From: "Michael Squires" <mikes@moose.cs.indiana.edu>
Subject: Re: safety for marshals 
Summary: yes, there is a problem
Keywords: marshalls wars
Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 15:31:50 -0500

In article <1992Sep04.175328.20709@watson.ibm.com> mittle@watson.ibm.com (Josh Mittleman) writes:
>on the field who isn't in armor isn't a legal target.  Are there many cases
>of marshalls and scouts being hit by fighters?  Is there really a problem
>here to be solved?

Unfortunately it is fairly common for a marshall to be hit in a Pennsic
battle.  At Pennsic XX Duke Sir Corin du Soleil was hit in the face once
before he put on a scout helm, twice through the eyeslots after he put
the guard on.  I and Sir Belgar (sp?) both watched the bridge battle
while protecting Corin's legs and bodies with our staffs.

Sir Corin was hit by spears that were being rapidly withdrawn to avoid being
captured by the opposition, or by other accidents.  The structure of the
fortification was such that we had to stand at the exact point of conflict
in order to be near enough to see anything.

I've also had similar experiences in Crown Tourney, especially when a fighter
tends to use the edges of the tourney field tactically.  In one such case I
was driven against a wall by two of our best two-weapon fighters going at it
hammer-and-tongs.  I did have a talk with the fighters later.

There are two different ways of marshalling a large event.  You can stay out
of the way and be relatively safe yourself or you can try to stay close to
action and intervene when dangerous situations occur.  In some cases it is
necessary to take risks in order to allow a bout or battle to be completed
properly; in Crown Tourney I will interpose myself between fighters and
the edge and will not call hold unless I or the spectators will shortly
be in danger, in order to keep a fighter from using the edge of the list
tactically.  In such a case I will make contact with the fighters with my
staff well before the time that they endanger me so that they are warned
that they will soon be up against the edge.

Marshalls should always wear the tabard, and in major tourneys or wars a
steel cap that does not look like a helmet (a British WWI pot can be made into
a terrific medieval pot, and if painted or decorated does not look like
a helmet; I'm trying to get a morion for myself.  Hand protection is a good
idea, also.  On the other hand, if I ever have to marshall a pass or town
battle at Pennsic I may show up in full plate.)

Marshalls should always have loud whistles in major tourneys/battles, and
staffs that are clearly marshalling staffs and not spears or polearms -
having a black/yellow staff thrust in front of your eyes tends to calm
people down.  Marshalling staffs should meet rules for spears/polearms
as they may be broken accidentally.  When marshalling large events I also
tend to wear every piece of regailia that I have, it tends to help in getting
one's requests listened to.  My baronial coronet, however, is broken in two
places where I was struck at Pennsic XIX in the field battle, as I remember.

I've also seen marshalls run down by charging groups who didn't see them
in the way, or thought that the marshall was a fighter.  In some cases
I've seen marshalls interpose themselves in front of a charging group
in order to break a dangerous or illegal charge.

I've not seen a fighter deliberately strike a marshall; I have seen fighters
strike marshalls and scouts when they mistook them for fighters, or were
not aware of their presence.  It is also clear that inexperienced marshalls
are often in greater danger than either the fighters, the experienced marshalls,
or the audience.
-- 

Mike Squires (mikes@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu)     812 855 3974 (w) 812 333 6564 (h)
mikes@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu          546 N Park Ridge Rd., Bloomington, IN 47408
From: Theron.Bretz@f555.n387.z1.fidonet.org (Theron Bretz)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP