Progress and corrections on the King of Kings hunting

hello,
summer is about to hit us with some warm weather in NYC, so definitely there will be less work to be done at home :)
Some little corrections (his bow mainly as I was advised on the great forum for ancient world military history enthusiasts and reenactors romanarmy.com http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=26749
I did on the famous Sassanian King Bahram Gur, and started adding some color.
Plus I started working a little on some older images of the Sassanian knights... so they will make their appearance here sooner than later ;)
pa ka

a little more finished winged hussar of 1600-10s

czolem,
this time I am showing you a little drawing that I did long time ago and recently changed a bit (computer canvas :) ). Done in the fashion of the Stockholm Roll's winged hussars, but with a pistol in the holster hung at the pommel.
At this excellent and highly recommended site you can find pictures of the entire painting known as the Stockholm Roll (it is called Stockholm because when in 1655 AD Swedes captured Poland's capital - Warsaw - they stripped all the city palaces, including the Royal Castle, of any and all valuables whether these might have been movable or just works or architecture, stone work, murals attached or paintings glued to the walls, and our Roll depicting the ceremonial entry of the king's bride into the old royal city of Cracow was one of such painting attached to the walls in the Royal Casttle.
The Swedish robbers took the painting off the walls and carried it to Sweden and there it remained until it was returned to Poland in the 1970s.
Yet many thousands of Polish cultural treasures remain in Sweden's collections, probably never to be returned - somewhat like the Elgin marbles http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/StockholmRoll.htm

Sassanian king Bahram Gur 'hunting' Hephthalites

Hello again,
I am working on many different sketches of the past (reworking them from drawing and watercolor paintings into the digital 'paintings'), but at this time would like to share with you something that is a curious (to me) combination of several persons efforts.
The story goes like this - the initial sketch was done based on my friend Kaveh's drawing - he did it for late Angus Mcbride so this famous illustrator could paint the plates for Kaveh's Osprey book on the Sassanian heavy cavalry, the particular plate depicting death of Julian Apostate battling Sassanian cavalry- then I did a sketch based on Kaveh's and then my friend Patryk - a scholar of the Ancient Iranian military, eg author of the Sassanian cavalry article for the Ancient Warfare Magazine vol.1, issue 4 - made many suggestions on how to improve and how to arrive closer to the probable historic appearance of such Sassanian rider wielding both a pistol grip Sassanian sword (the forerunner of a sabre grip) and short Sassanian bow.
Why the title - well, Patryk had suggested that this could be a depiction of Bahram Gur during hie famous campaign against the White Huns or Hephthalites - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahram_V and I liked his title so it will stand...
Many thanks to Patryk :)
to be continued

the XVI (16th) century German Cavaliers

Back in the saddle again...
I researched and painted these images for a book on the battle of Lubieszow AD 1577 (Radoslaw Sikora, Lubieszow 1577, Infort Editions 2005), between Polish Royal army and the army of the rebelious city of Gdansk (Danzig). In Polish historiography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historiography the name of this engagement is 'bitwa (battle) pod (of )Lubieszow'
you can check it on Wikipedia , although some idiot changed the name of the battle to the modern spelling Lubiszewo(albeit the full name of this town is Lubiszewo Tczewskie and not just Lubiszewo) of this Polish town's name
German account of this tragic battle, on google books :) http://books.google.com/books?id=a5cCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA54&dq=winkelbruch+1577&lr=
this one is the best in German - http://books.google.com/books?id=kZYOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA240&dq=winkelbruch+1577&lr=&as_brr=1
They represent the new type of cavalry in the Western European armies, the cavalry armed with swords, daggers, pistols and arquebus, protected by a 3/4 armor or half-armor, and ridding much, much cheaper horses then lancers.
next time I will publish some images of the Royal army cavalry units of that battle.

Cheyenne Update

I did some work on this image, especially moving his shield under his arm, note there was no handgrip or strap for the arm to slid through, and I changed the angle of the shield etc.
to be continued

Red Shield

Upon re-reading, somewhat closer than before, of works by Dorsey,'Cheyenne', Grinnell 'The Cheyenne Indians', Cowdrey, 'Arrow's Elk Society Ledger' etc., I decided to repaint my Red Shield warrior already shown here a few weeks ago.
I started with the buffalo (bison) horse mask, and this particular item completely changed the way this image feels, I think. I recently photographed the whole book on the subject, Cowdrey et al., 'Indian Horse Masks', at the American Indian Museum library downtown Manhattan. The mask is identified as of Blackfeet origin, and since both tribes, Cheyennes and Blackfeet were so closely related, I decided to give his horse such a mask.
In the near future I will repaint his shield, the medicine (war) paint on his horse, lengthen the lance etc. I already started repainting his headdress, eg the red horns that were, according to Grinnell (and Bent :) ), painted separately one by one on the event of the wearer counting coup on his enemies.
To be continued

Kluszyn or Klushino AD 1610

Little change of time and subject - Polish winged hussars against the Western and Muscovite armies during the early summer of 1610. This was the most glorious Polish Commonwealth victory ever accomplished against the Muscovy ( Tsar(emperor) ruled State of Muscovy later to be named Russia ).

In my opinion (and many others) from the position of the cavalryman and cavalry historian the most interesting part here was the apparent necessity to charge and destroy wooden fences separating the opposing armies, the destroying being done by the horses themselves, using their hooves and breasts/chests.

Pleas note that I am not going to write the story of this battle - Wikipedia has the intro to this Polish-Muscovite war that is not too bad and an entry on the battle itself but numbers are wrong etc, yet it is not my desire to write about the numbers but about the cavalrymen and their horses http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Klushino

Some say there was a redoubt between the armies - actually during the battle of Klushino there was no Swedish-Muscovite redoubt - this 17th century map of the battlefield gives the best impression how this theatrum might have looked http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/POL_K%C5%82uszyn_1610.jpg
As you can see from this map the problem facing the Polish army (and the winged hussars) had to do with the wooden fence or line of wooden fences smack in the middle of the field between the two armies, and these fences actually prevented the planned surprise that had been attempted by the early morning Polish attack.

There were gaps within this line of fences (10-15meters) and according to numerous relations about the battle some of the Polish hussars had to use their horses' breasts to break these fences in order to get to the enemy behind them.
Apparently the fences on the left wing of Muscovite side - Polish right wing - were smaller and with more gaps in-between or were torn down early in the battle as the chroniclers did not write about them, although they are visible on the map and in this painting by a Polish painter Boguszewicz who painted this canvas at the order of the m,ain actor of this battle, Stanislaw Zolkiewski. http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plik:Klushino_1610.JPG
The Swedish pike-and-musket infantry stood behind these fences (with their cavalry behind them) on the Muscovite right wing while masses (thousands) of Muscovite infantry and Muscovite cavalry stood on the Muscovite army left wing (Polish right wing).
Hussars charged these western infantry regiments via the fences, not once but at least 3 times, and then Polish haiduks (Hungarian-style Polish infantry) with 2 small falconets (it happened to have been the entire artillery of the Polish army) came and broke down the wooden fences and reduced the fighting spirit of the Westerner infantry mercenaries causing them to move rather quickly (not to say they 'run like frightened rabbits') toward their camp, although still leaving their cavalry in the field.

Therefore, Polish hetman (field marshal) Zolkiewski had to resolve this dangerous problem by clearing the Western cavalry off of the field and destroying the right wing of the Muscovite army. Consequently the Western cavalry regiments became objects of another great cavalry charge. At first, our Polish hussar banners (companies) carried out the frontal attack on the Swedish-English-Flemish reiter and arquebusier cavalry regiments, in their pursuit to destroy the remainder of the Muscovite army's right wing. The hussars' frontal charges were not successful (perhaps the great disparity of numbers and densisty of the Western cavalry formations) until the Muscovite infantry protecting their (Western cavalry) left flank had been removed (see below) and then another, final charge was made that was carried in a form of a pincer movement - at the front and at the left flank of the enemy cavalry, by some 1200-1400 hussars (1/4 of the entire Polish army on the battlefield), some with lances, the rest with tucks (pantzerstrecher, 'Turkish spear' or koncerz) and pallashes. They charged these Westerners an this time were successful. This final hussar charge against their western opponents broke the cohesive formations of the enemy and thus hussars were able to overrun the Western cavalry and destroyed its fighting ability for the remainder of the battle.

Following behind and finally passing over their heavy cavalry's tired horses the several banners of Polish lighter cavalry went after the Muscovite westerners in their pursuit for glory and loot.

On their right wing our Poles, charging repetitiously - as many as 8-9 times (but whether they charged only infantry or both the infantry and cavalry is unknown from the sources)- hussars' choragwie (companies) could not break the Muscovite infantry due to their numerical strength, density and truly amazing 'stubbornness' until several cornets of German Muscovite reiters ( Baltic German units in Muscovite service since mid 1500s) attempted to charge the already tired Poles (ridding their tired horses). These brave but rather foolish Germans, however, were beaten back and completely routed in turn, and ridding in panic, back to the safety of their camp, these German-Muscovite reiters smashed into their own Muscovite infantry regiments, causing them to be disrupted. This disruption was big enough that when our Polish lancers, charging for the 10th time and hot on the Germans' backs, closed in with the Muscovite infantry the infantrymen broke ranks and fled ( classical example of successful cavalry charge against otherwise unbreakable infantry ). Thus exploring this sudden opening our pursuing hussars rode inside the walled (kobylice protected) Russian camp and broke the very will to fight of this many times more numerous Russian army whose escaping infantrymen, eager to put plenty of space between themselves and then mercilessly pursing Polish lancers, broke down the kobylice protections in their own camp's rear and fled into the surrounding woods, in search of safety and respite.

Finally, the previously mentioned Swedish mercenary infantry retreated from the field to their camp in search of refugium and found itself to be quite alone, for their cavalry was defeated and escaped into the woods and fields desirous to save their heads; and it was at this moment when the hussar rota (company) of Andrzej Firlej ( their towarzysze and pacholiks still armed with their lances unbroken ) attacked this mercenary camp. With their charge they first broke through the kobylice barrier surrounding the Swedish camp and then in a direct, frontal charge broke through the Swedish pikemen formation - an incredible feat of military skill and prowess displayed by these horsemen and their horses.

Thus these mentioned numerous charges had more to do with the strategy of hetman Zolkiewski - and he actually wrote about this in his relation in his work titled
"The Beginning and Progress of the Muscovy War."- who wanted to keep constant pressure on the very numerous and very resilient Muscovites, and to create impression that his army was more numerical than actually presented on the battlefield. This stratagem worked very well and resulted in a stunning victory for small army against the giant Muscovite_Western behemoth.
It was the skill, the horsemanship, bravery, and superior morale of Polish lancers, endurance and patient training of their horses, and finally the tactics and strategy of the Polish commander, Stanislaw Zolkiewski that carried the day into history books :)
hope you will enjoy this little post
more to follow
many thanks to Radek :)

Polo

 Ushta Te,

   I have read this interesting article on Buskashi and Polo http://www.cambridgeblog.org/2009/04/buzkashi-and-polo/ written by dr Pita Kelekna, anthropologist and author of the forthcoming book 'The Horse in Human History.'
In the article, which is a part of series of articles on the horse theme & the forthcoming book  presented as a series of blog entries (quite clever and nicely introducing her book to the wider world), dr Pita writes about  the two other most ancient equestrian games Buzkashi and polo, since the first and foremost horse 'games' were obviously: horse racing, horse breaking, target shooting from horseback, and communal hunting.
Mounted warfare was the culminating and glorious end-result of all these games.

Today I just wanted to post some information about the ancient history of the Iranian game of Polo.

Actually, 'Gu-u-Chogan' is the Iranian name for Polo, while name 'polo' is a Tibetan name for a polo ball made from a willow root. 'Gu' means a ball and 'Chogan' means a stick, so it is a game of ball and stick played while ridding a horse  that after all is a player too :)
Polo is as Iranian (whether Persian o North-Iranian - Scythian and Sarmatian - is unknown) as a Persian carpet, or a Kantus (Median cloak that had become nomad attire for thousands of years, and in the 16th century ended up in Poland as a part of national costume known as Kontusz)) or a meydan (polo field).

Actually, the first accounts of the existence of chogan or the stick and ball game came from the time of Achaemenid Shah (king) Darius (Darayavaush) the Great (522- 486 B.C.).
And 2 centuries later his namesake & of the same dynasty, Darius III  sent Alexander of Macedon a polo mallet (chogan) and a ball (gu) with an invitation to play polo match instead of fighting battles. As we have learned in 5th grade (at least in the Polish elementary schools' history class) this particular handsome & chivalrous  invitation did not work and Alexander took his lance and galloped on ( a Thracian, Tessalian or Nissean stallion Bucephallas, as seen in this image from the Naples Museum in Italy) across the Achamenid Empire and eventually did conquer the whole Achaemenid world and beyond. As result the Greeks and Hellenic culture spread as far east as northern India and Afghanistan while eastern (Buddhism etc) influences filtered west into the Hellenic thought and culture.
I will write some day on Eummenes of Bactria, Gandhara, Indo-Sakas, Kushans and other equestrian rulers of that part of the ancient world.

Ad rem, there are other numerous mentions of the chogan/polo in the ancient Sassanian Persia, starting with the reign of Ardeshir, the first of Sassanian kings.
The slayer of Romans and builder of cities shah Shapur I (r. AD 226–241 and I will write about him soon, there are images of him ridding his stallions, he was a dashing warrior) when a young boy, he  was tested whether he was the real son of the already mentioned king Ardashir by use of his daring and courage during a game of polo.
Shah Shapur II (AD 309 to 379), another Sassanian ruler of Persia, learned to play the game of polo at the age of seven.
Finally, at the Sassanian courts the noble women played polo in the 'meydan' as well. The most famous of these aristocratic women was beautiful princes Shireen who played many a prince.
Also, the ancient Pehlevi text and later Persian chronicler al-Tabari confirm that when the future hunter-king Bahram V Gur( r.421–438)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Bahramv.jpg
was growing up he received three tutors in the arts of: reading, hunting, and polo along with skills of weapons.

So going forward just a little bit we end up with the most masterful Persian epic Shahnameh that was composed in the late 10th century.  The native Persian court poet Ferdowsi wrote into the Shahnameh plenty of references about the chogan game, by then played already in the courts of imperial China, Japan, Central Asia courts, and the Arab caliphate etc but we should remember that he wrote his epic 1500 years after the first mention of the game, as I have shown above.
Along this little introduction of the ancient polo, I am adding my own 'tracing' of one of the prime examples of the Sassanian sumptuous art - in form of metal plates with etchings or etchings and relief inside the metal plate - this website has many of them http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/virtual_museum/sasanian/Artifacts/metalwork.htm I am going to do a separate post about this plate and many others, God willing.
But note this king rides a stallion, the horse's mane has been crenelated in a manner most ancient to the Iranian nomads, his tail tied and adorned with ribbons (swallow tail shape, perhaps to represent the swiftness of that bird to  give a horse more swiftness as in the American Indian belief), there is an early curb-bit along with a metal cavesson muzzle and no forehead strap or nose band (cavesson replaced it), but there is a strap under the mandible in the same fashion as seen on the Persepolis relieves(5th century BC) . The cinch seems to be of some fabric and not of leather. Discs adorn breastplate and crouper, similar to the Roman and later Hunnish horse harness styles. There may be a tamga - horse owner mark - on this stallion chest. I did not concentrate on the rider so he is rendered rather elementarily.
enjoy

