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Historical figures

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  • Member since
    November 2005
Historical figures
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 9:56 PM
Looking to get back into figure modelling.Interested in the likes of medievil Europe and barbarians,also Knights Templar and the Crusades.Really looking to model female figures such as camp followers and warrior women of those timelines afore mentioned.Any help is greatly appreciated.
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 11:53 PM
Will this work for a camp follower? It's Napoleonic, which is a little later than the time frames you mentioned, but there's really not a lot out there, that I'm familiar with.



 

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Caput Mundi
Posted by Avus on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 2:20 AM

As far as "camp followers" goes I agree with ajlafleche, there's not much or may be nothing at all.

Your thread is titled "Historical figures". In the time line you're talking about women were not considered valuable warriors in any culture. There might have been some rare (or even unique) exceptions, like Jeanne D'Arc, but the common woman never wielded a sword. So any female warrior figure wouldn't be historically accurate.

In Fantasy context there are some (sexy) female warrior figures.
BTW I always wondered why in Fantasy stories women went to battle half naked while Men always were covered with chain mail and armor! Maybe women's skin is tougher?!

Klaus

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  • Member since
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 6:06 AM
Shock and Awe! Big Smile [:D]Shock [:O]Wow!! [wow]
  • Member since
    April 2006
  • From: ON, Canada
Posted by jgeratic on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 9:00 AM
Pegaso and Andrea figures are a good place to start for medieval europe.  Take a look at http://www.sentinelminiatures.com/ and http://www.coloradominiatures.com/index.asp - there is a lot out there.
As for female, not much in terms of historical.  The most recent one I can think of is "Ela" by Elisna



There are quite a few fantasy figures that could be considered medieval.  If interested I suggest to start with a look at Solarwind Productions  http://www.foxfirestudio.com/


  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Peoples Socialist Democratic Republic of Illinois
Posted by Triarius on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 10:48 AM
 Avus wrote:

Your thread is titled "Historical figures". In the time line you're talking about women were not considered valuable warriors in any culture. There might have been some rare (or even unique) exceptions, like Jeanne D'Arc, but the common woman never wielded a sword. So any female warrior figure wouldn't be historically accurate.

Not quite true. Who do you think was defending the home turf while the men were off slaughtering, and being slaughtered by, "infidels," etc? Not everyone went on crusade, and hostile neighbors were even more of a problem when the high and the mighty were off in foreign lands, and not at home keeping a lid on things. This state of affairs began around 450CE, ended more or less 1200CE, later in some areas. The men fought for power, wealth, honor, and glory. The women fought to survive and defend their own. While combat was mainly a male pursuit, it was by no means exclusive.

That being said, what does a female bundled up in armor look like? A slightly smaller perhaps younger man, that's what. You might be able to tell from hip width—if the armor was not fitted properly. Open faced helms will reveal a lack of beard and perhaps more rounded features—perhaps a young man.

So to answer your question: Take a male figure, widen the hips. If the face is visible, remove the facial hair and soften the features. Maybe take a little off the shoulders and lengthen the arms, slightly.

Ross Martinek A little strangeness, now and then, is a good thing… Wink

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Chehalis, WA
Posted by Fish-Head Aric on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 2:38 PM
 Avus wrote:

... In Fantasy context there are some (sexy) female warrior figures.
BTW I always wondered why in Fantasy stories women went to battle half naked while Men always were covered with chain mail and armor! Maybe women's skin is tougher?!

Perhaps the reason the "warrior babes" have so little armor is to distract the "warrior male", with the idea that the man ain't near so likely to mutilate something that appeals to his appeal to a fine female figure?

I have to say I would be at least a little distracted and pulling my blows from the "bare spots" if I were swinging my blade against some Red Sonja.  I know my male tastes a bit too well. Wink [;)]

~Aric Fisher aric_001@hotmail.com
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Sunny Florida
Posted by renarts on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 7:40 PM

El viejo dragon has some figures of medieval women bathing in various levels of undress. Other than that there are a few other companies out there that did produce some figures from the Manessa Codex and others that would fit pretty wel into a medieval setting.

