur entered Volga Bulgaria at the southern border
An army led by the Bulgar iltaumlbaumlr (king) Ghabdulla Chelbir including the armies of allied
Mordvin princes Puresh and Purgaz ambushed and defeated Subutaiss vanguard forces in
1223 at the Battle of the Samara Bend near the Bulgar city of Kernek There are also some
vague mentions of building special fortifications near the present-day Zhiguli Mountains in
the oral tradition
Ali ibn al-Athir wrote that when the Bulgars learnt about the approach of the Mongol army
they arranged ambushes in several places marched against the Mongols engaged them and
retreating lured them to the place of the main ambush Then the Bulgars struck from the rear
closing the pincers on the enemy After Mongols were rounded up the Bulgars massacred
them and only 4000 managed to escape according to local legends and proven from Arabian
chronicle (the Khwarizmian historian Shihab ad-Din Mohammad ibn Ahmad al-Nasawi) The
surviving Mongols fled to Saqsin This is considered the only major failure of the Mongols
during the rule of Genghis Khan
The captured Mongol troops were later sent back in exchange for live stock This was
unusual for the period as captives were usually executed or sold into slavery Al-Nasawi says
that one Mongol captive was humiliatingly exchanged for one ram that is why the battle is
also known as the Mutton Battle
The details about the Bulgar ambush and the Mongol victory at the Kama river have not
survived It is highly unlikely that even with Jochis reinforcements Subotais army
numbered more than 30000 men since Subotai and Jebes army combined was estimated to
only be between 25000-30000 men at the start of their western reconnaissance raid in 1220
His and Jebes decisive defeats of the numerically superior Georgian Cuman and Russian
armies with less than 3 tumens (30000) makes it reasonable to assume that Jochis
reinforcements were an effort to bring back Subotais depleted army to its original strength
[7 8]
A Bulgarian noble man-at-arms late 12
th ndashearly 13
th century (reconstruction by MV
Gorelik)
httpwwwgoogleruimgresimgurl=http3A2F2Fi56photobucketcom2Falbums2
Fg1612FVruk2FHistory2FBulgarian2FBulgarandSlavWarriorsVIIcjpgampimgrefurl=h
ttp3A2F2Farchiveworldhistoriacom2Ftopic1829026OB3DDESChtmlampdocid=I
Xs6D5RaHUKTbMamptbnid=kqkqGCyIcavkkM3Aampw=534amph=799ampei=rRGGUfDLDJTS
4QSZ14G4Bwampved=0CAIQxiAwAAampiact=ricl
A Bulgar-Chuvash cavalryman
Ospreys Armies of the Volga Bulgars amp Khanate of Khazan 9th-16th centuries by
Vyacheslav Shpakovsky and David Nicolle illustrated by Gerry Embleton
httpwwwarmchairgeneralcomforumsshowthreadphpp=1958748
The crushing defeat of the Mongols can be explained by two main reasons their considerable
losses during the previous battles of the campaign (especially during the Battle of the Kalka
River) and by the well-organized intelligence and tactical skill of the Bulgars They actually
turned the Mongolsrsquo weapon against the Mongols themselves performing feigned retreat
followed by the strike of the ambush force The main Bulgar-Chuvash heroes of the battle
whose names stayed in the legends are Jalal al-Din Altynbek Alan [13] brother of Ghabdulla
Chelbir the future king of Volga Bulgaria after his brothersrsquo death (1229 1230-1236)
generals Savrush Bator Ubi Bator and Sugut Bator [11]
Kazan museum of regional studies armour of a Bulgar warrior
httpforumna-svyazirushowtopic=375983ampst=90
The Mystery of Kernek
Where is Kernek Or at least where WAS Kernek Surely the people must
remember the place where the invincible Mongols were put to shame the place of Bulgar
glory We know what happened to Kernek Kernek was razed to the ground in 1236 by the
returning Mongols But unfortunately we do not know where Kernek was It is known
however that Kernek founded in the 10th century stood to the south of Bolghar on the left
bank of the Volga somewhere near the Samara Bend
Alexei Domnenko an enthusiast of the local history of the Samara oblast has come
up with a very plausible hypothesis as to the exact place of the mysterious Kernek
According to his theory the only place on or near the Samara Bend where the
mountains might play the part of natural fortifications and where therersquos a field between the
Volga and the Zhiguli Mountains large enough to accommodate two large armies is the
stretch of land between the present-day villages Shelekhmet and Podgory In all the other
places the Zhigili Mountains steeply descend right into the Volga Analyzing the features of
the landscape and taking into account the existing Bulgar barrows in the area he has come to
the conclusion that Kernek might be associated with the present-day Tornovoye
Though Tornovoye is on the right bank of the Volga and not on the left therersquos a
formidable reason for the Mongols being interested in the place Through the place passed an
ancient tract connecting Asia and the East European Plain (on estimate the tract may now be
4000 years old) and near Tornovoye before the Volga changed its course in 1637-1638
moving closer to the Sokolyi Mountains (Falcon Mountains) and the River Samara forming a
new chute there existed a ford or at least a waftage the only place to cross the Volga more or
less conveniently for hundreds of miles (even now there are only 11 bridges across the Volga
from Kazan to Astrakhan and 6 ferries the closest one in the present-day Kamyshin almost
near Volgograd) The Volga flowed fast at the time as there were no artificial water storage
basins and hydroelectric power stations so there may have been even fewer places for safe
crossing then Then the tract crossed the Samara Bend from south to north coming close to
the present-day village of Zhiguli (near the village there still can be found the remains of a
large Bulgar city which according to the archeological finds was ruined and burnt in 1236
Archeologists say that the cityrsquos population when it perished was 10000 people ndash the same as
the population of London at that time The name of the city is yet unknown though therersquos a
hypothesis that it might be Shugal Muran or Banju (On the whole there are 2 cities 11
hillforts and 39 pre-Mongol Volga Bulgar settlements on the Samara Bend) [16] The tract
itself is now almost impassable on the Samara Bend as it is now in the territory of the
Zhiguli Forest Preserve and the Samara Bend National Park but it was still in use as recently
as the 19th century) So the tract was literally the road to Volga Bulgaria to Rus and further
on westwards Bearing in mind that Ghengis Khan was planning a massive invasion in the
western lands it seems crucial for the Mongol army to reconnoiter the lay of the land the
ford or the waftage and the defences built by the locals as well as their battle skill and
resilience Even if Tornovoye was not THE Kernek it still might be a place of a massive
battle engagement as it actually protected the ford
The map dates back to 1824 The tract going from right to left across the Samara Bend
and turning north is shown in brown Tornovoye is opposite Samara on the Samara Bend on
the bank of the Volga - httpsamaranamecontentview155
Behind the big field between Novinki and Tornovoye near Tornovoye there rises the
Tornovsky branch of the Zhiguli Mountains in front of it therersquos a ravine (which is
suspiciously even straight and uniform throughout its whole course ndash see the green arrows in
the picture below) and the swampy Volga mortlakes The ravine suddenly turns into a high
rampart when it joins the natural wall of the Zhiguli Mountains The ravine also takes its
beginning near this wall circles the hillfort makes a loop and then ends abutting the natural
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
The Mutton Battle or the Battle of the Samara Bend
Historical Background
The Mongols began a 4-year-long campaign in the spring of 1220 to pursue and destroy
Muhammad II of Khwarezm Following the Mongol invasion of Central Asia and the
subsequent collapse of the Khwarezmian Empire a Mongol force under the command of
generals Jebe and Subutai advanced into Iraq-i Ajam Jebe requested permission from the
Mongol leader Genghis Khan to continue his conquests for a few years before returning to
the main army via the Caucasus While waiting for Genghis Khans reply the duo set out on a
raid in which they attacked Georgia and killed its king Genghis Khan granted the duo
permission to undertake their expedition and after making their way through the Caucasus
they defeated a coalition of Caucasian tribes before defeating the Cumans
The Cuman Khan Koumlten fled to the court of his son -in-law Prince Mstislav the Bold of
Galich who he convinced to help fight the Mongols Mstislav the Bold formed an alliance of
the Rus princes including Mstislav III of Kiev
In May 1223 the combined Rus army at first defeated the Mongol rearguard For several
days the Rus pursued the Mongols but became spread out over a large distance The
Mongols stopped and assumed battle formation on the banks of the Kalka River Mstislav the
Bold with his Cuman allies attacked the Mongols without waiting for the rest of the Rus
army and were defeated on the 31st of May 1223 Then the Mongols turned their hordes
backto Asia
(DV Zyabkin Battle of the Kalka River httpwwwneizvestniy-
geniyruimagesworksphoto201210749679_1jpg )
Subutai after his victory over the Russians was instructed by Genghis Khan to search
for his son Jochis army of 20000 men and link up in an effort to defeat the Volga Bulgars
The Mongol army crossed the Volga River near modern-day Volgograd and passed in
reconnaissance through Volga Bulgaria reconnoitering the land and the possibilities for the
future large-scope invasion [12]
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria or VolgandashKama Bolghar was a historic Islamic Bulgar state that existed
between the seventh and thirteenth centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama
rivers in what is now European Russia (mostly the territory of the present-day Tatarstan
Chuvashia part of Ulyanovsk Samara and Penza oblasts)
httpenwikipediaorgwikiFileVolgaBulgariajpg
The population was mostly Bulgars who had conquered Finno-Ugrics and Turkic speakers of
the region The population had been pagan but Islam was adopted as the state religion in the
early tenth century by Almış the iltaumlbaumlr (king) who united the Bulgar state and received the
famous embassy from Baghdad headed by Ibn Fadlan
Most scholars agree that the Volga Bulgars were subject to the great Khazarian Empire until
Khazarias destruction and conquest by Sviatoslav in the late 10th century after which Volga
Bulgaria grew in size and power Sometime in the late 9th century unification processes
started and the capital was established at Bolghar (also spelled Bulgar) city 160 km south
from modern Kazan
It is thought that the territory of Volga Bulgaria was originally settled by Finno-Ugric
peoples including Mari people The Bulgars moved from the Azov region in about AD 660
commanded by Kotrag Kubrats son They reached Idel-Ural in the eighth century where
they became the dominant population at the end of the 9th century uniting other tribes of
different origin which lived in the area
A large part of the regions population included Turkic or Iranic groups such as Suars Barsil
Bilars Baranjars and part of Burtas (by ibn Rustah) Modern Chuvashes descend from Suars
and Kazan Tatars descend from the Volga Bulgars Another part comprised Finnic and
Magyar (Asagel and Pascatir) tribes from which Bisermaumlns probably descend Ibn Fadlan
refers to Volga Bulgaria as Sakaliba which is a general Arabic term for the people of Volga
Bulgaria and it is probably related to ethnic name Scythian (or Saka in Persian) According to
the modern estimates based upon Abu Zayd al-Balkhirsquos data for Bolghar and Suar the
population of Volga Bulgaria at its peak amounted to about 15 ndash 2 mln people
Commanding the Volga River in its middle course the state controlled much of trade
between Europe and Asia prior to the Crusades (which made other trade routes practicable)
The capital Bolghar was a thriving city rivalling in size and wealth with the greatest centres
of the Islamic world Other major cities included Bilaumlr Suar (Suwar) Qaşan (Kashan) and
Cuumlkaumltaw (Juketau) Modern cities Kazan and Yelabuga were founded as Volga Bulgarias
border fortresses [3]
Devils Tower in Yelabuga 12th century httpnin-
grebnevayarurepliesxmlitem_no=44766
The Volga Bulgars mastered smelting pig iron and steel and were famous for their
metalwork Their builders erected stone and wooden mosques palaces with central heating
and plumbing as far back as in the 9th century In Central Asia and Iran the best leather is still
called Bulgarian [4]
Modern leather boots made according to the medieval technology and patterns
httpwwwrusskiymirrurusskiymirrucataloguerussiadetails16detail3html
The Volga Bulgars were also known for their skill in jewellery and ceramics Volga Bulgaria
also exported excellent furs Trade connections of Volga Bulgaria extended from Vikings
Bjarmland Yugra and Nenets in the north to Baghdad and Constantinople in the south from
Western Europe to China in the East
Gold temple ring (Volga Bulgaria late 11
th ndash early 12
th century)
httpkulturarusiruremesla-v-volzhskoy-bolgarii
Pectoral Volga Bulgaria 11
