Remembering September 1939

Salve,
September is always a month of sorrow for the Slavic and Jewish people of East-Central Europe, because during that sad month of 1939 Hitler and Stalin invaded Republic of Poland causing mayhem and destruction of unheard proportions, and starting World War II. For the Slavs and our 'Slavic' Jews this time was the time of genocide and Holocaust. Some 35 million Slavs and Slavic Jews were murdered, killed in action and died in course of this atrocious war. My own family suffered tremendous losses, menfolk being killed right and left while women and children were left to fend of for themselves, malnourished and abused by their Nazi German (and later Soviet)  occupiers.
Also let us remember of the millions of fine horses that perished during that war, serving their masters. World War II saw the last cavalry warfare  on large scale, modern mechanized war made horses obsolete in war.
In our Slavic pre-Christian tradition and religion our trees were sacred (as with the ancient Germanic peoples), especially oaks groves,  and I am attaching a drawing of a tree that might have been subject of my ancestors reverence and worship (although I also have Armenian ancestors as well). eg Slavic gods Weles Veles Perun in Russian Stvarog in Russian

Let us remember September 1939 and never forget our fallen people.

ps
I would like to welcome all new followers - hope to keep you interested in the weeks to come :)

great Medieval and Renaissance arms and armor book in 5 volumes

Salve,
Sunday is always a great day to visit a museum or library in NYC and we (my son and I ) are going to go to the New York research library on 42 street to read and photo some books there, especially Wawrzonkowska Z., Uzbrojenie i ubiór rycerski Piastów śląskich od XII do XIV w.  nypl.org Wawrzonkowska , to further my study regarding Polish Medieval arms and armor. 

   However, since electronic media and virtual libraries have sprung like 'mushrooms after a good rain' in the internet,  it is worthwhile to search for books at archive.org or google books.
While reading several articles and books on the Medieval and Renaissance arms and armor I came across this work of early scholar Guy Francis Laking www.royalarmouries.org guy francis laking  (note that I did not use wikipedia but unfortunately the entry in the wikipedia is not the best) and his opus magnum A Record of European Armour and Arms through Seven Centuries (1920).
The book is full of  interesting text and hundreds of great pictures of arms, armor, saddles, period miniatures and paintings, I have read certain parts thus far and it is one great, enjoyable resource on arms and armor. The horse oriented information is presented throughout the volumes, e.g. volume I chapter III has a short discussion on horse accouterments  in XII and XIII centuries, while volume IV, chapter XXII is dedicated to horse armor from XIV to XVII centuries,  saddles, spurs etc.

    Books can be downloaded here www.archive.org record of european 01 laking  (you can access all other volumes by clicking on sir Guy name etc),  many parts can be read in form of web pages in many places eg.  laking on bulfinch  and here vikingsword.com laking index   .
Flamboyant Sir Guy also catalogued the  famous Wallace collection Catalogue of the European armour and arms in the Wallace Collection at Hertford House and this catalogue can be downladed from archive.org as well  archive.org catalogue europe lakig .

Do enjoy your reading :)
ps
the drawing above was done with a fine sketch Rotring Art Pen  rotring.com artpen and watercolor No.2 brush on hot pressed Arches  arches-papers.com watercolor paper and purports to show the famous 'anima' helmet (part of the complete suit of armor   wikipediacommons Zbroja_Batorego )  belonging to the  Polish_Lithuanian king Stefan (Stephen) Bathory  wikipedia.org king Stephen Bathory .
ps"
would like to welcome several new followers - bloggers in their own right 

V.