Warriors
Sunday evening I came across an episode of the show Warriors on History International it was focused on William Wallace. I was particularly entranced about the discussion of the Battle of Stirling Bridge on September 11, 1297. The narrator spoke of the mindset of the warriors the night before the battle…
Imagine knowing the next day almost certain death awaited you. They knew they faced the best armed, best trained, most technologically advanced force of the time that next day. William Wallace’s men were farmers and common men mostly. I begin to imagine as the narrator told his tale about how and what it was probably like that night. He also shared his experience prior to battle in the modern world as he himself was military. I began to think about how it would have affected me. I thought of sitting around the campfire the night before war and how we feast and drink and tell stories of wordfame and sometimes outright lies. I imagined looking across the fire and see my companions there Sir Donngal, Sir Gawain, Duke Arthur, Lord Morgan and many others. To know that tomorrow someone will try to strike us down and know many of our brothers would not return home. I imagined what it was like to feel the cold clinching grasp of fear for our own mortality and yet feel the heat of the rage for those who would strike us down. How real it was for those people and how blessed we are to share a small glimpse of what it was like and know we can rise again at the end of the day. There is something that cannot be explained about the experience of sharing the field with our brothers in arms. The SCA lends us a unique glimpse into this moment. I share these thoughts and look forward to Estrella War...
Imagine knowing the next day almost certain death awaited you. They knew they faced the best armed, best trained, most technologically advanced force of the time that next day. William Wallace’s men were farmers and common men mostly. I begin to imagine as the narrator told his tale about how and what it was probably like that night. He also shared his experience prior to battle in the modern world as he himself was military. I began to think about how it would have affected me. I thought of sitting around the campfire the night before war and how we feast and drink and tell stories of wordfame and sometimes outright lies. I imagined looking across the fire and see my companions there Sir Donngal, Sir Gawain, Duke Arthur, Lord Morgan and many others. To know that tomorrow someone will try to strike us down and know many of our brothers would not return home. I imagined what it was like to feel the cold clinching grasp of fear for our own mortality and yet feel the heat of the rage for those who would strike us down. How real it was for those people and how blessed we are to share a small glimpse of what it was like and know we can rise again at the end of the day. There is something that cannot be explained about the experience of sharing the field with our brothers in arms. The SCA lends us a unique glimpse into this moment. I share these thoughts and look forward to Estrella War...