th century
httpserebnitiruforumviewtopicphpf=14ampt=19ampstart=3105ampsid=1c2bccb09d3636f0079
7bca179e27dc0ampview=print
Voga Bulgaria had its own science and literature In the first half of the 12th century Ya`qucircb
ibn Nogman al-Bulgari wrote his ldquoHistory of Bulgariardquo Scientist Burkhan ad-Din Ibrahim
ibn-Yūsuf al-Bulgari (d 1204) wrote treatises about medicines and rhetoric Philosopher
Abu-l-Alja Khamid ibn Idris al-Bulgari (12th
c) was well-known in the Islamic world for his
khadises The epic poem ldquoQiacutessai Yosıf (Tale of Yusuf)rdquo by Qol Ghali (between 1219 and
1233) is now considered to be one of the masterpieces of Turkic poetry (The poet was
probably killed in 1236 during the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria) [5 6]
Rich and prosperous Volga Bulgaria vied with Russian principalities for the control over the
Volga River trading intriguing waging military campaigns Under Russian pressure from
the west the Bulgars had to move their capital from Bolghar to Bilaumlr In 1220-1221 Rus
principalities and Volga Bulgaria waged a large-scale military campaign with mixed success
What We Do Know About the Battle
In September 1223 (late 620 Hijri year according to Ali ibn al-Athir ndash due to the intricacies of
Hijri chronology the accurate date is unknown autumn of 1223 or 1224) near the present-day
Samara an advance guard of Genghis Khans army under command of Uran son of Subutai
Bahadur entered Volga Bulgaria at the southern border
An army led by the Bulgar iltaumlbaumlr (king) Ghabdulla Chelbir including the armies of allied
Mordvin princes Puresh and Purgaz ambushed and defeated Subutaiss vanguard forces in
1223 at the Battle of the Samara Bend near the Bulgar city of Kernek There are also some
vague mentions of building special fortifications near the present-day Zhiguli Mountains in
the oral tradition
Ali ibn al-Athir wrote that when the Bulgars learnt about the approach of the Mongol army
they arranged ambushes in several places marched against the Mongols engaged them and
retreating lured them to the place of the main ambush Then the Bulgars struck from the rear
closing the pincers on the enemy After Mongols were rounded up the Bulgars massacred
them and only 4000 managed to escape according to local legends and proven from Arabian
chronicle (the Khwarizmian historian Shihab ad-Din Mohammad ibn Ahmad al-Nasawi) The
surviving Mongols fled to Saqsin This is considered the only major failure of the Mongols
during the rule of Genghis Khan
The captured Mongol troops were later sent back in exchange for live stock This was
unusual for the period as captives were usually executed or sold into slavery Al-Nasawi says
that one Mongol captive was humiliatingly exchanged for one ram that is why the battle is
also known as the Mutton Battle
The details about the Bulgar ambush and the Mongol victory at the Kama river have not
survived It is highly unlikely that even with Jochis reinforcements Subotais army
numbered more than 30000 men since Subotai and Jebes army combined was estimated to
only be between 25000-30000 men at the start of their western reconnaissance raid in 1220
His and Jebes decisive defeats of the numerically superior Georgian Cuman and Russian
armies with less than 3 tumens (30000) makes it reasonable to assume that Jochis
reinforcements were an effort to bring back Subotais depleted army to its original strength
[7 8]
A Bulgarian noble man-at-arms late 12
th ndashearly 13
th century (reconstruction by MV
Gorelik)
httpwwwgoogleruimgresimgurl=http3A2F2Fi56photobucketcom2Falbums2
Fg1612FVruk2FHistory2FBulgarian2FBulgarandSlavWarriorsVIIcjpgampimgrefurl=h
ttp3A2F2Farchiveworldhistoriacom2Ftopic1829026OB3DDESChtmlampdocid=I
Xs6D5RaHUKTbMamptbnid=kqkqGCyIcavkkM3Aampw=534amph=799ampei=rRGGUfDLDJTS
4QSZ14G4Bwampved=0CAIQxiAwAAampiact=ricl
A Bulgar-Chuvash cavalryman
Ospreys Armies of the Volga Bulgars amp Khanate of Khazan 9th-16th centuries by
Vyacheslav Shpakovsky and David Nicolle illustrated by Gerry Embleton
httpwwwarmchairgeneralcomforumsshowthreadphpp=1958748
The crushing defeat of the Mongols can be explained by two main reasons their considerable
losses during the previous battles of the campaign (especially during the Battle of the Kalka
River) and by the well-organized intelligence and tactical skill of the Bulgars They actually
turned the Mongolsrsquo weapon against the Mongols themselves performing feigned retreat
followed by the strike of the ambush force The main Bulgar-Chuvash heroes of the battle
whose names stayed in the legends are Jalal al-Din Altynbek Alan [13] brother of Ghabdulla
Chelbir the future king of Volga Bulgaria after his brothersrsquo death (1229 1230-1236)
generals Savrush Bator Ubi Bator and Sugut Bator [11]
Kazan museum of regional studies armour of a Bulgar warrior
httpforumna-svyazirushowtopic=375983ampst=90
The Mystery of Kernek
Where is Kernek Or at least where WAS Kernek Surely the people must
remember the place where the invincible Mongols were put to shame the place of Bulgar
glory We know what happened to Kernek Kernek was razed to the ground in 1236 by the
returning Mongols But unfortunately we do not know where Kernek was It is known
however that Kernek founded in the 10th century stood to the south of Bolghar on the left
bank of the Volga somewhere near the Samara Bend
Alexei Domnenko an enthusiast of the local history of the Samara oblast has come
up with a very plausible hypothesis as to the exact place of the mysterious Kernek
According to his theory the only place on or near the Samara Bend where the
mountains might play the part of natural fortifications and where therersquos a field between the
Volga and the Zhiguli Mountains large enough to accommodate two large armies is the
stretch of land between the present-day villages Shelekhmet and Podgory In all the other
places the Zhigili Mountains steeply descend right into the Volga Analyzing the features of
the landscape and taking into account the existing Bulgar barrows in the area he has come to
the conclusion that Kernek might be associated with the present-day Tornovoye
Though Tornovoye is on the right bank of the Volga and not on the left therersquos a
formidable reason for the Mongols being interested in the place Through the place passed an
ancient tract connecting Asia and the East European Plain (on estimate the tract may now be
4000 years old) and near Tornovoye before the Volga changed its course in 1637-1638
moving closer to the Sokolyi Mountains (Falcon Mountains) and the River Samara forming a
new chute there existed a ford or at least a waftage the only place to cross the Volga more or
less conveniently for hundreds of miles (even now there are only 11 bridges across the Volga
from Kazan to Astrakhan and 6 ferries the closest one in the present-day Kamyshin almost
near Volgograd) The Volga flowed fast at the time as there were no artificial water storage
basins and hydroelectric power stations so there may have been even fewer places for safe
crossing then Then the tract crossed the Samara Bend from south to north coming close to
the present-day village of Zhiguli (near the village there still can be found the remains of a
large Bulgar city which according to the archeological finds was ruined and burnt in 1236
Archeologists say that the cityrsquos population when it perished was 10000 people ndash the same as
the population of London at that time The name of the city is yet unknown though therersquos a
hypothesis that it might be Shugal Muran or Banju (On the whole there are 2 cities 11
hillforts and 39 pre-Mongol Volga Bulgar settlements on the Samara Bend) [16] The tract
itself is now almost impassable on the Samara Bend as it is now in the territory of the
Zhiguli Forest Preserve and the Samara Bend National Park but it was still in use as recently
as the 19th century) So the tract was literally the road to Volga Bulgaria to Rus and further
on westwards Bearing in mind that Ghengis Khan was planning a massive invasion in the
western lands it seems crucial for the Mongol army to reconnoiter the lay of the land the
ford or the waftage and the defences built by the locals as well as their battle skill and
resilience Even if Tornovoye was not THE Kernek it still might be a place of a massive
battle engagement as it actually protected the ford
The map dates back to 1824 The tract going from right to left across the Samara Bend
and turning north is shown in brown Tornovoye is opposite Samara on the Samara Bend on
the bank of the Volga - httpsamaranamecontentview155
Behind the big field between Novinki and Tornovoye near Tornovoye there rises the
Tornovsky branch of the Zhiguli Mountains in front of it therersquos a ravine (which is
suspiciously even straight and uniform throughout its whole course ndash see the green arrows in
the picture below) and the swampy Volga mortlakes The ravine suddenly turns into a high
rampart when it joins the natural wall of the Zhiguli Mountains The ravine also takes its
beginning near this wall circles the hillfort makes a loop and then ends abutting the natural
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
Subutai after his victory over the Russians was instructed by Genghis Khan to search
for his son Jochis army of 20000 men and link up in an effort to defeat the Volga Bulgars
The Mongol army crossed the Volga River near modern-day Volgograd and passed in
reconnaissance through Volga Bulgaria reconnoitering the land and the possibilities for the
future large-scope invasion [12]
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria or VolgandashKama Bolghar was a historic Islamic Bulgar state that existed
between the seventh and thirteenth centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama
rivers in what is now European Russia (mostly the territory of the present-day Tatarstan
Chuvashia part of Ulyanovsk Samara and Penza oblasts)
httpenwikipediaorgwikiFileVolgaBulgariajpg
The population was mostly Bulgars who had conquered Finno-Ugrics and Turkic speakers of
the region The population had been pagan but Islam was adopted as the state religion in the
early tenth century by Almış the iltaumlbaumlr (king) who united the Bulgar state and received the
famous embassy from Baghdad headed by Ibn Fadlan
Most scholars agree that the Volga Bulgars were subject to the great Khazarian Empire until
Khazarias destruction and conquest by Sviatoslav in the late 10th century after which Volga
Bulgaria grew in size and power Sometime in the late 9th century unification processes
started and the capital was established at Bolghar (also spelled Bulgar) city 160 km south
from modern Kazan
It is thought that the territory of Volga Bulgaria was originally settled by Finno-Ugric
peoples including Mari people The Bulgars moved from the Azov region in about AD 660
commanded by Kotrag Kubrats son They reached Idel-Ural in the eighth century where
they became the dominant population at the end of the 9th century uniting other tribes of
different origin which lived in the area
A large part of the regions population included Turkic or Iranic groups such as Suars Barsil
Bilars Baranjars and part of Burtas (by ibn Rustah) Modern Chuvashes descend from Suars
and Kazan Tatars descend from the Volga Bulgars Another part comprised Finnic and
Magyar (Asagel and Pascatir) tribes from which Bisermaumlns probably descend Ibn Fadlan
refers to Volga Bulgaria as Sakaliba which is a general Arabic term for the people of Volga
Bulgaria and it is probably related to ethnic name Scythian (or Saka in Persian) According to
the modern estimates based upon Abu Zayd al-Balkhirsquos data for Bolghar and Suar the
population of Volga Bulgaria at its peak amounted to about 15 ndash 2 mln people
Commanding the Volga River in its middle course the state controlled much of trade
between Europe and Asia prior to the Crusades (which made other trade routes practicable)
The capital Bolghar was a thriving city rivalling in size and wealth with the greatest centres
of the Islamic world Other major cities included Bilaumlr Suar (Suwar) Qaşan (Kashan) and
Cuumlkaumltaw (Juketau) Modern cities Kazan and Yelabuga were founded as Volga Bulgarias
border fortresses [3]
Devils Tower in Yelabuga 12th century httpnin-
grebnevayarurepliesxmlitem_no=44766
The Volga Bulgars mastered smelting pig iron and steel and were famous for their
metalwork Their builders erected stone and wooden mosques palaces with central heating
and plumbing as far back as in the 9th century In Central Asia and Iran the best leather is still
called Bulgarian [4]
Modern leather boots made according to the medieval technology and patterns
httpwwwrusskiymirrurusskiymirrucataloguerussiadetails16detail3html
The Volga Bulgars were also known for their skill in jewellery and ceramics Volga Bulgaria
also exported excellent furs Trade connections of Volga Bulgaria extended from Vikings
Bjarmland Yugra and Nenets in the north to Baghdad and Constantinople in the south from
Western Europe to China in the East
Gold temple ring (Volga Bulgaria late 11
th ndash early 12
th century)
httpkulturarusiruremesla-v-volzhskoy-bolgarii
Pectoral Volga Bulgaria 11
th century
httpserebnitiruforumviewtopicphpf=14ampt=19ampstart=3105ampsid=1c2bccb09d3636f0079
7bca179e27dc0ampview=print
