There has been a long-standing debate about Medieval Knights. Were they chivalrous and gallant caretakers of their peasants? Or were they vicious and cruel thugs who ruled their people with an iron hand? The answer to that question is both! But I don't mean at the same time. Medieval Knights changed over the course of centuries and this change was more than just in their combat techniques, tactics, weapons and armor. They also changed in their attitudes of how they handled their people and how they approached forming and maintaining their lands and kingdoms. The Early Knights The period we consider to be the Dark Ages, which started in the 5th century with the fall of Rome, was a very dark time for...

On this mountain in North Cyprus, overlooking the village of Vouni below, stands a palace. As you look at the fragmentary walls, let your guide be a figure from 483 B.C., when Persia and Greece fought to dominate the island. Cyprus is divided into several small kingdoms. Your guide is Himilcar, elder statesman and advisor to Doxandros, King of Marion. Marion is a city not far away, and the Persians built this palace for Doxandros, who has sworn loyalty to them. Come to the old entryway on the southwest side of the building. Can you hear Himilcar mumbling to himself as he approaches the palace? "It's been fifteen years since the Greeks of Ionia began the Great Revolt. Did they learn nothing from...

This book takes a good look at the evolving and changing world of siege warfare during the Middle Ages. But it is not a dry and scholarly look at the subject. It is clearly written in a normal tone and aimed at the average reader. And it comes complete with around 50 drawings and photographs of sieges, castles, siege engines and more. The title of the book in this review is "Medieval Siege Warfare". It is written by Christoper Gravett and the color plates were drawn by Richard and Christa Hook. Siege warfare is a fascinating topic because during the Middle Ages a real arms race was going on. It was the race between castle builders, weapon builders, and siege engineers. Technology and engineering...

Many people are fascinated with swords, but know nothing about them. The fascination with swords probably comes from the fact that we don't know much about them. We see swords on TV shows or movies and are fascinated with their mystery and their beauty. Many people think it would be neat to have a sword just to hang on the wall because they are fascinated with them. Some people are so interested in swords that they would actually like to make their own. To learn how to make a sword is quite difficult and time consuming. If you truly want to learn how to make a sword you will have to make a good time and money investment. If you are not willing to do this you might as well just give up on the idea...

The process of making a sword is more than what you see in the movies. For many people being a blacksmith is a fantasy where you pound steel against an anvil, dip it in water and voila! You have a completed sword ready to mow down the evil hordes of creatures that lurk in the forest. But swordmaking is much more than this. Swordmaking is both an art and a craft and it takes hard work, a lot of practice and a significant amount of specialized tools to create a sword. It also takes many years of practice to become proficient at this skill. Before the blacksmith or swordsmith actually starts hammering or heating the metal for a sword there is a lot of work to be done. The sword size, shape...

It would be impossible to list all of the things people have considered crucial to success in life. Honesty, energy, bonding, modeling, control of fear...all are important. For my whole life, I've searched for the answers in this arena, and treasured the gems that have been revealed. In July of 2005, I went back to Longview, Washington, where I'd lived for nine years, raising my daughter. When we left, we packed much of our house into two storage units, planning to return once we had our roots properly planted in Los Angeles. Going through the storage units was bittersweet-my wife and I didn't have a huge amount of time to carefully examine every item in every box. But one book fell out of one...

What basketball shoe you wear is a crucial part of your game, especially at the competitive level. Oh, sure you can play in any pair of tennis shoes but you risk the chance of sliding, being slowed down by weak grip or worse of all, injury. Competitive ball players take their basketball shoes very seriously. I know I do. In today's market there are so many different styles of bball shoes. So how do you choose what's best for your game? There are a few important things to look for in your shoes. By nature, basketball puts a lot of wear and tear on your shoes. All the constant starting, abrupt stopping, high jumps and quick side-to-side movements really take it's toll. So what do I look for in a...

Did you know that business and the entrepreneur don't mix? Seems counterintuitive but if you REALLY stop to think about it you'll soon see what I mean. You see, as entrepreneurs we all have high hopes and dreams but of course we call them GOALS! We all are all want to change the world in some way, but we call it a focused vision. We all want to be rich and famous but we say, that we're doing it for the pride and fulfillment of accomplishment. Now that all sounds pretty cute and even funny but here's where the problems begin. In our day to day business affairs, we are sometimes faced with rather difficult decisions. Decisions that may alter the course of our company's future! They can sometimes be in...

