Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Opinions?

The Woodsmen of Mirkwood...do you think their knives and belt axes would have been more plain medieval styled or Anglo-Saxon styled...since the Professor was so influenced by the A-Ss?

As they are catagorized as being one of the tribes of Northmen as a group. I would think the A/S would be closer. A bit more rustic than the medeival, a bit less refined. Not to say that the A/S did not or could not turn out some very fine craft, but even so a different genre. IMHO

Hmm, are you thinking about putting together a Woodman kit??

I would agree with Ringulf, though we should remember Tolkien's comments that although he has 'translated' the languages of the Northmen into Anglo-Saxon (Rohirrim), Norse (Dale), Gothic, &c., we should not assume that these groups or their cultures necessarily resembled the real-world speakers of those languages.
That said, in my interpretation of the region, much of the metal implements are coming from dwarvish sources. I feel an axe like a 'francisca' has a dwarvish feel while also being northmannish.
My own belt knife designs for Woodman purposes are based on a couple of Bronze Age (c.900BCE) German and Dutch knives, which I plan on copying in iron, with a deer antler handle.

Udwin wrote:Hmm, are you thinking about putting together a Woodman kit??

That said, in my interpretation of the region, much of the metal implements are coming from dwarvish sources. I feel an axe like a 'francisca' has a dwarvish feel while also being northmannish.
My own belt knife designs for Woodman purposes are based on a couple of Bronze Age (c.900BCE) German and Dutch knives, which I plan on copying in iron, with a deer antler handle.

Sweet! I certainly look forward to seeing the belt knife. I love the different ways folks use antler for handles.
I am comming along on Gondian's seax pair and have the antlers on now. I am ramping up for the casting of bolsters and pummels as we speak!

Honestly, the more time I spend with the high medieval era, the less "Middle Earth" it feels to me. Perhaps it matches the regal nature of the White City.. much past the gates and it just feels too modern. A-S just seems a better fit.

.. Also, anyone read "The Horse, the Wheel and Language?" Some of the discussion in there of early 20th c. notions of the Proto-Indo-Europeans fairly scream the old Kingdoms.
I have to think early Iron Age / late Bronze Age is ripe with sources for inspiration.