Blogs

I was going to publish another of my drawings today but instead would like to mention several blogs that I have been following as of lately. Nevertheless I am going to attach one already on the net.
My biggest discovery this so is this blog http://globalhorseculture.typepad.com/global_horse_culture/ . Girasol (Sunflower) is the author of that blog and I must say it is a wonderful resource center for Latin American and American horses and horsemanship.
also there you can learn about horse publications and other horse related items.
Another blog I just discovered, well actually she discovered me first - thanks, is this blog on the Native American (Indian) beadwork and its historical reconstitution and reproduction http://angelaswedberg.blogspot.com/ . The author is this amazingly talented and devilishly or divinely :) blessed with tremendous patience and ability to reconstruct ancient beadwork Washington state artist and scholar named Angela Swedberg. I love her work while especially I look after the photos of the old American Indian horse tack and horses themselves.
Another site that I follow because I use it to learn how to paint with GIMP is http://idrawgirls.blogspot.com/ where author, another Washingtonian named Xia, shows his artistic talents and teaches us, the web students, how to operate and use computer graphic programs to create images from start to finish, in Photoshop and Gimp.
I have another passion, miniature military sculpting - websites like Planetfigure.com or Polish forum figurki.org. One of the people engaged in this passionate artistic discipline and whom I admire a lot is this Atlanta based miniature sculptor and Renaissance armor and weapons scholar Agustín 'Augie' J. Rodríguez and his blog is http://augiemefecit.blogspot.com/2009_04_05_archive.html where he show his research and works in progress.
Saddly one of my favorite horse sites - horsemanpro.com is no longer working, too bad for that site's author, often harsh and strong-worded, is so knowledgeable about horses in the old, pre-1960s way ;).
Another author, dr Deb Bennett, is also big on my list of sites to visit http://www.equinestudies.org/

Finally, my most favorite American Indian site is http://plainsledgerart.org/ which has the authentic Plains warriors drawings made around the time of the Plains Indian Wars (post 1860s), and these drawings must be the primary sources on the subject how the 19th century Plains warriors and their horses, how they rode, fought. loved and looked, and not the paintings by the Euro-American artists like Remington or Russell.

Old Polish stirrups

Hello,
today another little image in the theme of the Old Polish horse tack.
This time the stirrups - this particular set comes to us from Russia where they've been preserved ever since one of the the Polish Royal Envoys left them there, with many other gifts including horses, saddles, arms, silverware and textiles, during the frequent diplomatic exchanges of the first quarter of the 17th century, between the Polish Kings and the many Tsars of that time period.

These stirrups, along with 4 other pairs indentyfied as 17th century Polish, are housed at the Kremlin's Armory - Оружейная палата Oruzhenaya Palata.

They are made out of cast iron, then they were covered in gold (gilded) and small turquoise stones were set in the three-leaves structures, decorating them as if flower cups. They are 15cm high and they were originally attached to a Polish or oriental saddle, although they cannot by connected to any particular saddle at this time. They appeared first time in the Kremlin inventory in AD 1647.

I used the Wacom tablet and GIMP to 'paint' this image.

Cheyenne

I would like to show today, on this very nice Spring day, a watercolor of a member of the Cheyenne Mahohewa Warrior Society. Cheyennes are my most favorite caballeros of the Great Plains, right behind them are their cousins the Blackfeet, then Crow, Kiowa-Comanche, Lakota etc. Mahohewas or Red Shields or Red Shield owners were a military society found amongst the two divisions of the Cheyenne tribe. They were famous for their buffalo(bison) horns headdresses and red-painted shields with the bison tail attached. They were also know as Buffalo-bull warriors - and this name speaks for itself, as buffalo bull was considered the bravest and most dangerous of all the animals on the Great Plains.
If I were to paint this one again I would have added a headmask for his horse - I have been doing some reading and nothing struck me as so important in my studies on the Plains warriors and their ways as the recent book on the horse masks by Mike Cowdrey and Ned & Jody Martin - http://www.hawkhillpress.com/indian_horse_masks.htm I should also mention Bill Holm and his book 'Sun Dogs and Eagle Down,' wonderful reconstructions of the tribal people of North America where I saw horse mask in the painting titled 'Parade' dedicated to the reconstrction of the Nez Perce man and woman on horseback.

I did this watercolor long time ago (1990s), upon reading several books: the Rev. Thomas Mails' books 'Mystic Warrior of the Plains' and 'Dog Soldiers, Bear Men, Buffalo Women' and 'Fighting Cheyennes' by Bird Grinnell. I was very impressed with Rev. Mails work, although this impression as far as his scholarship has worn off a bit, but I am still a great admirer of his art, especially the ink drawings and many of the paintings. Unfortunately don Thomas passed on in 2001 and probably can be found now with his heroes in the Everlasting Hunting Grounds.
Bird Grinnell or more properly George Bird Grinnell (1849-1938) was an early American anthropologist who started studying the Plains Indian cultures when the 'Indian wars' of the Great Plains were still raging on, the conflicts between the aboriginal peoples and the Old Uncle Sam's Army. During his distinguished career Grinnell wrote many books and I think his most important ones are the ones dedicated to the Cheyennes, although he also studied the Pawnee and Blackfeet. I was very very curious how he acquired his first-hand information from the Cheyenne informants, and for many years I was unaware that he actually had used the most important (in my opinion) man in the history of the survival and preservation of the old Cheyenne ways - George Bent, a metis (his father was William Bent, a famous Indian trader, and his mother was Owl Woman, a Cheyenne woman of a very important family) , one-time Confederate soldier and Cheyenne warrior.
It was George Bent who while living in Oklahoma, supplied all the informants, Bent did all the translations and who sent his own notes from his own examinations and interviews with old 'hostiles' and their wives, the traditionalists etc. Many of these old-timers were about to depart from this world, as the early 20th century was the hardest for the Indian tribes of the Great Plains, and Bent sensing the urgency of his mission to collect as much information as possible was often perplexed when Grinnell would not show proper respect to the old warriors and their wifes, nor did Grinnell seemed to share the same feeling that the world of traditional Cheyennes was slipping away because the traditionalists, often more than 90 years old were withering away. Bent was not a saint himself, but this is another story, already told by George E. Hyde (another assistant to Bird Grinnell) using Bent's letters and recently by Haalas and Masich (2004).
But Birdy Grinnell 'forgot' about George Bent and gave him no credit for all his field work. Nevertheless, thanks to the cooperation of these two individuals we can read and learn about the Old Cheyenne ways. Obviously there were other early scholars who studied the Cheyennes, amongst them George Dorsey and James Mooney, but first two Georges cleared the way, so to speak.

Old Polish saddle tree 2

     Hello,
this saddle or rather its tree with some metal (gilded) ornaments and its ebbing covered with leather is stored in the storage room of the Polish Amry Museum in Warsaw.


Normally such saddle tree would have been covered with an expensive fabric and fabric-covered leather skirts would have been attached to it with the leather thongs partially visible here. Note the slots for the cinch and the stirrup leathers.
This was not a winged hussar saddle as it has rather small and narrow cantle and pommel, and it  is rather narrow... armoured lancers needed more room so to speak

there are two other examples of the old Polish saddles, two different types, all of them used in the late 16th and then 17-18th centuries.

old Polish saddle tree, version1

czołem,
today I am going to show my own sketch of one of many versions of the Old Polish saddle trees. As far as I know nobody makes saddle trees like that in Poland anymore...
The basic design is Mongol or Mongol-Turkish and goes back to the saddles invented somewhere in the eastern Central Asian steppes 1500 years ago.

I am also attaching my own photo of a Polish Army Museum parade saddle, dated to the 17th century.

    Please forgive the poor quality of the photo and do note the ring curb-bit shown in the right side of my photo, the same design as the so called morisco curb bit of the colonial Spanish America.
Ciao

Serbian Hussars

Salve,
the very beginning of Polish Hussaria   belongs entirely to the  Balkan Serbian warriors already known as hussars (for almost a hundred years prior to their coming to Poland).
They came to the Polish  Kingdom, at the end of the 15th century,   in search of military employment and probably somewhat of a easier life,  and our Polish Kingdom did  offer these noble refugees from the Turkish-Hungarian-Habsburg wars of the 15th century plenty of  religious freedom  and economic  prosperity...
They carried 3 meters long, light lances with small pennons, Balkan shields, oriental and Hungarian sabres, and presumably war axes and 'klevets' or war hammers. They used light Balkan, Turkish and Hungarian saddles,  peculiar round stirrups, curb bits and long 'czaprak'  (large and often richly decorated  textile horse blanket or 'shabraque') to cover their horse back, sides, and  hindquarters.
 Polish-Serbian hussars can be seen in action  circa AD 1514  in this  very large 1530s painting from the Polish National Museum in Warsaw, you can take at look at the painting here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Orsha_(1514-09-08).jpg 
The painting depicts the first Polish-Lithuanian victory over a huge Muscovite army near Orsha on the Dniepr River (now Bielarus), one of three battles that took place at Orsha  in the first half of the 16th century.
During the next 50-70 years hussars acquired  full armor, larger horses, longer and heavier lances, shishak (Turkish style) helmets,  leopard, bear, wolf and lion pelts to cover themselves and their horses, and plenty of eagle, ostrich, falcon etc  feathers.

another Old Polish horse

This time I found this image of Old Polish horse on the cover of a book of gouaches painted either by or for baron d'Eisenberg, master rider, ecuyer and one of the foremost specialist in the art of the manege or 'dresser de cheval' of the 18th centuries, his opus magnum was 'l’Art de monter à cheval'(1759).
 He wrote and illustrated his own books. eg look at these prints
                                                      *
The book shown here can be bought from Amazon.com. and quite cheaply. It contains 55 color paintings of horses, many types of horses and breeds that could be found in Europe circa AD 1759.
The interesting thing here is that our good baron showed and proved though his work that any type or breed of horses can be 'dressed/schooled' to perform high school airs, it was the ecuyer who made this happen and not the particular breed of horse. This is quite contrary to Cavendish or de la Gueriniere writings.

   Anyway, this horse is performing a croupade. His name is 'Botte' and was bred in the estates of Prince Lubomirski who in turn gave him as a gift to the Prince de Craon at Luneville, where baron d'Eisenberg schooled this horse. Pleas note his small head and pinto coloring. He is ridden in a caveson and curb bit, double reins etc.

czolem,
Some new, GIMP-manipulated, ink drawings of the Winged Polish-Lithuanian Hussars. They are not finished, not yet...

Equus polonicus

Finally I found a good copy of Ridiger's Equus polonicus or our good Old Polish Horse, etching made for the album of some 30plus etching of the mid-18th century horses of Europe and Middle east (Persian, Turkish, Arabian, Barb etc., horses) .
Johann elias Ridinger (b.Ulm 1698 – d. Augsburg 1767) was a German artist and printmaker who devoted his life to the art of printmaking and specialised in equine, wildlife and hunting themes. He was often employed by His Majesty King f Poland and Prince of Saxony Augustus III, and we even have a print of him showing our king, not the best one we had, riding one of his horses. Interestingly Saxony was importing Polish horses all the way up to the end of the 18th century for the Saxon 'chevau legers' of the royal guard, where general Jan Henryk Dabrowski's father was an officer. See the print attached here too.
see this website dedicated to his art and the art of printmaking in general http://www.luederhniemeyer.com/index.php

Please note that our horse is a pinto, with a really small head and very nice muscular body and dry, strong legs. While Herr Ridinger might have exaggerated the small size of his head, nevertheless this lightly roman-nosed head does conform to the 16-18th (or even early 19th century) century preferences our ancestors had for their horses' heads, i.e., small, dry and noble

Zygmunt III king of Poland and grand prince of Lithuania

I found this image of our king Sigismunt III Vasa on wikipedia. We know now, based on the primary sources of his reign, that he was the first to receive the newly bred Spanish Andalusian Horses from the studs in Cordoba and Austrian at Lippica, his wife's family, the Austrian Habsburs, were the givers/ senders of these horses. We had used to call them Dzianet, after Jennet Genette, prior to the Corboban breed being established (AD 1576-9), so naturally they kept calling them 'dzianet's from Spanish 'el jenet', genete etc, as 'rumak' (from Turko-Persian argamak) was still reserved for the Oriental horses. Perhaps in this print Zygumunt III rides a Cordoban Spanish stallion, celebrating his armies' victory over the Turks at Chocim (Khotin) A.D. 1621.

Note that Richard Brzezinski et late Angus McBride (painter) reconstructed a winged hussar wielding a hussar lance (plate depicting Vienna AD 1683) in the same manner as Zygmunt here, in their Osprey book "Polish Armies 1569-1696" vol1. Perhaps the print was their inspiration, and obviously wrong, as the hussar lance or kopia was many between 3,5m to over 6meters long. Impossible to hold this lance in this manner. My friend Radek Sikora writes about the hussar lance in his articles accessible at http://www.hussar.com.pl/162/husaria-cz-3-radoslaw-sikora accidentally in this particular article there is my own drawing showing a long lance wielding hussar attacking a pikeman, circa AD 1626-33.

new caballeros on the ...tablet

hello,
I decided to post some new-old sketches that I have been slowly redoing  using GIMP. They are unfinished and rather raw, and subject to change :)

Jannisaries

This post re: one illustration of a janissary painted by a new Polish miltiary ilustrator Michalik for a new book by Polish military history publisher Inforteditions.
Ottoman Turkish  infantry known as Janissaries were one of the most formidable opponents  that our Polish-Lithuanian Cavalry had to face. This particular  new book deals with little known engagement at Orynin on Sept 28 1618, between the Commonwealth armies lead by Crown grand hetman Jan Zolkieweski and his Ottoman Turkish-Tatar foes, including some janissary ortas (batalions). It was somewhat a prelude to the Zolkiewski's disastrous Cecora (Tutora)  campaign.  The book is small but illustrated and has some nice maps done in color by the same artist.
The remainder of my post  is in Polish but all the links are in English or German :)
Mam ochote podzielic sie paroma uwagami na temat tego janczara imci Michalika  - Janczar jak to janczar [url=http://www.wanax.pl/galerie/o/orynin-28-ix-1618_1062.jpg]http://www.wanax.pl/galerie/o/orynin-28-ix-1618_1062.jpg[/url] w tle ma obrobione zdjecie chyba Chocimia? co do jego wygladu, i tu zgodze sie z Krzsztofem M. ze ilustracja ma klimat.
Ale... jesli chodzi o zestawienie strojow oraz uzbrojenia to nie jest to obrazek AD 1618 jeniceri. Nie wiem skad przyszly Orta-y (roty) janczarow pod Orynin, a jak wiemy roty Yeniceri Ocak (korpus janczarow) byly uzbrajane i munudrowane przez skarbiec sultanski, jako czesc armi sultanskiej czyli Kapikulu Askerleri.
 Janczar na ilustracji ma zachodni i na dodatek bardzo krotki muszkiet, bo 'normalna' dlugosc muszkietow lontowych to 125-160cm, a np w muzeum w Gratz egzemplarz ze Styru AG 1620 i ma 130cm dlugosci; w kazdym razie wyglada na zachodnioeuropejski (kolba wyglada na niderlandzka, i zamek sam takze, choc wlasnie to Anglicy prowadzili ozywiony handel bronia z Porta) muszkiet lontowy. Faktem jest ze Porta kupowala duze ilosci broni (od Anglikow cyz Holendrow czy pewnie Francuzow), w tym broni bialej, na Zachodzie, a wojna z Austria skonczona ponad 10 lat wczesniejpozwalal byc moze na wiekszy handel w tej materii, wiec uwzam ze ten muszkiet a) jest za krotki b)nie jest na miejscu jako bron podstawowa tego piechura, gdyz janczarzy otrzymywali muskziety wlasnej produkcji tureckiej, ktore byly o lepszej jakosc stali w lufach nizli te europejskie,. MOge zrozumiec muskziet zachodni gdyby Orta tego pana przyszla z Wegier gdzie Orty janczarskie byly czesto uzbrojone w zdobyczna/zakupiona bron zachodnioeuropejska, a wtedy uzbrojeniene europejskie byloby widoczne takze w jego broni bialej a on nosi bardzo lekki, zwinny i drogi typ tej broni, przynalezny raczej oddzialom kawalerii, gwardii przybocznej czy oficerom, w kazdym razie wydaje sie ze jest to turecko-perska szable typu simsir/samszir lub kilic . Nieco o szablach tureckich ze zdjeciami etc [url=http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=414]http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=414[/url]