Voga Bulgaria had its own science and literature In the first half of the 12th century Ya`qucircb
ibn Nogman al-Bulgari wrote his ldquoHistory of Bulgariardquo Scientist Burkhan ad-Din Ibrahim
ibn-Yūsuf al-Bulgari (d 1204) wrote treatises about medicines and rhetoric Philosopher
Abu-l-Alja Khamid ibn Idris al-Bulgari (12th
c) was well-known in the Islamic world for his
khadises The epic poem ldquoQiacutessai Yosıf (Tale of Yusuf)rdquo by Qol Ghali (between 1219 and
1233) is now considered to be one of the masterpieces of Turkic poetry (The poet was
probably killed in 1236 during the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria) [5 6]
Rich and prosperous Volga Bulgaria vied with Russian principalities for the control over the
Volga River trading intriguing waging military campaigns Under Russian pressure from
the west the Bulgars had to move their capital from Bolghar to Bilaumlr In 1220-1221 Rus
principalities and Volga Bulgaria waged a large-scale military campaign with mixed success
What We Do Know About the Battle
In September 1223 (late 620 Hijri year according to Ali ibn al-Athir ndash due to the intricacies of
Hijri chronology the accurate date is unknown autumn of 1223 or 1224) near the present-day
Samara an advance guard of Genghis Khans army under command of Uran son of Subutai
Bahadur entered Volga Bulgaria at the southern border
An army led by the Bulgar iltaumlbaumlr (king) Ghabdulla Chelbir including the armies of allied
Mordvin princes Puresh and Purgaz ambushed and defeated Subutaiss vanguard forces in
1223 at the Battle of the Samara Bend near the Bulgar city of Kernek There are also some
vague mentions of building special fortifications near the present-day Zhiguli Mountains in
the oral tradition
Ali ibn al-Athir wrote that when the Bulgars learnt about the approach of the Mongol army
they arranged ambushes in several places marched against the Mongols engaged them and
retreating lured them to the place of the main ambush Then the Bulgars struck from the rear
closing the pincers on the enemy After Mongols were rounded up the Bulgars massacred
them and only 4000 managed to escape according to local legends and proven from Arabian
chronicle (the Khwarizmian historian Shihab ad-Din Mohammad ibn Ahmad al-Nasawi) The
surviving Mongols fled to Saqsin This is considered the only major failure of the Mongols
during the rule of Genghis Khan
The captured Mongol troops were later sent back in exchange for live stock This was
unusual for the period as captives were usually executed or sold into slavery Al-Nasawi says
that one Mongol captive was humiliatingly exchanged for one ram that is why the battle is
also known as the Mutton Battle
The details about the Bulgar ambush and the Mongol victory at the Kama river have not
survived It is highly unlikely that even with Jochis reinforcements Subotais army
numbered more than 30000 men since Subotai and Jebes army combined was estimated to
only be between 25000-30000 men at the start of their western reconnaissance raid in 1220
His and Jebes decisive defeats of the numerically superior Georgian Cuman and Russian
armies with less than 3 tumens (30000) makes it reasonable to assume that Jochis
reinforcements were an effort to bring back Subotais depleted army to its original strength
[7 8]
A Bulgarian noble man-at-arms late 12
th ndashearly 13
th century (reconstruction by MV
Gorelik)
httpwwwgoogleruimgresimgurl=http3A2F2Fi56photobucketcom2Falbums2
Fg1612FVruk2FHistory2FBulgarian2FBulgarandSlavWarriorsVIIcjpgampimgrefurl=h
ttp3A2F2Farchiveworldhistoriacom2Ftopic1829026OB3DDESChtmlampdocid=I
Xs6D5RaHUKTbMamptbnid=kqkqGCyIcavkkM3Aampw=534amph=799ampei=rRGGUfDLDJTS
4QSZ14G4Bwampved=0CAIQxiAwAAampiact=ricl
A Bulgar-Chuvash cavalryman
Ospreys Armies of the Volga Bulgars amp Khanate of Khazan 9th-16th centuries by
Vyacheslav Shpakovsky and David Nicolle illustrated by Gerry Embleton
httpwwwarmchairgeneralcomforumsshowthreadphpp=1958748
The crushing defeat of the Mongols can be explained by two main reasons their considerable
losses during the previous battles of the campaign (especially during the Battle of the Kalka
River) and by the well-organized intelligence and tactical skill of the Bulgars They actually
turned the Mongolsrsquo weapon against the Mongols themselves performing feigned retreat
followed by the strike of the ambush force The main Bulgar-Chuvash heroes of the battle
whose names stayed in the legends are Jalal al-Din Altynbek Alan [13] brother of Ghabdulla
Chelbir the future king of Volga Bulgaria after his brothersrsquo death (1229 1230-1236)
generals Savrush Bator Ubi Bator and Sugut Bator [11]
Kazan museum of regional studies armour of a Bulgar warrior
httpforumna-svyazirushowtopic=375983ampst=90
The Mystery of Kernek
Where is Kernek Or at least where WAS Kernek Surely the people must
remember the place where the invincible Mongols were put to shame the place of Bulgar
glory We know what happened to Kernek Kernek was razed to the ground in 1236 by the
returning Mongols But unfortunately we do not know where Kernek was It is known
however that Kernek founded in the 10th century stood to the south of Bolghar on the left
bank of the Volga somewhere near the Samara Bend
Alexei Domnenko an enthusiast of the local history of the Samara oblast has come
up with a very plausible hypothesis as to the exact place of the mysterious Kernek
According to his theory the only place on or near the Samara Bend where the
mountains might play the part of natural fortifications and where therersquos a field between the
Volga and the Zhiguli Mountains large enough to accommodate two large armies is the
stretch of land between the present-day villages Shelekhmet and Podgory In all the other
places the Zhigili Mountains steeply descend right into the Volga Analyzing the features of
the landscape and taking into account the existing Bulgar barrows in the area he has come to
the conclusion that Kernek might be associated with the present-day Tornovoye
Though Tornovoye is on the right bank of the Volga and not on the left therersquos a
formidable reason for the Mongols being interested in the place Through the place passed an
ancient tract connecting Asia and the East European Plain (on estimate the tract may now be
4000 years old) and near Tornovoye before the Volga changed its course in 1637-1638
moving closer to the Sokolyi Mountains (Falcon Mountains) and the River Samara forming a
new chute there existed a ford or at least a waftage the only place to cross the Volga more or
less conveniently for hundreds of miles (even now there are only 11 bridges across the Volga
from Kazan to Astrakhan and 6 ferries the closest one in the present-day Kamyshin almost
near Volgograd) The Volga flowed fast at the time as there were no artificial water storage
basins and hydroelectric power stations so there may have been even fewer places for safe
crossing then Then the tract crossed the Samara Bend from south to north coming close to
the present-day village of Zhiguli (near the village there still can be found the remains of a
large Bulgar city which according to the archeological finds was ruined and burnt in 1236
Archeologists say that the cityrsquos population when it perished was 10000 people ndash the same as
the population of London at that time The name of the city is yet unknown though therersquos a
hypothesis that it might be Shugal Muran or Banju (On the whole there are 2 cities 11
hillforts and 39 pre-Mongol Volga Bulgar settlements on the Samara Bend) [16] The tract
itself is now almost impassable on the Samara Bend as it is now in the territory of the
Zhiguli Forest Preserve and the Samara Bend National Park but it was still in use as recently
as the 19th century) So the tract was literally the road to Volga Bulgaria to Rus and further
on westwards Bearing in mind that Ghengis Khan was planning a massive invasion in the
western lands it seems crucial for the Mongol army to reconnoiter the lay of the land the
ford or the waftage and the defences built by the locals as well as their battle skill and
resilience Even if Tornovoye was not THE Kernek it still might be a place of a massive
battle engagement as it actually protected the ford
The map dates back to 1824 The tract going from right to left across the Samara Bend
and turning north is shown in brown Tornovoye is opposite Samara on the Samara Bend on
the bank of the Volga - httpsamaranamecontentview155
Behind the big field between Novinki and Tornovoye near Tornovoye there rises the
Tornovsky branch of the Zhiguli Mountains in front of it therersquos a ravine (which is
suspiciously even straight and uniform throughout its whole course ndash see the green arrows in
the picture below) and the swampy Volga mortlakes The ravine suddenly turns into a high
rampart when it joins the natural wall of the Zhiguli Mountains The ravine also takes its
beginning near this wall circles the hillfort makes a loop and then ends abutting the natural
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
and Kazan Tatars descend from the Volga Bulgars Another part comprised Finnic and
Magyar (Asagel and Pascatir) tribes from which Bisermaumlns probably descend Ibn Fadlan
refers to Volga Bulgaria as Sakaliba which is a general Arabic term for the people of Volga
Bulgaria and it is probably related to ethnic name Scythian (or Saka in Persian) According to
the modern estimates based upon Abu Zayd al-Balkhirsquos data for Bolghar and Suar the
population of Volga Bulgaria at its peak amounted to about 15 ndash 2 mln people
Commanding the Volga River in its middle course the state controlled much of trade
between Europe and Asia prior to the Crusades (which made other trade routes practicable)
The capital Bolghar was a thriving city rivalling in size and wealth with the greatest centres
of the Islamic world Other major cities included Bilaumlr Suar (Suwar) Qaşan (Kashan) and
Cuumlkaumltaw (Juketau) Modern cities Kazan and Yelabuga were founded as Volga Bulgarias
border fortresses [3]
Devils Tower in Yelabuga 12th century httpnin-
grebnevayarurepliesxmlitem_no=44766
The Volga Bulgars mastered smelting pig iron and steel and were famous for their
metalwork Their builders erected stone and wooden mosques palaces with central heating
and plumbing as far back as in the 9th century In Central Asia and Iran the best leather is still
called Bulgarian [4]
Modern leather boots made according to the medieval technology and patterns
httpwwwrusskiymirrurusskiymirrucataloguerussiadetails16detail3html
The Volga Bulgars were also known for their skill in jewellery and ceramics Volga Bulgaria
also exported excellent furs Trade connections of Volga Bulgaria extended from Vikings
Bjarmland Yugra and Nenets in the north to Baghdad and Constantinople in the south from
Western Europe to China in the East
Gold temple ring (Volga Bulgaria late 11
th ndash early 12
th century)
httpkulturarusiruremesla-v-volzhskoy-bolgarii
Pectoral Volga Bulgaria 11
th century
httpserebnitiruforumviewtopicphpf=14ampt=19ampstart=3105ampsid=1c2bccb09d3636f0079
7bca179e27dc0ampview=print
Voga Bulgaria had its own science and literature In the first half of the 12th century Ya`qucircb
ibn Nogman al-Bulgari wrote his ldquoHistory of Bulgariardquo Scientist Burkhan ad-Din Ibrahim
ibn-Yūsuf al-Bulgari (d 1204) wrote treatises about medicines and rhetoric Philosopher
Abu-l-Alja Khamid ibn Idris al-Bulgari (12th
c) was well-known in the Islamic world for his
khadises The epic poem ldquoQiacutessai Yosıf (Tale of Yusuf)rdquo by Qol Ghali (between 1219 and
1233) is now considered to be one of the masterpieces of Turkic poetry (The poet was
probably killed in 1236 during the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria) [5 6]
Rich and prosperous Volga Bulgaria vied with Russian principalities for the control over the
Volga River trading intriguing waging military campaigns Under Russian pressure from
the west the Bulgars had to move their capital from Bolghar to Bilaumlr In 1220-1221 Rus
principalities and Volga Bulgaria waged a large-scale military campaign with mixed success
What We Do Know About the Battle
In September 1223 (late 620 Hijri year according to Ali ibn al-Athir ndash due to the intricacies of
Hijri chronology the accurate date is unknown autumn of 1223 or 1224) near the present-day
Samara an advance guard of Genghis Khans army under command of Uran son of Subutai
Bahadur entered Volga Bulgaria at the southern border
An army led by the Bulgar iltaumlbaumlr (king) Ghabdulla Chelbir including the armies of allied
Mordvin princes Puresh and Purgaz ambushed and defeated Subutaiss vanguard forces in
1223 at the Battle of the Samara Bend near the Bulgar city of Kernek There are also some
vague mentions of building special fortifications near the present-day Zhiguli Mountains in
the oral tradition
Ali ibn al-Athir wrote that when the Bulgars learnt about the approach of the Mongol army
they arranged ambushes in several places marched against the Mongols engaged them and
retreating lured them to the place of the main ambush Then the Bulgars struck from the rear
closing the pincers on the enemy After Mongols were rounded up the Bulgars massacred
them and only 4000 managed to escape according to local legends and proven from Arabian
chronicle (the Khwarizmian historian Shihab ad-Din Mohammad ibn Ahmad al-Nasawi) The