There is a 14thc. French manuscript that depicts a group of women riding into combat with swords etc. It is from a 14thc. version of the Romance of Alexander and is supposed to represent the Amazons. But none of the women are wearing armor. It is also a medieval play on the reported rumor that Eleanor of Aquitane rode into Jerusleum armored up to intimidate the populace and muslims. Whether its true or not is lost in history.

There are a few accounts of women in fighting, but very few and far between. While the lady of the Keep was responsible for prep etc, while sir Dunce was off fighting a crusade for Urban it was more administrative than martial. She became a barganing chip and more often than not a means of securing alliances through marriage or promised sons or daughters.

Christian de Pisan did write several treatises on military tactics and it was a book that was used heavily in the middle ages to teach with. Including Henry V but it was also one of those that didn't get alot of press nor credibility (despite its success stories as a result) because it was written and compiled by a woman. She also wrote books on how to prepare cities for sieges and how women should act as those in charge of their holdings, domicile and properties.

Sure there are stories of women in combat. Bodiccia, Jean, Eleanor, Brigette Nielson, but those are exceptions. Just like every division didn't have an Audie Murphy. Camp followers were not only a way of life but essential for an army on the move. Not only were they the whores that entertained but they were also wives, daughters, cooks, seamstresses, nurses, sculleries, merchants, maids etc. Now on occasion in the 15th c. you'll read of accounts of women toting buckets of water to artillery pieces or helping with limber or other chores, but I'd be surprised to see a common account of their role as a "soldier".

The church forbade them, society did not allow them, and the soldiery didn't take them seriously. There is precious little documentation that can account for women soldiers in relation or to the scale that there is for men. Joinville, Villihardouin, Froissart, Roland, Chretien de Troy, Lull, Mathew Paris, De Charny were all chroniclers of ther times and wrote quite detailed accounts of combat, engagements, battles, tournaments, on knightly behavior etc. and they do not mention at all the presence of women as combatants. Lull in fact, despises them in this role and writes a whole treatise on the sin of woman carrying accoutrements of war and the degradation of knighthood and chivalry as a result if they should.

I suggest you look into some of Gerry Embletons (The Medieval Soldier in Photographs) books as well as some of the manuscrpts illustrations to see how these women are dressed and how they are depicted in these situations.

Mike "Imagination is the dye that colors our lives" Marcus Aurellius A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!"
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Caput Mundi
Posted by Avus on Thursday, June 1, 2006 2:27 AM

 Triarius wrote:
Who do you think was defending the home turf while the men were off slaughtering, and being slaughtered by, "infidels," etc? ... The men fought for power, wealth, honor, and glory. The women fought to survive and defend their own.

You got a point there. By warrior I meant a person dressed up and trained to go to battle, so I wasn't thinking of "homeland security" (like we would say nowadays).
Anyhow women remaining at home were not completely left alone: in the middle ages almost all towns and villages grew near a fortified structures where the feudal lord provided protection for his peasants and some men-at-arms, maybe even some knights, remained in their country to garrison the castle or fortress waiting for the lord to return (remember your Robin Hood Wink [;)]).

 Fish-Head Aric wrote:
Perhaps the reason the "warrior babes" have so little armor is to distract the "warrior male", with the idea that the man ain't near so likely to mutilate something that appeals to his appeal to a fine female figure?

Guess you got a point there, too. It's an interesting tactic: Fool your fool male opponent! Big Smile [:D]

Wow, renarts ! Thanks for the insight. I couldn't have put it better, probably only shorter and thus less detailed.
I once saw a really nice copy of the "Codex Manessa" but it cost something like 200 Euro!!! Way too much for my pockets.

Klaus

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  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 12:36 PM

The Welsh Celtic women fought alongside the men, I daresay from those pictures above, with a little research regarding woad and tribal markings etc, they could be turned into pretty convincing representations. Not sure about the thongs though.

On the subject of the Crusades etc , both Andrea and Pegaso do some great kits in all scales. 

 

 

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