 Wiadomo ze oddzialy skupione na Wegrzech uzywaly zmodyfikowanych importowanych z Zachodu mieczy zwanych mec(mecz), a jesli z rekojescia szabli to pala lub gabara a wiekszosc zolnierzy ort janczarskich uzywalo szerokie kilic'e lub jatagany plus inne bronie obuchowe czy toporki.
Mundur - zaczne od ziemi. Buty janczarzy nosili czerwone, tylko oficerowie oraz oddzialy elitarne nosili zolte buty, czy byly one w typie pantofli czy tez wyzsze do kostki czy tez zakrywajace lydki to juz kwestia wyboru i warunkow naturalnych toczacej sie kampanii ( link do kismety pokazuje ich buty); nastepnej czesci ubioru niewidac a sa to salvar (szarawarow) :)

 TO co przykrywa wiekszosc czesc tego zolnierza to jest.. wlasnie co to jest - janczary nosili kapanice jako rodzaj plaszcza, a pod tym nosili dolama lub kaftan, obydwa mialy dlugie rekawy i byly duzsze lub krotsze, zaleznie od mody. Dolama i kaftan mogly byc noszone same, bez kapanice. Wazna czesci munduru byl pas, za ktory zakladali poly dolamy czy kafatana w czasie walki lub marszow. W kazdym radzie kolor tego co przykrywa naszego janczara jest zadziwiajacy, i pozostawiem waszmoscia wolna droge do orkeslenia co to mzoe byc za kolro munudru tego janczara..

W koncu czapka janczarska czyli bork np z okresu wojen konca XVII wieku [url=http://www.tuerkenbeute.de/sam/sam_rus/D204_de.php]http://www.tuerkenbeute.de/sam/sam_rus/D204_de.php[/url] a tu widac pozny okaz [url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Surname_22b.jpg]http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Surname_22b.jpg[/url] a tu wczesniejszy co prawda jest to orta marynarki wojennej [url=http://ron.heavengames.com/cpix/gameinfo/nations/turks/janissaries.jpg]http://ron.heavengames.com/cpix/gameinfo/n...janissaries.jpg[/url] ale czapki widac dobrze
 Temu janczarowi brak prochownicy (priming flask), rogu na proch (powder horn) a wydaje sie ze ma torbe na kule, sztabki olowiu i formy do odlewania kul - z tym ze wydaje mi sie ze nosi te torbe ale czy ja nosi po turecku :) to tego nie wiem tu mamy przyklad [url=http://www.tuerkenbeute.de/media/ka5_katAufmacher/sam-rus_00_ka5_320x465.jpg]http://www.tuerkenbeute.de/media/ka5_katAu...ka5_320x465.jpg[/url] a do tego jakis dziwny ten pasek przytrzymuajcy te torbe, bardziej wyglada na muszkieterski pas etc

Wydaje mi sie ze nasz janczar spod Orynina jest narysowany ze zdjecia jakiegos nowoczesnego odtworcy, czy janczarow czy innych muszkieterow 9np kozakow, polskich lanowskich etc) z pewnymi modyfikacjami etc...
Konczac to rzekne ze uwagi te nie kieruje do ilustratora, tylko do naszego forum , ku lepszemu poznaniu tematu; a pretensji nie mam do ilustratora, bowiem rysowal i malowal tak jak mu autor ksiazki poradzil, ktory powinien byc znawca tematu i doradca ostatecznym, ot ico.

dla porownania obiekty z epoki [url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Vienna.SultanMurads_with_janissaries.jpg]http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bat...janissaries.jpg[/url]
tu pare obrazkow, z tego pierwszy obrazek [url=http://www.zgapa.pl/zgapedia/Janczarzy.html]http://www.zgapa.pl/zgapedia/Janczarzy.html[/url] , to rycina z XVI wieku

[url=http://images.art.com/images/products/regular/11723000/11723080.jpg]http://images.art.com/images/products/regu...00/11723080.jpg[/url]
 atu strona o janczarskich mundurach, tkaninach etc czyli wielak kismeta [url=http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse]http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse[/url]
/OttomanPatterns.htm
[url=http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/JanissaryHeadgear.htm]http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/JanissaryHeadgear.htm[/url]

a tu mamy przepiekny przyklad gwardzisty janczarskiego z ksiazki zwanej Raalamb Costume Book (1657-8) ktora z jakis przyczyn juz nie jest na necie [url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ralamb_Janissary_1.jpg]http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ral...Janissary_1.jpg[/url]

a tu janczar z ryciny z okolo 1583 [url=http://www.tuerkenbeute.de/media/ka5_katAufmacher/sam-rus_00_ka5_320x465.jpg]http://www.tuerkenbeute.de/media/ka5_katAu...ka5_320x465.jpg[/url]

Back to Iranian Asb (horse and ... GIMP)

Czolem,
this time I am going to return for a moment to the subject of Ancient Iranians and their horses.
A couple years ago my friend Kaveh Farrokh wrote a book titled "Shadows in the Desert", on the military history of pre-Islamic Iran, and he asked me to paint a Parthian for his book. Happily and quite honored by his request I did this little watercolor for this Osprey book, see the link to googlebooks preview of the book. Coincidently his book has become quite popular.
http://books.google.com/books?id=p7kltwf9yrwC&pg=PA134&lpg=PA134&dq=persia+at+war+wielec&source=bl&ots=1BDxjEmyky&sig=6uR0ZfzX4PZwb1WeQrq63xjM_pA&hl=en&ei=9b6-SYLOOtKJtgfoubD4Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result
Lately, after a long hiatus in my own artistic work, I first scanned and have been 'redoing' my old drawings and paintings using this quite fine graphic manipulation program known as GIMP. Instead of a mouse Iam using a device known as the Wacom tablet with gripen.

This new 'painting' technique is quite enjoyable and I am learning, and since this post is on the Iranians and their horses, I will start with this older image of a Parthian archer, and it was published by Inforteditions military book publisher from Chorzow Poland, in their book on the battle of Philippi (42 B.C) http://www.wanax.pl/index.php?p456,filippi-23-x-42-p-n-e .
Anyway, both sides to this battle, Octavian-Marcus Antonius and Brutus-Longinus, employed cavalry units drawn (hired) from across the Roman frontier, i.e., the Parthian Empire.