surviving Mongols fled to Saqsin This is considered the only major failure of the Mongols
during the rule of Genghis Khan
The captured Mongol troops were later sent back in exchange for live stock This was
unusual for the period as captives were usually executed or sold into slavery Al-Nasawi says
that one Mongol captive was humiliatingly exchanged for one ram that is why the battle is
also known as the Mutton Battle
The details about the Bulgar ambush and the Mongol victory at the Kama river have not
survived It is highly unlikely that even with Jochis reinforcements Subotais army
numbered more than 30000 men since Subotai and Jebes army combined was estimated to
only be between 25000-30000 men at the start of their western reconnaissance raid in 1220
His and Jebes decisive defeats of the numerically superior Georgian Cuman and Russian
armies with less than 3 tumens (30000) makes it reasonable to assume that Jochis
reinforcements were an effort to bring back Subotais depleted army to its original strength
[7 8]
A Bulgarian noble man-at-arms late 12
th ndashearly 13
th century (reconstruction by MV
Gorelik)
httpwwwgoogleruimgresimgurl=http3A2F2Fi56photobucketcom2Falbums2
Fg1612FVruk2FHistory2FBulgarian2FBulgarandSlavWarriorsVIIcjpgampimgrefurl=h
ttp3A2F2Farchiveworldhistoriacom2Ftopic1829026OB3DDESChtmlampdocid=I
Xs6D5RaHUKTbMamptbnid=kqkqGCyIcavkkM3Aampw=534amph=799ampei=rRGGUfDLDJTS
4QSZ14G4Bwampved=0CAIQxiAwAAampiact=ricl
A Bulgar-Chuvash cavalryman
Ospreys Armies of the Volga Bulgars amp Khanate of Khazan 9th-16th centuries by
Vyacheslav Shpakovsky and David Nicolle illustrated by Gerry Embleton
httpwwwarmchairgeneralcomforumsshowthreadphpp=1958748
The crushing defeat of the Mongols can be explained by two main reasons their considerable
losses during the previous battles of the campaign (especially during the Battle of the Kalka
River) and by the well-organized intelligence and tactical skill of the Bulgars They actually
turned the Mongolsrsquo weapon against the Mongols themselves performing feigned retreat
followed by the strike of the ambush force The main Bulgar-Chuvash heroes of the battle
whose names stayed in the legends are Jalal al-Din Altynbek Alan [13] brother of Ghabdulla
Chelbir the future king of Volga Bulgaria after his brothersrsquo death (1229 1230-1236)
generals Savrush Bator Ubi Bator and Sugut Bator [11]
Kazan museum of regional studies armour of a Bulgar warrior
httpforumna-svyazirushowtopic=375983ampst=90
The Mystery of Kernek
Where is Kernek Or at least where WAS Kernek Surely the people must
remember the place where the invincible Mongols were put to shame the place of Bulgar
glory We know what happened to Kernek Kernek was razed to the ground in 1236 by the
returning Mongols But unfortunately we do not know where Kernek was It is known
however that Kernek founded in the 10th century stood to the south of Bolghar on the left
bank of the Volga somewhere near the Samara Bend
Alexei Domnenko an enthusiast of the local history of the Samara oblast has come
up with a very plausible hypothesis as to the exact place of the mysterious Kernek
According to his theory the only place on or near the Samara Bend where the
mountains might play the part of natural fortifications and where therersquos a field between the
Volga and the Zhiguli Mountains large enough to accommodate two large armies is the
stretch of land between the present-day villages Shelekhmet and Podgory In all the other
places the Zhigili Mountains steeply descend right into the Volga Analyzing the features of
the landscape and taking into account the existing Bulgar barrows in the area he has come to
the conclusion that Kernek might be associated with the present-day Tornovoye
Though Tornovoye is on the right bank of the Volga and not on the left therersquos a
formidable reason for the Mongols being interested in the place Through the place passed an
ancient tract connecting Asia and the East European Plain (on estimate the tract may now be
4000 years old) and near Tornovoye before the Volga changed its course in 1637-1638
moving closer to the Sokolyi Mountains (Falcon Mountains) and the River Samara forming a
new chute there existed a ford or at least a waftage the only place to cross the Volga more or
less conveniently for hundreds of miles (even now there are only 11 bridges across the Volga
from Kazan to Astrakhan and 6 ferries the closest one in the present-day Kamyshin almost
near Volgograd) The Volga flowed fast at the time as there were no artificial water storage
basins and hydroelectric power stations so there may have been even fewer places for safe
crossing then Then the tract crossed the Samara Bend from south to north coming close to
the present-day village of Zhiguli (near the village there still can be found the remains of a
large Bulgar city which according to the archeological finds was ruined and burnt in 1236
Archeologists say that the cityrsquos population when it perished was 10000 people ndash the same as
the population of London at that time The name of the city is yet unknown though therersquos a
hypothesis that it might be Shugal Muran or Banju (On the whole there are 2 cities 11
hillforts and 39 pre-Mongol Volga Bulgar settlements on the Samara Bend) [16] The tract
itself is now almost impassable on the Samara Bend as it is now in the territory of the
Zhiguli Forest Preserve and the Samara Bend National Park but it was still in use as recently
as the 19th century) So the tract was literally the road to Volga Bulgaria to Rus and further
on westwards Bearing in mind that Ghengis Khan was planning a massive invasion in the
western lands it seems crucial for the Mongol army to reconnoiter the lay of the land the
ford or the waftage and the defences built by the locals as well as their battle skill and
resilience Even if Tornovoye was not THE Kernek it still might be a place of a massive
battle engagement as it actually protected the ford
The map dates back to 1824 The tract going from right to left across the Samara Bend
and turning north is shown in brown Tornovoye is opposite Samara on the Samara Bend on
the bank of the Volga - httpsamaranamecontentview155
Behind the big field between Novinki and Tornovoye near Tornovoye there rises the
Tornovsky branch of the Zhiguli Mountains in front of it therersquos a ravine (which is
suspiciously even straight and uniform throughout its whole course ndash see the green arrows in
the picture below) and the swampy Volga mortlakes The ravine suddenly turns into a high
rampart when it joins the natural wall of the Zhiguli Mountains The ravine also takes its
beginning near this wall circles the hillfort makes a loop and then ends abutting the natural
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
The Volga Bulgars were also known for their skill in jewellery and ceramics Volga Bulgaria
also exported excellent furs Trade connections of Volga Bulgaria extended from Vikings
Bjarmland Yugra and Nenets in the north to Baghdad and Constantinople in the south from
Western Europe to China in the East
Gold temple ring (Volga Bulgaria late 11
th ndash early 12
th century)
httpkulturarusiruremesla-v-volzhskoy-bolgarii
Pectoral Volga Bulgaria 11
th century
httpserebnitiruforumviewtopicphpf=14ampt=19ampstart=3105ampsid=1c2bccb09d3636f0079
7bca179e27dc0ampview=print
Voga Bulgaria had its own science and literature In the first half of the 12th century Ya`qucircb
ibn Nogman al-Bulgari wrote his ldquoHistory of Bulgariardquo Scientist Burkhan ad-Din Ibrahim
ibn-Yūsuf al-Bulgari (d 1204) wrote treatises about medicines and rhetoric Philosopher
Abu-l-Alja Khamid ibn Idris al-Bulgari (12th
c) was well-known in the Islamic world for his
khadises The epic poem ldquoQiacutessai Yosıf (Tale of Yusuf)rdquo by Qol Ghali (between 1219 and
1233) is now considered to be one of the masterpieces of Turkic poetry (The poet was
probably killed in 1236 during the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria) [5 6]
Rich and prosperous Volga Bulgaria vied with Russian principalities for the control over the
Volga River trading intriguing waging military campaigns Under Russian pressure from
the west the Bulgars had to move their capital from Bolghar to Bilaumlr In 1220-1221 Rus
principalities and Volga Bulgaria waged a large-scale military campaign with mixed success
What We Do Know About the Battle
In September 1223 (late 620 Hijri year according to Ali ibn al-Athir ndash due to the intricacies of
Hijri chronology the accurate date is unknown autumn of 1223 or 1224) near the present-day
Samara an advance guard of Genghis Khans army under command of Uran son of Subutai
Bahadur entered Volga Bulgaria at the southern border
An army led by the Bulgar iltaumlbaumlr (king) Ghabdulla Chelbir including the armies of allied
Mordvin princes Puresh and Purgaz ambushed and defeated Subutaiss vanguard forces in
1223 at the Battle of the Samara Bend near the Bulgar city of Kernek There are also some
vague mentions of building special fortifications near the present-day Zhiguli Mountains in
the oral tradition
Ali ibn al-Athir wrote that when the Bulgars learnt about the approach of the Mongol army
they arranged ambushes in several places marched against the Mongols engaged them and
retreating lured them to the place of the main ambush Then the Bulgars struck from the rear
closing the pincers on the enemy After Mongols were rounded up the Bulgars massacred
them and only 4000 managed to escape according to local legends and proven from Arabian
chronicle (the Khwarizmian historian Shihab ad-Din Mohammad ibn Ahmad al-Nasawi) The
surviving Mongols fled to Saqsin This is considered the only major failure of the Mongols
during the rule of Genghis Khan
The captured Mongol troops were later sent back in exchange for live stock This was
unusual for the period as captives were usually executed or sold into slavery Al-Nasawi says
that one Mongol captive was humiliatingly exchanged for one ram that is why the battle is
also known as the Mutton Battle
The details about the Bulgar ambush and the Mongol victory at the Kama river have not
survived It is highly unlikely that even with Jochis reinforcements Subotais army
numbered more than 30000 men since Subotai and Jebes army combined was estimated to
only be between 25000-30000 men at the start of their western reconnaissance raid in 1220
His and Jebes decisive defeats of the numerically superior Georgian Cuman and Russian
armies with less than 3 tumens (30000) makes it reasonable to assume that Jochis
reinforcements were an effort to bring back Subotais depleted army to its original strength
[7 8]
A Bulgarian noble man-at-arms late 12
th ndashearly 13
th century (reconstruction by MV
Gorelik)
httpwwwgoogleruimgresimgurl=http3A2F2Fi56photobucketcom2Falbums2
Fg1612FVruk2FHistory2FBulgarian2FBulgarandSlavWarriorsVIIcjpgampimgrefurl=h
ttp3A2F2Farchiveworldhistoriacom2Ftopic1829026OB3DDESChtmlampdocid=I
Xs6D5RaHUKTbMamptbnid=kqkqGCyIcavkkM3Aampw=534amph=799ampei=rRGGUfDLDJTS
4QSZ14G4Bwampved=0CAIQxiAwAAampiact=ricl
A Bulgar-Chuvash cavalryman
Ospreys Armies of the Volga Bulgars amp Khanate of Khazan 9th-16th centuries by
Vyacheslav Shpakovsky and David Nicolle illustrated by Gerry Embleton
httpwwwarmchairgeneralcomforumsshowthreadphpp=1958748
The crushing defeat of the Mongols can be explained by two main reasons their considerable
losses during the previous battles of the campaign (especially during the Battle of the Kalka
River) and by the well-organized intelligence and tactical skill of the Bulgars They actually
turned the Mongolsrsquo weapon against the Mongols themselves performing feigned retreat
followed by the strike of the ambush force The main Bulgar-Chuvash heroes of the battle
whose names stayed in the legends are Jalal al-Din Altynbek Alan [13] brother of Ghabdulla
Chelbir the future king of Volga Bulgaria after his brothersrsquo death (1229 1230-1236)
generals Savrush Bator Ubi Bator and Sugut Bator [11]
Kazan museum of regional studies armour of a Bulgar warrior
httpforumna-svyazirushowtopic=375983ampst=90
The Mystery of Kernek
Where is Kernek Or at least where WAS Kernek Surely the people must
remember the place where the invincible Mongols were put to shame the place of Bulgar
glory We know what happened to Kernek Kernek was razed to the ground in 1236 by the
returning Mongols But unfortunately we do not know where Kernek was It is known
however that Kernek founded in the 10th century stood to the south of Bolghar on the left
bank of the Volga somewhere near the Samara Bend
Alexei Domnenko an enthusiast of the local history of the Samara oblast has come
up with a very plausible hypothesis as to the exact place of the mysterious Kernek
According to his theory the only place on or near the Samara Bend where the
mountains might play the part of natural fortifications and where therersquos a field between the
Volga and the Zhiguli Mountains large enough to accommodate two large armies is the
stretch of land between the present-day villages Shelekhmet and Podgory In all the other
places the Zhigili Mountains steeply descend right into the Volga Analyzing the features of
the landscape and taking into account the existing Bulgar barrows in the area he has come to
the conclusion that Kernek might be associated with the present-day Tornovoye
Though Tornovoye is on the right bank of the Volga and not on the left therersquos a
formidable reason for the Mongols being interested in the place Through the place passed an
ancient tract connecting Asia and the East European Plain (on estimate the tract may now be
4000 years old) and near Tornovoye before the Volga changed its course in 1637-1638
moving closer to the Sokolyi Mountains (Falcon Mountains) and the River Samara forming a
new chute there existed a ford or at least a waftage the only place to cross the Volga more or
less conveniently for hundreds of miles (even now there are only 11 bridges across the Volga
from Kazan to Astrakhan and 6 ferries the closest one in the present-day Kamyshin almost
near Volgograd) The Volga flowed fast at the time as there were no artificial water storage
basins and hydroelectric power stations so there may have been even fewer places for safe
crossing then Then the tract crossed the Samara Bend from south to north coming close to
the present-day village of Zhiguli (near the village there still can be found the remains of a
large Bulgar city which according to the archeological finds was ruined and burnt in 1236
Archeologists say that the cityrsquos population when it perished was 10000 people ndash the same as
the population of London at that time The name of the city is yet unknown though therersquos a
hypothesis that it might be Shugal Muran or Banju (On the whole there are 2 cities 11
hillforts and 39 pre-Mongol Volga Bulgar settlements on the Samara Bend) [16] The tract
itself is now almost impassable on the Samara Bend as it is now in the territory of the
Zhiguli Forest Preserve and the Samara Bend National Park but it was still in use as recently
as the 19th century) So the tract was literally the road to Volga Bulgaria to Rus and further
on westwards Bearing in mind that Ghengis Khan was planning a massive invasion in the
western lands it seems crucial for the Mongol army to reconnoiter the lay of the land the
ford or the waftage and the defences built by the locals as well as their battle skill and
resilience Even if Tornovoye was not THE Kernek it still might be a place of a massive
battle engagement as it actually protected the ford
The map dates back to 1824 The tract going from right to left across the Samara Bend
and turning north is shown in brown Tornovoye is opposite Samara on the Samara Bend on
the bank of the Volga - httpsamaranamecontentview155
Behind the big field between Novinki and Tornovoye near Tornovoye there rises the
Tornovsky branch of the Zhiguli Mountains in front of it therersquos a ravine (which is
suspiciously even straight and uniform throughout its whole course ndash see the green arrows in
the picture below) and the swampy Volga mortlakes The ravine suddenly turns into a high
rampart when it joins the natural wall of the Zhiguli Mountains The ravine also takes its
beginning near this wall circles the hillfort makes a loop and then ends abutting the natural
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
1233) is now considered to be one of the masterpieces of Turkic poetry (The poet was
probably killed in 1236 during the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria) [5 6]
Rich and prosperous Volga Bulgaria vied with Russian principalities for the control over the
Volga River trading intriguing waging military campaigns Under Russian pressure from
the west the Bulgars had to move their capital from Bolghar to Bilaumlr In 1220-1221 Rus
principalities and Volga Bulgaria waged a large-scale military campaign with mixed success
What We Do Know About the Battle
In September 1223 (late 620 Hijri year according to Ali ibn al-Athir ndash due to the intricacies of
Hijri chronology the accurate date is unknown autumn of 1223 or 1224) near the present-day
Samara an advance guard of Genghis Khans army under command of Uran son of Subutai
Bahadur entered Volga Bulgaria at the southern border
An army led by the Bulgar iltaumlbaumlr (king) Ghabdulla Chelbir including the armies of allied
Mordvin princes Puresh and Purgaz ambushed and defeated Subutaiss vanguard forces in
1223 at the Battle of the Samara Bend near the Bulgar city of Kernek There are also some
vague mentions of building special fortifications near the present-day Zhiguli Mountains in
the oral tradition
Ali ibn al-Athir wrote that when the Bulgars learnt about the approach of the Mongol army
they arranged ambushes in several places marched against the Mongols engaged them and
retreating lured them to the place of the main ambush Then the Bulgars struck from the rear
closing the pincers on the enemy After Mongols were rounded up the Bulgars massacred
them and only 4000 managed to escape according to local legends and proven from Arabian
chronicle (the Khwarizmian historian Shihab ad-Din Mohammad ibn Ahmad al-Nasawi) The
surviving Mongols fled to Saqsin This is considered the only major failure of the Mongols
during the rule of Genghis Khan
The captured Mongol troops were later sent back in exchange for live stock This was
unusual for the period as captives were usually executed or sold into slavery Al-Nasawi says
that one Mongol captive was humiliatingly exchanged for one ram that is why the battle is
also known as the Mutton Battle
The details about the Bulgar ambush and the Mongol victory at the Kama river have not
survived It is highly unlikely that even with Jochis reinforcements Subotais army
numbered more than 30000 men since Subotai and Jebes army combined was estimated to
only be between 25000-30000 men at the start of their western reconnaissance raid in 1220
His and Jebes decisive defeats of the numerically superior Georgian Cuman and Russian
armies with less than 3 tumens (30000) makes it reasonable to assume that Jochis
reinforcements were an effort to bring back Subotais depleted army to its original strength
[7 8]
A Bulgarian noble man-at-arms late 12
th ndashearly 13
th century (reconstruction by MV
Gorelik)
httpwwwgoogleruimgresimgurl=http3A2F2Fi56photobucketcom2Falbums2
Fg1612FVruk2FHistory2FBulgarian2FBulgarandSlavWarriorsVIIcjpgampimgrefurl=h
ttp3A2F2Farchiveworldhistoriacom2Ftopic1829026OB3DDESChtmlampdocid=I
Xs6D5RaHUKTbMamptbnid=kqkqGCyIcavkkM3Aampw=534amph=799ampei=rRGGUfDLDJTS
4QSZ14G4Bwampved=0CAIQxiAwAAampiact=ricl
A Bulgar-Chuvash cavalryman
Ospreys Armies of the Volga Bulgars amp Khanate of Khazan 9th-16th centuries by
Vyacheslav Shpakovsky and David Nicolle illustrated by Gerry Embleton
httpwwwarmchairgeneralcomforumsshowthreadphpp=1958748
The crushing defeat of the Mongols can be explained by two main reasons their considerable
losses during the previous battles of the campaign (especially during the Battle of the Kalka
River) and by the well-organized intelligence and tactical skill of the Bulgars They actually
turned the Mongolsrsquo weapon against the Mongols themselves performing feigned retreat
followed by the strike of the ambush force The main Bulgar-Chuvash heroes of the battle
whose names stayed in the legends are Jalal al-Din Altynbek Alan [13] brother of Ghabdulla
Chelbir the future king of Volga Bulgaria after his brothersrsquo death (1229 1230-1236)
generals Savrush Bator Ubi Bator and Sugut Bator [11]
Kazan museum of regional studies armour of a Bulgar warrior
httpforumna-svyazirushowtopic=375983ampst=90
The Mystery of Kernek
Where is Kernek Or at least where WAS Kernek Surely the people must
remember the place where the invincible Mongols were put to shame the place of Bulgar
glory We know what happened to Kernek Kernek was razed to the ground in 1236 by the
returning Mongols But unfortunately we do not know where Kernek was It is known
however that Kernek founded in the 10th century stood to the south of Bolghar on the left
bank of the Volga somewhere near the Samara Bend
Alexei Domnenko an enthusiast of the local history of the Samara oblast has come
up with a very plausible hypothesis as to the exact place of the mysterious Kernek
According to his theory the only place on or near the Samara Bend where the
mountains might play the part of natural fortifications and where therersquos a field between the
Volga and the Zhiguli Mountains large enough to accommodate two large armies is the
stretch of land between the present-day villages Shelekhmet and Podgory In all the other
places the Zhigili Mountains steeply descend right into the Volga Analyzing the features of
the landscape and taking into account the existing Bulgar barrows in the area he has come to
the conclusion that Kernek might be associated with the present-day Tornovoye
Though Tornovoye is on the right bank of the Volga and not on the left therersquos a
formidable reason for the Mongols being interested in the place Through the place passed an
ancient tract connecting Asia and the East European Plain (on estimate the tract may now be
4000 years old) and near Tornovoye before the Volga changed its course in 1637-1638
moving closer to the Sokolyi Mountains (Falcon Mountains) and the River Samara forming a
new chute there existed a ford or at least a waftage the only place to cross the Volga more or
less conveniently for hundreds of miles (even now there are only 11 bridges across the Volga
from Kazan to Astrakhan and 6 ferries the closest one in the present-day Kamyshin almost
near Volgograd) The Volga flowed fast at the time as there were no artificial water storage
basins and hydroelectric power stations so there may have been even fewer places for safe
crossing then Then the tract crossed the Samara Bend from south to north coming close to
the present-day village of Zhiguli (near the village there still can be found the remains of a
large Bulgar city which according to the archeological finds was ruined and burnt in 1236
Archeologists say that the cityrsquos population when it perished was 10000 people ndash the same as
the population of London at that time The name of the city is yet unknown though therersquos a
hypothesis that it might be Shugal Muran or Banju (On the whole there are 2 cities 11
hillforts and 39 pre-Mongol Volga Bulgar settlements on the Samara Bend) [16] The tract
itself is now almost impassable on the Samara Bend as it is now in the territory of the
Zhiguli Forest Preserve and the Samara Bend National Park but it was still in use as recently
as the 19th century) So the tract was literally the road to Volga Bulgaria to Rus and further
on westwards Bearing in mind that Ghengis Khan was planning a massive invasion in the
western lands it seems crucial for the Mongol army to reconnoiter the lay of the land the
ford or the waftage and the defences built by the locals as well as their battle skill and
resilience Even if Tornovoye was not THE Kernek it still might be a place of a massive
battle engagement as it actually protected the ford
The map dates back to 1824 The tract going from right to left across the Samara Bend
and turning north is shown in brown Tornovoye is opposite Samara on the Samara Bend on
the bank of the Volga - httpsamaranamecontentview155
Behind the big field between Novinki and Tornovoye near Tornovoye there rises the
Tornovsky branch of the Zhiguli Mountains in front of it therersquos a ravine (which is
suspiciously even straight and uniform throughout its whole course ndash see the green arrows in
the picture below) and the swampy Volga mortlakes The ravine suddenly turns into a high
rampart when it joins the natural wall of the Zhiguli Mountains The ravine also takes its
beginning near this wall circles the hillfort makes a loop and then ends abutting the natural
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
A Bulgarian noble man-at-arms late 12
th ndashearly 13
th century (reconstruction by MV
Gorelik)
httpwwwgoogleruimgresimgurl=http3A2F2Fi56photobucketcom2Falbums2
Fg1612FVruk2FHistory2FBulgarian2FBulgarandSlavWarriorsVIIcjpgampimgrefurl=h
ttp3A2F2Farchiveworldhistoriacom2Ftopic1829026OB3DDESChtmlampdocid=I
Xs6D5RaHUKTbMamptbnid=kqkqGCyIcavkkM3Aampw=534amph=799ampei=rRGGUfDLDJTS
4QSZ14G4Bwampved=0CAIQxiAwAAampiact=ricl
A Bulgar-Chuvash cavalryman
Ospreys Armies of the Volga Bulgars amp Khanate of Khazan 9th-16th centuries by
Vyacheslav Shpakovsky and David Nicolle illustrated by Gerry Embleton
httpwwwarmchairgeneralcomforumsshowthreadphpp=1958748
The crushing defeat of the Mongols can be explained by two main reasons their considerable
losses during the previous battles of the campaign (especially during the Battle of the Kalka
River) and by the well-organized intelligence and tactical skill of the Bulgars They actually
turned the Mongolsrsquo weapon against the Mongols themselves performing feigned retreat
followed by the strike of the ambush force The main Bulgar-Chuvash heroes of the battle
whose names stayed in the legends are Jalal al-Din Altynbek Alan [13] brother of Ghabdulla
Chelbir the future king of Volga Bulgaria after his brothersrsquo death (1229 1230-1236)
generals Savrush Bator Ubi Bator and Sugut Bator [11]
Kazan museum of regional studies armour of a Bulgar warrior
httpforumna-svyazirushowtopic=375983ampst=90
The Mystery of Kernek
Where is Kernek Or at least where WAS Kernek Surely the people must
remember the place where the invincible Mongols were put to shame the place of Bulgar
glory We know what happened to Kernek Kernek was razed to the ground in 1236 by the
returning Mongols But unfortunately we do not know where Kernek was It is known
however that Kernek founded in the 10th century stood to the south of Bolghar on the left
bank of the Volga somewhere near the Samara Bend
Alexei Domnenko an enthusiast of the local history of the Samara oblast has come
up with a very plausible hypothesis as to the exact place of the mysterious Kernek
According to his theory the only place on or near the Samara Bend where the
mountains might play the part of natural fortifications and where therersquos a field between the
Volga and the Zhiguli Mountains large enough to accommodate two large armies is the
stretch of land between the present-day villages Shelekhmet and Podgory In all the other
places the Zhigili Mountains steeply descend right into the Volga Analyzing the features of
the landscape and taking into account the existing Bulgar barrows in the area he has come to
the conclusion that Kernek might be associated with the present-day Tornovoye
Though Tornovoye is on the right bank of the Volga and not on the left therersquos a
formidable reason for the Mongols being interested in the place Through the place passed an
ancient tract connecting Asia and the East European Plain (on estimate the tract may now be
4000 years old) and near Tornovoye before the Volga changed its course in 1637-1638
moving closer to the Sokolyi Mountains (Falcon Mountains) and the River Samara forming a
new chute there existed a ford or at least a waftage the only place to cross the Volga more or
less conveniently for hundreds of miles (even now there are only 11 bridges across the Volga
from Kazan to Astrakhan and 6 ferries the closest one in the present-day Kamyshin almost
near Volgograd) The Volga flowed fast at the time as there were no artificial water storage
basins and hydroelectric power stations so there may have been even fewer places for safe
crossing then Then the tract crossed the Samara Bend from south to north coming close to
the present-day village of Zhiguli (near the village there still can be found the remains of a
large Bulgar city which according to the archeological finds was ruined and burnt in 1236
Archeologists say that the cityrsquos population when it perished was 10000 people ndash the same as
the population of London at that time The name of the city is yet unknown though therersquos a
hypothesis that it might be Shugal Muran or Banju (On the whole there are 2 cities 11
hillforts and 39 pre-Mongol Volga Bulgar settlements on the Samara Bend) [16] The tract
itself is now almost impassable on the Samara Bend as it is now in the territory of the
Zhiguli Forest Preserve and the Samara Bend National Park but it was still in use as recently
as the 19th century) So the tract was literally the road to Volga Bulgaria to Rus and further
on westwards Bearing in mind that Ghengis Khan was planning a massive invasion in the
western lands it seems crucial for the Mongol army to reconnoiter the lay of the land the
ford or the waftage and the defences built by the locals as well as their battle skill and
resilience Even if Tornovoye was not THE Kernek it still might be a place of a massive
battle engagement as it actually protected the ford
The map dates back to 1824 The tract going from right to left across the Samara Bend
and turning north is shown in brown Tornovoye is opposite Samara on the Samara Bend on
the bank of the Volga - httpsamaranamecontentview155
Behind the big field between Novinki and Tornovoye near Tornovoye there rises the
Tornovsky branch of the Zhiguli Mountains in front of it therersquos a ravine (which is
suspiciously even straight and uniform throughout its whole course ndash see the green arrows in
the picture below) and the swampy Volga mortlakes The ravine suddenly turns into a high
rampart when it joins the natural wall of the Zhiguli Mountains The ravine also takes its
beginning near this wall circles the hillfort makes a loop and then ends abutting the natural
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
Ospreys Armies of the Volga Bulgars amp Khanate of Khazan 9th-16th centuries by
Vyacheslav Shpakovsky and David Nicolle illustrated by Gerry Embleton
httpwwwarmchairgeneralcomforumsshowthreadphpp=1958748
The crushing defeat of the Mongols can be explained by two main reasons their considerable
losses during the previous battles of the campaign (especially during the Battle of the Kalka
River) and by the well-organized intelligence and tactical skill of the Bulgars They actually
turned the Mongolsrsquo weapon against the Mongols themselves performing feigned retreat
followed by the strike of the ambush force The main Bulgar-Chuvash heroes of the battle
whose names stayed in the legends are Jalal al-Din Altynbek Alan [13] brother of Ghabdulla
Chelbir the future king of Volga Bulgaria after his brothersrsquo death (1229 1230-1236)
generals Savrush Bator Ubi Bator and Sugut Bator [11]
Kazan museum of regional studies armour of a Bulgar warrior
httpforumna-svyazirushowtopic=375983ampst=90
The Mystery of Kernek
Where is Kernek Or at least where WAS Kernek Surely the people must
remember the place where the invincible Mongols were put to shame the place of Bulgar
glory We know what happened to Kernek Kernek was razed to the ground in 1236 by the
returning Mongols But unfortunately we do not know where Kernek was It is known
however that Kernek founded in the 10th century stood to the south of Bolghar on the left
bank of the Volga somewhere near the Samara Bend
Alexei Domnenko an enthusiast of the local history of the Samara oblast has come
up with a very plausible hypothesis as to the exact place of the mysterious Kernek
According to his theory the only place on or near the Samara Bend where the
mountains might play the part of natural fortifications and where therersquos a field between the
Volga and the Zhiguli Mountains large enough to accommodate two large armies is the
stretch of land between the present-day villages Shelekhmet and Podgory In all the other
places the Zhigili Mountains steeply descend right into the Volga Analyzing the features of
the landscape and taking into account the existing Bulgar barrows in the area he has come to
the conclusion that Kernek might be associated with the present-day Tornovoye
Though Tornovoye is on the right bank of the Volga and not on the left therersquos a
formidable reason for the Mongols being interested in the place Through the place passed an
ancient tract connecting Asia and the East European Plain (on estimate the tract may now be
4000 years old) and near Tornovoye before the Volga changed its course in 1637-1638
moving closer to the Sokolyi Mountains (Falcon Mountains) and the River Samara forming a
new chute there existed a ford or at least a waftage the only place to cross the Volga more or
less conveniently for hundreds of miles (even now there are only 11 bridges across the Volga
from Kazan to Astrakhan and 6 ferries the closest one in the present-day Kamyshin almost
near Volgograd) The Volga flowed fast at the time as there were no artificial water storage
basins and hydroelectric power stations so there may have been even fewer places for safe
crossing then Then the tract crossed the Samara Bend from south to north coming close to
the present-day village of Zhiguli (near the village there still can be found the remains of a
large Bulgar city which according to the archeological finds was ruined and burnt in 1236
Archeologists say that the cityrsquos population when it perished was 10000 people ndash the same as
the population of London at that time The name of the city is yet unknown though therersquos a
hypothesis that it might be Shugal Muran or Banju (On the whole there are 2 cities 11
hillforts and 39 pre-Mongol Volga Bulgar settlements on the Samara Bend) [16] The tract
itself is now almost impassable on the Samara Bend as it is now in the territory of the
Zhiguli Forest Preserve and the Samara Bend National Park but it was still in use as recently
as the 19th century) So the tract was literally the road to Volga Bulgaria to Rus and further
on westwards Bearing in mind that Ghengis Khan was planning a massive invasion in the
western lands it seems crucial for the Mongol army to reconnoiter the lay of the land the
ford or the waftage and the defences built by the locals as well as their battle skill and
resilience Even if Tornovoye was not THE Kernek it still might be a place of a massive
battle engagement as it actually protected the ford
The map dates back to 1824 The tract going from right to left across the Samara Bend
and turning north is shown in brown Tornovoye is opposite Samara on the Samara Bend on
the bank of the Volga - httpsamaranamecontentview155
Behind the big field between Novinki and Tornovoye near Tornovoye there rises the
Tornovsky branch of the Zhiguli Mountains in front of it therersquos a ravine (which is
suspiciously even straight and uniform throughout its whole course ndash see the green arrows in
the picture below) and the swampy Volga mortlakes The ravine suddenly turns into a high
rampart when it joins the natural wall of the Zhiguli Mountains The ravine also takes its
beginning near this wall circles the hillfort makes a loop and then ends abutting the natural
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
Kazan museum of regional studies armour of a Bulgar warrior
httpforumna-svyazirushowtopic=375983ampst=90
The Mystery of Kernek
Where is Kernek Or at least where WAS Kernek Surely the people must
remember the place where the invincible Mongols were put to shame the place of Bulgar
glory We know what happened to Kernek Kernek was razed to the ground in 1236 by the
returning Mongols But unfortunately we do not know where Kernek was It is known
however that Kernek founded in the 10th century stood to the south of Bolghar on the left
bank of the Volga somewhere near the Samara Bend
Alexei Domnenko an enthusiast of the local history of the Samara oblast has come
up with a very plausible hypothesis as to the exact place of the mysterious Kernek
According to his theory the only place on or near the Samara Bend where the
mountains might play the part of natural fortifications and where therersquos a field between the
Volga and the Zhiguli Mountains large enough to accommodate two large armies is the
stretch of land between the present-day villages Shelekhmet and Podgory In all the other
places the Zhigili Mountains steeply descend right into the Volga Analyzing the features of
the landscape and taking into account the existing Bulgar barrows in the area he has come to
the conclusion that Kernek might be associated with the present-day Tornovoye
Though Tornovoye is on the right bank of the Volga and not on the left therersquos a
formidable reason for the Mongols being interested in the place Through the place passed an
ancient tract connecting Asia and the East European Plain (on estimate the tract may now be
4000 years old) and near Tornovoye before the Volga changed its course in 1637-1638
moving closer to the Sokolyi Mountains (Falcon Mountains) and the River Samara forming a
new chute there existed a ford or at least a waftage the only place to cross the Volga more or
less conveniently for hundreds of miles (even now there are only 11 bridges across the Volga
from Kazan to Astrakhan and 6 ferries the closest one in the present-day Kamyshin almost
near Volgograd) The Volga flowed fast at the time as there were no artificial water storage
basins and hydroelectric power stations so there may have been even fewer places for safe
crossing then Then the tract crossed the Samara Bend from south to north coming close to
the present-day village of Zhiguli (near the village there still can be found the remains of a
large Bulgar city which according to the archeological finds was ruined and burnt in 1236
Archeologists say that the cityrsquos population when it perished was 10000 people ndash the same as
the population of London at that time The name of the city is yet unknown though therersquos a
hypothesis that it might be Shugal Muran or Banju (On the whole there are 2 cities 11
hillforts and 39 pre-Mongol Volga Bulgar settlements on the Samara Bend) [16] The tract
itself is now almost impassable on the Samara Bend as it is now in the territory of the
Zhiguli Forest Preserve and the Samara Bend National Park but it was still in use as recently
as the 19th century) So the tract was literally the road to Volga Bulgaria to Rus and further
on westwards Bearing in mind that Ghengis Khan was planning a massive invasion in the
western lands it seems crucial for the Mongol army to reconnoiter the lay of the land the
ford or the waftage and the defences built by the locals as well as their battle skill and
resilience Even if Tornovoye was not THE Kernek it still might be a place of a massive
battle engagement as it actually protected the ford
The map dates back to 1824 The tract going from right to left across the Samara Bend
and turning north is shown in brown Tornovoye is opposite Samara on the Samara Bend on
the bank of the Volga - httpsamaranamecontentview155
Behind the big field between Novinki and Tornovoye near Tornovoye there rises the
Tornovsky branch of the Zhiguli Mountains in front of it therersquos a ravine (which is