Whereas it is unknown if there were any Parthian cathaphracts (heavy-armored cavalry with long lances and armored horses ) in this battle, it is quite known that Parthian archers were present, for they were hired with a blessing form the High King. And my watercolor was to show one of the archers, using a horned saddle (Peter Connolly reconstructed one almost 20 years ago) and riding a stallion with a cranellated (cut) mane and fabric-wrapped tail, ancient Central Asian custom...

et Equus polonus cdn

Salve,
... i następna kwestia o konikach polskich - dzianet (hiszpański czy włoski ) a sprawa polska - np Zygmunt III Waza na dzianecie jeździł pod Smoleńskiem, co dobrzej widać na tym powyżej załączonym obrazie pędzla Dolabelli.
    otóż, imaginuj sobie drogi czytelniku,  jest to ciekawa kwestia z tym koniem zwanym dzianetem -  bo czy był on 'rasy hiszpańskiej' to inna kwestia, jako ze dzianet to również koń z Italii -  w Polsce szlacheckiej, tu caveat - typowy koń iberyjski z XVI-XVII wieku nie istnieje w swojej oryginalnej formie ponieważ ani współczesne Lusitano, Alter Real ani PRE (pura rasa espanola) to nie są konie tamtego okresu, maja co prawda ich geny, jak udowodniły badania ale tymi samymi końmi nie są; typ XV-XVIII wieczny można spotkać chyba ze li tylko w 3-4 stadach mustangów gór oraz pustyń Zachodu US, wśród koni południowoamerykańskich - Brazylia, Chile, Argentyna, Urugwaj, Wenezuela. 
Wyginał był dzianet jeszcze w czasie wojen XIX wieku, zwłaszcza za czasów napoleońskiej inwazji Iberii ( w 'Popioloach' prowadza nasi dzianety hiszpańskie czy tez u Gąsiorowskiego - cóż, lupy wojenne, oni tam brali, tak jak wszyscy inni przechodzący przez nasz kraj brali konie polskie) i mody, głównie  na konie pełnej krwi angielskiej od konca XVIII w. Teraźniejszy wiec typ iberyjski jest raczej bardziej nowoczesna mieszanka hodowlana ze śladami dawnego dzianeta (bo podobno mnisi ukryli część koni andaluzyjskich i dzięki temu przetrwalny ... vivat Kartezjanie! choć pan Juan Carlos Altamirano, badacz hipologiczny z Królestwa Hiszpanii, walczy z tym mitem od paru lat, obdzierając go z legendy po kawałeczku )
Dzianet, włoski et iberyjski, XVI-XIX wieczny to koń który podobno miał taki oto typ: 
o średnio a nawet raczej długiej głowie (tu może być problem z naszych przodków ulubieniem) która jest wąska (może problem, choć nie musi) i z nosem rzymskim -garbonosa (nie ma problemu) , 
ma raczej długie uszy (duzy problem, bo szlachta krótkie uszy u wierzchowców wolała i nieco zagięte na końcówkach), oko nie za bardzo wypukle i trochę eliptyczne (nie za bardzo dobrze), o długiej szyji (szlachta to lubi),   wysokie kłęby (dobrze siodło siedzi, nie ma problemu ), raczej wąska, a muskularna głęboka pierś (nie problem a plus bo biegun był), długie, chyba suche nogi (dobrze) tyle ze nie ma u niego owłosionych pęcin  (tak jak na wszystkich sztychach z epoki pokazujących nasze polskie konie), prosty średnio-krotki grzbiet ( dobrze ), długi muskularny zad (jeszcze lepiej) tyle ze raczej spadzisty, o ogonie nisko zawieszonym bo dzianet nie odsadzał ogona w czasie galopu jak Arab czy Turek być (może duzy problem dla szlachty), grzywa i ogon o delikatnym, niezbyt obfitym włosiu (chyba dobrze), dzisiejszy PRE ma ogon i grzywę ogromna.
Porównując obrazek 'turka' z wierszyków czy powiedzonek szlacheckich oraz powyższy opis dzianeta iberyjskiego to mamy konia który momentami nie za bardzo pasuje do ideału konia szlacheckiego... Czyż nie wydaje się to wartym zastanowienia?

Wlosi oraz Niemcy przerobili na wlasny uzytek dzianety hiszpanskie (od czasu jak ujezdzanie zaczeto praktykowac w koncu 16 wieku) i byc moze ich dzianeto-pochodne konie byly bardziej ku uciesze oka szlacehckiego rycerza oraz hodowcy?
A swoja droga to ciekawe czy sa jakies dane archeologiczne zebrane z naszych pol bitewnych czy z pozostalosci po dworach, zamkach czy palacach kresow czy Polski terazniejszej etc na temat wystepujacych tam pozostalosci szkieletow koni, ich typow etc?
...moze tylko jeszcze dodam ze najdrozsza bronia na wyposarzeniu najlepszej jazdy wojsk RON czyli husarii byl wlasnie ... rumak husarski wychodowany w stadninach ukrainnych i poludniowej Malopolski, Podola i ziem ukrainnych.
Niebotyczny koszt tych koni, bo przeciez musial miec odpowiedni typ vel rase - kon polski, turecki etc, nastepnie byc w odpowiednim wieku do rozpoczecia uzytkowania - bo brano konie po 5 roku zycia do szkolenia, oraz przede wszystkim dlugie szkolenie przed uzytkowaniem, wszystko to podnosilo niebotycznie koszt tejze 'broni' husarskiej.
Bez tych koni husaria bylaby owa rajtaria z kopiami - i przeszlaby do lamusa taktycznego - jako nieskuteczna zupelnie, tak jak stali sie nieskuteczni gendarmes czy demi-lansjerzy w Europie Zachodniej.
Poza tym husarz był również  'pistolero' zwanym od XVI wieku 'rajtarem' - tzn miał 2 pistolety etc - następna kwestia do pomnika sławy husarii  i jej uniwersalności.

W kazdym razie, zamieszczam obok konika ktorego mam zamiar przemalowac i juz pojawil sie czeladnik ktory trzyma go za uzde.. z uzyciem GIMP  bo GIMP jest  uber alles...i  uber alles.

kon Polski cdn

Salve, 
cdn z poprzednieg postu
...wydaje mi sie, ze skoro piszemy to o husarii jako typie kawalerii to nawiazujemy w naszych rozwazaniach do tzw konia uzytkowego husarii a nie do idealu wierzchowca roznych okresow RON - dzianet czy konie turecko-perskie sa to owe idealy pieknosci szlachty rycerskiej a la '...zrebie turckie, wyzle niemieckie.' Dlatego tez nie pisze o tym co najbardziej lubiono kiedy lub co bylo na pierwszym miejscu etc. Zreszta z ta lista to bym nie przesadzal, mody sie zmieniaja, u szlachty polskiej takze .
Kon turek - co do wygladu 'turka' to nie wydaje mi sie zeby kon turecki z 16-18 wieku podobny byl do dzisjeszego Ahal-tekinca - bo dzisiaj Tekiniec to wyzel wsrod koni orientalnych. Konie Turecko-perskie wywodza sie z roznego rodzaju mieszanek ktorych podstawa sa dwie rasy konskie: najstarszy rasowo kon kaspisjki (od ktorego byc moze wywodza sie araby) oraz byc moze rowny mu wiekiem lub nieco mlodszy starozytny kon nissejski, z Medii (Iran) - rosly, silnie umiesniony, o rzymskim profilu wierzchowiec ( post o koniach partyjskich).
Dolewki innych ras (np konie tekinskie, oraz oczywiscie araby - bo araby braly udzial w tych dolewkach jako ze np. w czasie podboju Iranu oraz Azji Centralnej wodzowie arabscy celowo mieszali swoje klacze z ogierami perskim-sogdyjskimi w celu podniesienia wzrostu czy sily arabskiego konia bojowego) plus rozne mody na typy koni bojowych w srednowieczu Azji Zachodniej, doprowadzily do wyksztlacenia sie na terenie wlasnie Azji Zachodneij w XV-stym wieku owych rumakow - koni wierzchowych ktore odpowiadaly metodom walki tychze krain - 'ciezka' jazda kopijnicza, mocno opancerzona, z konmi pokrytymi kropierzami oraz zwlaszcza w XV-XVI wiekach pancerzami - piekne konie o suchych glowach, dlugie muskularne szyje, suche nogi, mocne zady, dlugie ogony, piekne chody. W wyniku upadku Persji oraz Turcji w 19 wieku typ rumaka calkowicie wyginal, zastapiony arabem pustynnym oraz mieszankami posledniejszymi (a to co w Pesji nie wyginelo to republika Islamska Chomeiniego dolozyla reki do zaglady koni perskich w latach 80-tych).