suspiciously even straight and uniform throughout its whole course ndash see the green arrows in
the picture below) and the swampy Volga mortlakes The ravine suddenly turns into a high
rampart when it joins the natural wall of the Zhiguli Mountains The ravine also takes its
beginning near this wall circles the hillfort makes a loop and then ends abutting the natural
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
new chute there existed a ford or at least a waftage the only place to cross the Volga more or
less conveniently for hundreds of miles (even now there are only 11 bridges across the Volga
from Kazan to Astrakhan and 6 ferries the closest one in the present-day Kamyshin almost
near Volgograd) The Volga flowed fast at the time as there were no artificial water storage
basins and hydroelectric power stations so there may have been even fewer places for safe
crossing then Then the tract crossed the Samara Bend from south to north coming close to
the present-day village of Zhiguli (near the village there still can be found the remains of a
large Bulgar city which according to the archeological finds was ruined and burnt in 1236
Archeologists say that the cityrsquos population when it perished was 10000 people ndash the same as
the population of London at that time The name of the city is yet unknown though therersquos a
hypothesis that it might be Shugal Muran or Banju (On the whole there are 2 cities 11
hillforts and 39 pre-Mongol Volga Bulgar settlements on the Samara Bend) [16] The tract
itself is now almost impassable on the Samara Bend as it is now in the territory of the
Zhiguli Forest Preserve and the Samara Bend National Park but it was still in use as recently
as the 19th century) So the tract was literally the road to Volga Bulgaria to Rus and further
on westwards Bearing in mind that Ghengis Khan was planning a massive invasion in the
western lands it seems crucial for the Mongol army to reconnoiter the lay of the land the
ford or the waftage and the defences built by the locals as well as their battle skill and
resilience Even if Tornovoye was not THE Kernek it still might be a place of a massive
battle engagement as it actually protected the ford
The map dates back to 1824 The tract going from right to left across the Samara Bend
and turning north is shown in brown Tornovoye is opposite Samara on the Samara Bend on
the bank of the Volga - httpsamaranamecontentview155
Behind the big field between Novinki and Tornovoye near Tornovoye there rises the
Tornovsky branch of the Zhiguli Mountains in front of it therersquos a ravine (which is
suspiciously even straight and uniform throughout its whole course ndash see the green arrows in
the picture below) and the swampy Volga mortlakes The ravine suddenly turns into a high
rampart when it joins the natural wall of the Zhiguli Mountains The ravine also takes its
beginning near this wall circles the hillfort makes a loop and then ends abutting the natural
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
wall again In one area adjoining the suspicious ravine Bulgar burial mounds are concentrated
(circled with red)
httpsamaranamecontentview155
How an abatis ravine might be used httpsamaranamecontentview155
And there exists another minor ravine or a trench for abatis that meets the first one at a sharp
angle to the left of the group of barrows It looks like an ideal place for an ambush If the
Bulgar armies stood along Ravine 1 leaving the settlement behind them and the Mongols
attacked from the right the place looks like a funnel The second half of the Bulgar forces
may have been hidden in the forest nearby this natural funnel and struck the Mongols from
the left (and probably the joined forces may have met and taken the enemy into pincers) The
white dots on the right are the barrows
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
Both photos from httpsamaranamecontentview155
The burial mounds (about 21 in number) [14] by custom were erected on the place
where the heroic warrior fell And by Tornovoye they are concentrated along the supposed
line of the second part of the Bulgarsrsquo army attack supposedly where the Bulgar cavalry cut
into the trapped Mongol army The resistance of the cornered Mongols must have been
especially fierce here Archeologists say that the barrows near Tornovoye contain nothing but
bones and weapons On the field nearby one can easily find animal and human bone
fragments (though therersquos been little or no attempt to define their exact age)
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
Burial mounds on the alleged battlefield The trees behind the barrows are forest plantation
going straight along the abatis Ravine 1 httpsamaranamecontentview155
Volga Bulgarian ceramics found there httpsamaranamecontentview155 [9]
Alexei Domnenkorsquos hypothesis may not be able to give the final answer to the
question of the exact site of Kernek but it at least draws attention to this historical site and
possibly identifies the place of at least one of the ambushes made by the Volga Bulgars in
1223-1224 as mentioned in the medieval chronicles
But the Tornovoye hypothesis is not the only one
According to the local lore the inhabitants of the Chuvashian village Staraya Sakhcha
situated not far from Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk oblast) consider themselves to be the
descendants of Kernek inhabitants [10]
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
If we assume that Kernek (near Staraya Sakhcha) guarded the road to Suar (near
present-day Kuznechikha Spassky district Tatarstan) then we must also remember that
though it was situated on the LEFT bank of the Volga river (and in this respect meets the
description of the city left in the medieval chronicles) then the Mongols were to pass the
Samara Bend and turn away from the Zhiguli Mountains to get to the place
Volga Bulgaria the place of the battle of 1223 is marked by the cross In this map the cross is
definitely near Staraya Sakhcha
httphulkanlivejournalcom31586html
Unfortunately little or no attempt has been made to find Kernek and to excavate on
the sites where the city may have stood to prove or disprove any of the hypotheses
httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-bulgariihtml Volga Bulgar ornamented battle axe
httpwwwtatarovedruobrazovanietext
books22
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
Volga Bulgar arrows and knife httpsimbir-
archeonarodruArcheoBulgars10coshurovo1htm
What Happened After 1223
The Mongols learnt their lesson They returned to fight the stubborn Volga Bulgars
twice ndash in 1229-1232 and in 1236 In 1229 on the orders of the new ruler of the Mongols
Oumlgedei Khan Subutai attacked Volga Bulgaria with a 30000-strong army Though many
Bulgar cities were destroyed iltaumlbaumlr Altynbek mounted a strong resistance The Mongols
suffered another defeat on the River Jayıq (now the Ural) in the Lower Volga Region [15] in
1229 and in 1232 unable to take the superbly fortified stronghold of Bilaumlr [15] the Mongol
army turned home
However in 1236 the funeral bells rang for the medieval Volga Bulgaria as an
independent state The colossal horde of 250000 warriors under Batu Khan and Subutai
came pouring westwards this time razing most of the cities of Volga Bulgaria to the ground
finally destroying its capital Bilaumlr in November 1236 and making many surviving Bulgars
flee northwards and to Rus King Altynbek and the leading general Bochman perished in
battle and the kingrsquos daughter Altyn-chach is said to have assumed command over the
remaining unvanquished warriors of Volga Bulgaria The legend says she died in battle in the
city of Banju somewhere near the present-day Samara (on the Samara Bend) a year later
She became a national heroine of the Volga Bulgars warmly remembered up till now
Kernek was also taken but its rulers Boyan (Puyan) and Dinekku (Jiku) rose in
rebellion as soon as the Mongols turned their back on them [10] In 1237 the Mongols
concentrated on the campaign against the principalities of Rus and this offered Boyan and
Dinekku a good chance for success The rebellion was supported by the Mordvins and the
Burtas The Mongols had to send troops to quench the rebellion in late 1239 - early1240 [12]
The battle-bled and devastated Volga Bulgaria became part of the Ulus Jochi of the Mongol
Empire Its heroic resistance to the Mongol conquerors delayed their attack on Rus and
Europe
Compiled and translated from Russian by Inna Drabkina
After
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
1 Поход Джэбэ и Субэдэя httpruwikipediaorgwikiПоход_Джэбэ_и_Субэдэя
2 Battle of the Kalka River httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_the_Kalka_River
3 Volga Bulgaria httpenwikipediaorgwikiVolga_Bulgaria
4 Дмитрий Чулов Падение Великой Булгарии httptainynet7103-padenie-velikoj-
bulgariihtml
5 Волжская Булгария httpwwwkcnrutat_ruhistoryh_bulgruhtml copy 1995-2008
Казанский Государственный Университет
6 Сведения об ученых и писателях вышедших из Волжской Булгарии (Scholars
and writers from Volga Bulgaria) Из Приложения 5 книги ГМ Давлетшина
Волжская Булгария духовная культура (Домонгольский период X - нач XIII
вв) Казань 1990 стр 172 httpgroznijattripodcomfadlanv_bulgarshtml
7 Battle of Samara Bend httpenwikipediaorgwikiBattle_of_Samara_Bend
[4052013]
8 Монгольско-булгарское сражение (12231224)
httpruwikipediaorgwikiМонгольско-булгарское_сражение_(12231224)
9 Алексей Николаевич Домненко Еще одна тайна Самарской луки Найдено
место где была разбита непобедимая армия Чингиз-Хана
httpsamaranamecontentview155 18092009
10 Кернек httpruchuvashnwwwruchuvashorged09ad0b5d180d0bdd0b5d0ba
11 МНЮхма Раскрытая настежь душа народа
httpwwwchuvrdubrubasebasehtmlmode=txtampid=94ampaut=1
12 Гагин ИА (доцент кандидат исторических наук) Булгаро-монгольские войны
первой половины XIII в (по материалам персидских и арабских нарративных
источников) httpwwwi-gaginrucontent_art-18html
13 Списък на владетелите на Волжка България
httpbgwikipediaorgwikiСписък_на_владетелите_на_Волжка_България
14 История Тольятти httptolyattinecnarodrukristolhtm
15 ИСТОРИЯ ТАТАРСТАНА (учебное пособие) (ФХХузин ИА Гилязов ВИ
Пискарев БФ Султанбеков ЛАХарисова ААИванов АГГаллямова)
httphistorytatru4167html
16 Введение в Самарское краеведение - Учебное пособие (Храмков ЛВ)
httpbookmetacombook289-vvedenie-v-samarskoe-kraevedenie-uchebnoe-
posobie-xramov-lv27-2-volzhskaya-bolgariyahtml
Notes
1) Muhammad II of Khwarezm
httpenwikipediaorgwikiMuhammad_II_of_Khwarezm
2) The Khwarezmian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhwarezmian_Empire
3) Jebe httpenwikipediaorgwikiJebe
4) Subutai httpenwikipediaorgwikiSubutai
5) Iraq-i Ajam httpenwikipediaorgwikiIraq-i_Ajam
6) Khan Koumlten httpenwikipediaorgwikiKoumlten
7) Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_Mstislavich
8) Mstislav III of Kiev httpenwikipediaorgwikiMstislav_III_of_Kiev
9) Jochi (Juji) httpenwikipediaorgwikiGenghis_KhanJochi
10) Abu Zayd al-Balkhi httpenwikipediaorgwikiAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
11) Qol Ghali httpenwikipediaorgwikiQol_Ghali
12) Almış httpenwikipediaorgwikiAlmış
13) Ahmad ibn Fadlan httpenwikipediaorgwikiIbn_Fadlan
14) Sviatoslav httpenwikipediaorgwikiSviatoslav_I_of_Kiev
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
15) The Khazarian Empire httpenwikipediaorgwikiKhazars
16) Ahmad ibn Rustah httpenwikipediaorgwikiAhmad_ibn_Rustah
17) Bolghar httpenwikipediaorgwikiBolghar
18) Bilaumlr httpenwikipediaorgwikiBilaumlr
19) Ali ibn al-Athir httpenwikipediaorgwikiAli_ibn_al-Athir
20) Puresh httpenwikipediaorgwikiPuresh
21) Purgaz httpenwikipediaorgwikiPurgaz
22) Saqsin httpenwikipediaorgwikiSaqsin
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
A SWARMING OF BEES BY THERESA TOMLINSON
England Whitby mid seventh century and at the height of crisis for the early Christian
church when the celebration of the Easter festival was dividing Celtic English and Roman
Catholic Belief A great Synod was held at Whitby Abbey Yorkshire where the important
dignitaries gathered to debate and decide upon an agreed formula for the Easter dates
Against this opening setting A Swarming of Bees leads the reader gently into a ldquowhy-dun-itrdquo
murder mystery as the author Theresa Tomlinson describes it
Fridgyth is the pagan herb-wife employed by Abbess Hild of Whitby to see to the
monasteryrsquos medicinal needs Apart from it making an agreeable change to have a female
apothecary and healer I enjoyed the concept of her also being the lsquohead sleuthrsquo Cadfael style
Through Fridgythrsquos eyes the story revolves around a charming cast of characters some real
some imagined When plague hits the community ndash indeed the country ndash the natural deaths
are added to by a poisoner who is making best use of the devastation Fridgyth is set the task
by the Abbess of discovering who the poisoner is for as a simple herb-wife she can go
anywhere anytime almost unnoticed
The plot is a little ambling in places where it reads more like a country stroll rather than a
hurry and turn the pages action-packed adventure but the fascination of the detail historical
and medical and the realism of the variety of individual characters makes this a story to sit
and relax with and is a delight to read
Some readers may find it difficult to remember the characters because of the unfamiliar
Anglo-Saxon names this is always a hurdle for authors who write about periods or places
where names are very different from our English comfort zone but the story is intriguing and
entertaining enough to carry anyone through any potential minor confusion
Well researched well written and well read Recommended
httphistoricalnovelsocietyorg
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
Military amp Flying Machines Show
wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
P R E S S R E L E A S E with immediate effect
Welcome Back Sally B The Military amp Flying Machines Team are so excited and pleased to be able to confirm some very special news for the 2013 show at Damyns Hall Aerodrome Due to public demand we are expanding our show to a three day event taking place on 3
rd 4
th and 5
th
August with more attractions more vehicles more flying and more big bangs This year we are delighted to welcome back the fantastic WW2 vintage B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber lsquoSally Brsquo the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe It quickly took on mythic proportions and widely circulated stories and photos of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status The B17 could fly higher than any of its Allied contemporaries and established its place in history dropping more bombs than any other US aircraft in World War II The Sally B has featured in many feature films most notably the blockbuster film Memphis Belle It will again amaze the crowds with low level displays as this truly historic aircraft is put through its paces ldquoSally Brdquo has always in the past performed the most amazing air display at Damyns Hall especially as the aerodrome is fairly small when this almighty warbird flyrsquos past it feels like you can reach out and touch it it is a display that cannot be missed
If Warbirds are of interest to you then you will be in for a big treat at this yearrsquos show with a superb display from the magnificent Spitfire the iconic shape and unmistakeable noise stir the imagination and the emotion of all that watch We also welcome the Hurricane ldquoHurribomberrdquo a first for our show (MORE ON HURRBOMBER) The WW2 fighter trainers ndash the Harvard T6 single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces United States Navy Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s and the Boeing Stearman the work horses of the training airfield which were used to train many Battle of Britain heroes ndash will also join the line up to entertain the crowds The incomparable Jungmeister will also be displaying demonstrating its flying versatility A rare Messerschmitt 108 another classic WW2 aircraft from the German Luftwaffe The ME108 will also form part of a Living History static display on the ground Many of the aircrafts will be landing as well over the weekend so it is a fabulous rare opportunity to get up close
As well as all this there will be so much more to see whilst your there admiring the sights and sounds in the skies including helicopter pleasure flights along with 300+ military vehicles living history displays live entertainment all day arena activities including big bangs and even bigger vehicles Kidsrsquo activities vintage funfair refreshments stalls ndash there truly is something for everyone and at great value for money
Wersquove got more exciting news coming very soon ndash so watch this space for the next BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
For the latest updates on the show visit wwwmilitaryandflyingmachinesorguk
Military amp Flying
Machines Show
2nd
3rd
amp 4th August
- Over 17000 attendees
- Flying Displays
- Pleasure Flights
- Living History
Displays -
300+ Vehicles -
Live Entertainment -
Arena Activities -
20+ Tanks amp Armoured Vehicles
Live 40rsquos style big
band
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
The little battle of Chaacutelons As part of the build-up to the release of Nowhere Was There Peace my novel set during the
end of the reign of Henry III I thought it worth writing about another little-known incident in
the life of his son and heir Edward I This was a tournament at Chaacutelons in 1274 that rapidly
got out of hand and was remembered as the little battle of Chaacutelons It also gives me as an
excuse to write about tournaments in general a bloody and exciting sport that I would have
very much liked to have witnessed (at a safe distance)
A contemporary drawing of Edward I (reigned 1272-1307) Note the cross expression
Edward was on his way back from the Holy Land to be formally crowned as King of England -
his father had passed away two years previously - and on the way through France his retinue
passed by a little town called Chaacutelons The Count of that place challenged Edward and his
knights to take part in a tournament which Edward accepted
Unlike the more decorous one-on-one combats known as jousts tournaments were bloody free-
for-alls that usually took place over several miles of open country Bands of knights battered each
other all over the field the idea being to smash your opponent into submission and capture him
for ransom This was the only way of earning an income for many younger knights trained from
childhood to fight and pretty damn useless at anything else It wasnt uncommon for tournaments
to last several days and they provided terrific entertainment for the common people who got to
watch their arrogant and tyrannical masters knocking seven bells out of each other
Unsurprisingly serious injuries and even death were not uncommon Chaucer who must have
witnessed his fair share of tournaments supplied a vivid description of one in The Knights Tale
Shafts were shivering upon thick shields
One man felt the stab to the breast-bone
Up sprung spears twenty foot on high
Out came swords bright as silver
And hewed and split helms
Out burst the blood with stern red streams
With mighty maces they crushed bones
You get the general idea Edward was just seventeen when he took part in his first tournament an
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
exceptionally violent affair at Blyth and later fought on the tournament circuit in France with his
cronies the Lusignans They apparently didnt do very well and Matthew Paris gleefully notes
that the young prince and his chums were repeatedly defeated and lost all their horses and
armour
By 1274 Edward was a very different creature a man grown with the defeat of Simon de
Montfort and his harrowing experiences on Crusade under his belt At Chaacutelons he lined up on the
tourney field with a thousand of his knights Opposing them was the Count and a much larger
number of French knights In case of foul play Edward stationed a large force of archers just
outside the lists
Foul play was exactly what the Count intended He had already broken the rules of the challenge
by bringing twice the number of men that Edward had and his intention was to capture the prince
and hold him to ransom shades of the Duke of Austria and Richard the Lionheart
The trumpets sounded lances were set in rest and the earth quaked as hundreds of iron men on
massive horses charged together The impact of their collision is almost beyond imagining - I
have never seen a medieval tournament adequately recreated on screen - and they immediately set
about doing each other grievous bodily harm
In the midst of the fighting the count rushed at Edward and grabbed him around the neck This
might seem a crude tactic but was often employed by medieval knights in combat one 12th
century account describes a knight grabbing William the Marshal the Youngers head in an
attempt to wrestle his helmet off His reward was to have his hands sliced off and the Count was
also destined to come to grief
Edward spurred his horse into a sudden gallop and dragged the hapless count in his wake The
Frenchman apparently lacked the wit to let go and so fell to earth with an almighty rattle of
ironmongery Edward then climbed off his horse stood over his victim and bashed away at him
with the shaft of his lance He ignored the fallen mans cries for mercy and gave the signal for his
archers to get involved
These men heeded no rules of chivalry and gleefully bent their bows and shot down the French
knights in droves Then they swarmed onto the field and cut the throats of the wounded men as
they lay helpless and bleeding on the ground The French footmen tried to help their masters and
were slaughtered without mercy by Edwards knights for they were but rascals and of no great
account
At last when the vile temper of the Angevins had cooled somewhat in his blood Edward allowed
the Count to surrender and ceased pounding away on his armour In the midst of the reeking
human carnage Edward added to his foes humiliation by forcing him to give up his sword to a
common soldier My servants shall have your tarnished sword the prince said scornfully for I
shall not touch it
Thus ended the little battle or war of Chaacutelons A fairly grim affair by the standards of the time
but the disgrace was held to lay in the treachery of the Count rather than the scale of unnecessary
death and bloodshed Brutal times brutal men perfect fodder for fiction
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
Event Information
June
1st amp 2
nd Templecombe Medieval fair Templecombe UK
httpswwwfacebookcomevents300657233387495
8th amp 9
th History Alive Fort Lytton National Park Brisbane Australia
wwwhistoryalivecoau
15th
amp 16th
Gloucester Medieval Play Festival UK
wwwglostheatrecouk
15th
amp 16th
Tatton Park Old Hall Medieval fayre UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
21st ndash 23
rd Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Cardiff Castle Wales
httpwwwcardiffcastlecom
21st ndash 23
rd Times amp Epochs Moscow Russia
httpwwwfacebookcomhistoryfestref=tsampfref=ts
29th
amp 30th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
July
5th ndash 7
th LARP Camp Huntley Wood Staffordshire UK
wwwlarpcampcouk
6th amp 7
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Linlithgow Palace Scotland
httpwwwhistoric-scotlandgovukpropertyresultspropertyoverviewhtmPropID=PL_199ampPropName=Linlithgow20Palace
13th
amp 14th
The Battle of Tewkesbury UK
httpwwwtewkesburymedievalfestivalorg
13th
amp 14th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
20th
amp 21st Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
26th
ndash 28th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
27th
amp 28th
Berkeley Skirmish Berkeley Castle Gloucestershire UK
OfficePlantagenet-Eventscom
27th
amp 28th
Smugglers Island Appuldurcombe House IOW UK
Email ednash1993hotmailcouk
July 27th amp 28th Hughendenrsquos Victorian Weekend Hughenden Manor Buckinghamshire
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
27th
amp 28th
Slaughterbridge Camlann Life and Legend Camelford Cornwall UK
heburbeckgmaiIc0m
August
2nd
ndash 4th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Blenheim Palace UK
httpwwwblenheimpalacecom
3rd
amp 4th
The Midlands Festival of History UK
httpwwwmid-festcouk
3rd
amp 4th
The Loxwood Joust Loxwood Meadow RH14 0AL UK
wwwloxwoodjoustcouk
9th ndash 11
th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
16th
ndash 18th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
17th
amp 18th
Scotlands Festival of History Chatelherault Scotland
wwwscotlandsfestivalofhistorycouk
17th
amp 18th
M5-Multi Period Re-enactment Weekend Spetchley Park Worcs UK
Website ndash wwwm5showcouk
23rd
amp 24th
Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hever Castle UK
httpwwwhevercastlecouk
25th
amp 26th Knights of Royal England jousting Tournament Hedingham Castle UK
httpwwwhedinghamcastlecouk
25th
amp 26th
The Sheffield Fayre Norfolk Heritage Park Sheffield
wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
August 31st amp September 1st On the Home Front 1939-45 Rufford Abbey Country Park
Notts Annual 1940s show wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk
September
12th amp 13th Bexbach 1474 Call To Arms
www1474eu
14th
amp 15th
The Battle of Mortimerrsquos Cross Hampton Court Castle Herefordshire
wwwmortimerscrosscouk
September 21st amp 22nd Wimpole at War The Wimpole Estate Cambridgeshire Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
September 28th amp 29th Sherwood through the ages Sherwood Forest Annual Ancient to
1980s multi-period event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
October
October 5th amp 6th Hughendenrsquos Wartime Weekend Hughenden Manor Bucks Annual
1940s event wwweventplancouk or wwwfacebookcomEventplanUK
12th
amp 13th
International Events of Historical Crafts (EIAH) Portugal
Email artesanatocomhistoriagmailcom
November
15
th-17
th The Original Re-Enactors Market Ryton on Dunsmore Coventry UK
wwwreenactorsmarketcouk
16th
amp 17th
The National Living History Fair
wwwnlhfcouk
23rd
amp 24th
The Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fair Ludlow Castle Shropshire
httpwwwludlowcastlecompageseventsaspx
Whittington Castle Multi-Period show
July 27th
amp 28th 2013
Shropshire SY11 4DF
Calling all interested re-enactors
Whittington Castle are hosting a multi Period
event and are after anyone who fancies joining
them for the weekend to get in contact
wwwwhittingtoncastlecouk