Jesli chodzi o teknica - znane sa chyba ze 4 typy tego rasowego konia - klasyczny argamak wywodzi sie od starozytnego konia wierzchowego Scytow oraz Sarmatow Azji Centralnej ale w XVI-XIX wieku to jednak elitarny kon Turkmenow, uzywajacych jazdy lekkiej, przeznaczony do wojny podjazdowej tychze nomadow oraz przemierzenia suchych stepow Azji Centralnej. W tym okresie jest to kon wybitnie dlugodystansowy, bodobny do anglika - opisywany 'trenning' tego konia zasluguje na wiezienie (jak wyglada wystarczy poszperac na necie, krocie zdjec oraz opisow -tu ciekawostka, Nez Perce z Idaho odtwarzaja 'prawdziwego 18 wiecznego konia Appaloosa, jako ze 'swinia' ktora nazywaja Amerykanie Appalossa to w typie kon zupenie niepodobny do tego konia Nez Perce (jako ze jest to mieszanka 'bulldoga z bykiem' tyle ze tarantowata), jako odtwarzacza uzywaja mieszanki Akhal-Tekinca z mustangami typu Spanish Soraia lub Warhorse - program ma cos okolo 10 lat - ciekawe co z tego wyjdzie bo to pewnie troche malo jak na odtworzenie sie rasy czy typow koni).
Z koleji wymienialem bachmaty tatarskie z tej przyczyny ze min. prof. Pruski w 'Hodowli konia Arabskiego w Polsce' podaje jak to w 1820-tych latach kupcy przyprowadzali do Balty (Ukraina polska) duze ilosci wynedznialych ogierkow tureckiego wojska (rosyjska zdobycz wojenna) ktore to szlachta kupowala na potege i mieszala z rodzimymi klaczami, co dawalo wysokej jakosci rosle oraz urodziwe potomstwo (warto zauwazyc ze 'spsienie sie' jazdy ottomanskiej anstapilo w polowie XIX wieku, pisal o tym Sadyk Pasza Czajkowski).
W XX wieku, kiedy polska hodowla arabow rozwinela sie na szeroka skale, polskie araby ( tym razem bez mieszania z innymi rasami) podskoczyly na wzroscie ( z 135-140 cm do 140-150cm)), czyli nawet o 10 cm w klebie (ogiery), zachowujac suchosc oraz ogolny wyglad araba, a kiedy mieszano je z konmi polkrwi dalo to doskonale oraz rosle konie uzytkowe ( nasze 'malopolskie' pisze w cudzuslowiu bo od dekad wielu konie malopolskie maja ogromna domieszke fulblutow glownie ), co wydaje sie nastepnym dobrym przykladem, ze konie orientalne bardzo dobrze sprawdzaly sie w hodowli w naszym klimacie, a ich potomstwo dawalo doskonale wierzchowce. Wydaje mi sie, ze to samo mialo miejsce w XVI-XVIII wieku, w mniej 'naukowym' chowie stadnym stosowanym przez szlachte. Zreszta wzrost, wyglad, uzytkowosc, trzeba poczytac Ksenofonta zeby sie przekonac co to jest kon bojowy - to sie nie zmienilo az do XIX wieku kiedy konie uprzemyslowiono etc!
W moim poprzednim poscie napisalem bylem - mieszanki rodzimych koni z przestawicielami ras... i o to wlasnie chdzilo - scigle, wytrzymale, byc moze niskie i brzydkie dla oka szlacheckiego bo w typie konia stepowego (duzy leb, nisko osadzona szyja) bachmaty zmieszane z potomstwem wlasnego chowu dawaly wiekszego konia bojowego - wierzchowca potrzebnego husarii - tj . konia o pewnym typie podobajacym sie szlachcie, nie przerasowanego (bo owe koniki maja tendencje do padania jak muchy w polu) ktory wytrzyma trenning husarski, a pozniej sprawdzi sie w skrajnych warunkach bojowych np szarzujac po 10 razy na wroga a pozniej w wielokilometrowej pogodni za wrogiem, czy w pochodach przez zmarzniety step lub bagna bialoruskie, zyje na galazkach a lisciach drzew, czy wytrzymuja zamkniecie oblezenia gdzie karmiono je miesem zmiesznanym z prochem (pod Zbarazem) etc.

Cenne konie importowane lub zdobyczne -dzianety, turki etc - ( a bylo ich przeciez jak na lekarstwo) prawdopodobnie wylaczajac walachy nie byly uzywane w boju (wykluczamy tu magnaterie ktora mogla jezdzic na czym chciala ) raczej szly do hodowli oraz parad, poseselstw czy innych pokazow...

Upraszam o wybaczenie za nieco przydlugi wypis...

o Koniu Polskim od nowa

Salve,
et ...więcej o Koniu Polskim rzeknę:
mimo legendarnych wypisów rożnych poetów et pisarzy ... husaria na arabach nie szarżowała, chyba ze u imci Julisza Kossaka - :)

   Nasz piękny kraj rekami szlacheckich hodowców wyhodował był na potrzeby husarii konika bojowego - niektórzy zwą go Koń Polski, inni koń husarski  etc. 
Ale był to kon pewnego typu, tzw typu polskiego - znaczy się ów rumak byl piekny (wedlug d'Alerac'a, ktory piszac o husarzach napisał był ''la beauté des chevaux'' - 'piękno ich koni'), całkiem lotny oraz strojny (wg Rzaczynskiego :1721) a przy tym silny i właśnie wytrzymały na trudy.
   Znany jest sztych Jana Eliasa Ridingera z XVIII wieku pt Equus Polonicus aka Kon Polski, którego  nie mam dobrej kopii.

   Mamy tamże konia mocno zbudowanego, raczej niewysokiego, o suchych nogach, długiej szyji na której siedział suchy łeb (mała limfa, dobrze widoczne są naczynia krwionośne oraz zakończenia kości czaszki) o dużym oku, małych uszach, ale bez wklęśnięcia miedzy nosem a czołem, a wiec raczej z wypukłym nosem, co w rezultacie daje łeb koński nie bardzo arabski a raczej podobny do dzisiejszego Akhal-tekinca tzw rzymski nos, co było typowe u koni tureckich, turkmeńskich, perskich oraz dzianetów hiszpańskich).

   Do tego opisu głowy/łba oraz nóg dochodzi długa kłoda (araby ma raczej krotka kłodę), głęboka ale niezbyt szeroka pierś (bo koń musiał być wytrzymały - ), muskularny zad, długi, obfity ogon o delikatnym włosiu oraz  obfita grzywa... koń wcale a wcale nie przypominający araba czasów XIX wieku w ukrainnych stadninach! A do tego maści podawano niezwykle: wilczate, plesniawe, wisniaki, srokate, bułane czy wronie.
   Zresztą w XVI-XVIII wieku w naszych rejonach świata, zachodnia czesc Eurazji, najlepsze konie bojowe (bo o roboczych nie ma wciąż mowy) to konie pochodzące z rodzimej hodowli zmieszane z rumakami z hodowli turecko-perskich i księstw naddunajskich, później bachmaty tatarskie z jednej strony, oraz konie hiszpańskie, ktore odznaczały sie wyjątkowa uroda w ruchu oraz prawdopodobnie konie berberyjskie zaznaczające sie w hodowli hiszpańskiej - a o arabach w hodowli nie ma wzmianek az do wojen z Turcja z drugiej polowy XVII wieku, z okresu Wiednia 1683, choć w Knyszynie Jego Karolewska Mość król Zygmunt August miał araby (pewnikiem ogiery tylko nie mamy pojęcia jaka była ich rola hodowlana), a także w rolkach popisowych rot zaciężnych jazdy z XVI wieku występują sporadycznie araby jako konie bojowe.
    Arab zasadniczo to był koń 'lekkiego' jeźdźca jakim husarz nie był, zresztą tak nawiasem mówiąc to raczej klacz lekkiego jeźdźca jako ze Arabowie na klaczach jeździli na wojnę, a ogierów było jak na lekarstwo w samej Arabii {na czym jeździli Turcy panujący de jure nad Egiptem, Syria oraz Bagdadem to wiemy - ogiery i wałachy, wiec może i na arabach także, choć oni lubili/preferowali konie turkmeńskie i rumelijskie), gdyż wszystkie nadwyżki eksportowali Arabowie poza Arabie, głownie do Indii a Persji gdzie te konie mieszano z własnym pogłowiem i importami ze stepu - wiec jeśli była znacząca dolewka krwi arabów po Wiedniu w Rzplitej to były to klacze pokrywane polskimi (polskiej hodowli) ogierami.
   Sumując, polski husarz XVI-XVII wieczny na arabie nie jeździł choć wyjątki mogły łamać te regule. Być może w czasach naszego kochanego pamiętnikarza Kitowicza, zwłaszcza po 1740-tych - któż to wie? 
Gdyż chorągwie husarskie, już nie wojenne a wojsko paradne pogrzebowe, mogły wtedy jeździć na koniach bardziej paradnych a mniej ognistych, jako że musiały to raczej być konie stateczne i dorodne wzrostem i ciężarem, a jak wiemy arab konikiem spokojnym nie jest per se, a jak się jedzie w pogrzebie czy orszaku uroczystym, to bardzo ważnym jest aby koń pod jeźdźcem spokojnym był i nie ma miejsca na pokazy dżygitówki...aby ów rumak nie harcował niczym znerwicowany... arabek. 

   Niestety, nadeszła ''finis Poloniae'' i koń polski typu starego wyginał jako rasa/typ w okresie katastrofy rozbiorowej i wojen napoleońskich (zwłaszcza kampania 1812) oraz zaborów, kiedy nie stało hodowli narodowej. 
Wtedy to zaborcy jak i nasi właśni hodowcy (wtedy jeszcze właśnie rynek dyktował rodzaj produktu) na potęgę użytkowali modne i doskonale zresztą importy folblutów, oraz araby, do wytworzenia koni potrzebnych swoim własnym pulkom kawalerii oraz do użytku codziennego dla jeżdżących coraz więcej pań etc,  oraz hodowano ciężkie konie zachodnioeuropejskie do artylerii (nasi hodowcy nigdy takowego dla artylerii wojsk Polski przedrozbiorowej nie wyhodowali) oraz rewolucjonizującego się rolnictwa.

   Taki sam los byłby spotkał ogara polskiego oraz charta polskiego - ale ogara odtworzono, a i charty powróciły, wiec może i koń staropolski przez zmieszanie koni azjatyckich, hiszpańskich i koników polskich powrócą przywrócone rekami polskich hodowców...

Hello again,
it has been a while since my last post.








While I was reading this entry Wojna litewsko -rosyjska_1558-1570  on wikipedia I found this image above -   two Polish riders with the standard:  White Eagle in the red field. Most likely this is an ensign and his companion and they are part of  some cavalry, perhaps Royal Cavalry Banner,  in their parade clothing, with some very ornate horse tack - red and blue dyed leather .
  They both carry Hungarian style sabres as this nomadic and Central Asian weapon became the weapon of choice for the Polish, Ruthenian and Lithuania nobility and military.
  One can note the multicoloured clothing, the 'red' rider has most likely a ''żupan,'' with a blue collar put down, in the fashion of the second half of XVI century. Also note the spur on the standard bearer's boot.
  Similar fashion and horse tack appear in the German woodcuts of the second half of the 16th century when Polish riders are depicted.
  On the right my own old ink drawing of a winged  hussar officer that is based on the German 1570s woodcut by a very prolific artist based in Nuremberg, Jost Amman.

Old Poland Horses

Czolem,
this time I am posting my own two, rather old, illustrations intending to continue my discussion about the so called Old Poland/Polish Horse:
one (color one) could be a 'bachmat' - from Tatar/Turkish language  (but the root of this word is old Iranian, another proof that Turkish people were taught all about horses by the Sarmatians and Saka - themselves Iranians) word for a smaller, but muscular yet fast and faithful warhorse; and the black and white drawing is an attempt to portray a rumak  with typical tack of mid XVII century that was a preferred mount  of our winged hussars and richer nobles - originally from old Persian 'argamak' which is a word for a splendid, noble warhorse. Both types were present in Old Poland, while the names are still in use in the modern Polish language.
There was one more 'horse word' used to describe war and parade horses: dzianet. This name was used for especially beautiful parade horses, and later on, during the XIX century came to denote  a noble and very beautiful horse, often used in poetry or novels, eg. Nobel laureate Henryk Sienkiewicz's "Trilogy." The word itself comes from Spanish - yennet or jennet or gennete, whether it meant a ridding horse or horse ridden in a special manner, with short stirrups (a la jineta) still remains an answered question. From Spanish this word passed into Polish language via Italian language with the arrival of our good queen Bona Sforza, wife to His Royal Majesty and Grand Prince Sigismund I (1467-1548). In 1518 Queen Bona brought to our lands many Italian horses, of Neapolitan extraction, trained in then fashionable Italian horsemanship and they were most likely ridden a la jineta, and thus we have dzianet name for this highly trained and beautiful parade horses. Dzianet is not used in everyday Polish language to describe horses  anymore.

to be continued

Old Polish Horse

In my previous post I cited a statement made by a Frenchman Dupont about winged hussars and their beautiful horses. These horses were not for show or parade but for war, actually their stamina, strength, bravery and soundness essential to the winged hussar's battlefield performance.
During the existence of Old Poland (1569-1795) aka Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth there were plenty many horses in these lands that today constitute Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, some parts of western Russia, Latvia, and parts of Romania. Polish equine historians - especially Witold Pruski - talk about so called Polish Horse developed during the 16th century and extinguished during the Napoleonic Wars. Whether this particular horse was one breed or a type still remains an unanswered questions while other European equine historians talk about their own equine breeds and their development, eg. preeminent Spanish horse historian Juan P. Altamirano writes in his books, articles and on his website that the first modern breed of horses - la Pura Rasa Espanola - was begun in Spain, with a royal decree issued by his royal majesty king Felipe II, that led to development of this breed around late 1570s. http://www.jcaltamirano.com/artespanol.htm
There aren't that many images of the old Polish Horses that have survived wars and burnings of Old Poland lands. Usually 3 or four are listed - and they are from the 18th century, sadly past the heyday of winged hussaria.
I have done some drawings of the winged hussar horses - eg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Panskie_oko_konia_tuczy1.jpg

I am working on some horse illustrations for my friend Radek Sikora - for his book - 'Na skrzydlach husarii'-
I started sketching this horse Sunday, and perhaps I will use this sketch :) although it will need saddle, shabraque, wings attached to the saddle etc. Soon I will post some more progress sketches.
to be continued