This book takes a good look at the evolving and changing world of siege warfare during the Middle Ages. But it is not a dry and scholarly look at the subject. It is clearly written in a normal tone and aimed at the average reader. And it comes complete with around 50 drawings and photographs of sieges, castles, siege engines and more. The title of the book in this review is "Medieval Siege Warfare". It is written by Christoper Gravett and the color plates were drawn by Richard and Christa Hook. Siege warfare is a fascinating topic because during the Middle Ages a real arms race was going on. It was the race between castle builders, weapon builders, and siege engineers. Technology and engineering...

The Medieval period was mostly a time of evolution for weapons man had already previously developed and used. Advancements in metallurgy and manufacturing techniques gave rise to more versatile, durable, and deadly weaponry. The early Medieval period mostly involved the sword, lance, pike, bow, and catapult; relatively simple weapons by any count, but effective. For many of these simple weapons, perhaps the largest leap forward was a move from iron to steel. Throughout the period, the process for creating steel saw refinements which would eventually transform the weapons of old to a newer, deadlier form. Lets take swords, for example, in earlier times, the blades were prone to breakage and were...

If you haven't prepared early enough for last year's Halloween Party, then, better be too early than late to prepare for it. Don't only think about your kids this time because you better be well prepared this time too. Anyhow, you get to shop for costumes because your child is performing in school and or maybe they are attending a costume party. You too might be attending a costume party anytime soon, so start looking for that perfect costume cause it is time for your fantasies to stop floating in the air as these can come true this time! Don't fret because there is a lot that you could choose from. Why join these costume parties and what do you get out of joining them? Let's check a few as to what...

In this article I will show you that weapons of mass traffic are much easier to find than weapons of mass destruction. And after reading it you won't even have to search for them anymore as I will tell you exactly what they are and how to use them to help you promote your own web properties. Please note however that those four methods presented here are just the ones that have returned the best results for me and my own websites at the least possible cost (which means, no cost at all). Of course there are many more promotion techniques around and their success does depend greatly on how you use them and for what kind of website so it might be clever to try as many different ones as you can find. 1...

Japan is one of the countries that have the best of both worlds. It's advanced in terms of technology, and yet, it has been able to retain its greatest heritage - its culture. Indeed, Japan has done an amazing feat as it can manage to stay as one of the world's leading economic powers while still being able to hold on to the roots of its past. And, as such, it has become one of the most interesting places to visit - a rich blend of history and technology. 1.) Watch the cherry blossoms fall There's no symbol of Japan more famous than the beautiful Cherry Blossoms. Indeed, the cherry blossom, with beauty so intense but so fleeting, is something that you have got to see if you ever visit Japan. They...

Everyday it seems like I see a new women's perfume being touted by some celebrity as the next hot thing and with the perfume and cologne industry bringing in over twenty billion dollars a year it's no surprise that companies are using celebrities to help them corner a piece of this market. The big question is however, are the perfumes being pushed by these stars really worth the money being asked for them? Sometimes the answer to this may depend upon whether or not you really like the fragrance or if you are a huge fan of the celebrity who is endorsing the perfume. What you really need to look at with these perfumes is whether you are actually shelling out your hard earned money for the actual scent...

The jewelry of India knows no bounds in its offerings to the modern world. This is because India must be one of the most prolific countries when it comes to making jewelry, whether it be the simple enjoyable ones or the highly delicate ones that are intricate in its designs. There are just many types of Indian jewelry that even the young could find what they want among its offering of beads and shells in interwoven colorful threads. One of the most highly regarded Indian jewelry nowadays is the kundan jewelry. Kundan jewelry is made of gold that is highly refined and is known as kundan in India. Indian jewelers also have another meaning of the word. For them, kundan is not only the gold that is made...

If you've been reading my articles, you know I have two loves: Learning Kung Fu styles and seeing them used in movies. I've been doing snake style Kung Fu for going on 8 years now. Once I moved into Kung Fu styles, snake was the first one I picked up, because of its similarities to jiu jutsu. Like jiu jutsu, snake style kung fu is all about transmitting core body strength from the abdomen to the arms, and uses a lot of joint locks and grapples. Unlike jiu jutsu, it uses a more open stance, and tries for greater fluidity in motion, with more arm strikes and kicks. In particular, it incorporates several weapon elements, including techniques applicable to using a sword. It contrasts with a lot of...

One of the key elements that separates the Ninja's self-protection methods, including the study of weapons like the Kubotan self-defense keychain, from many other approaches to self-defense training is the concept of "strategic thinking." And one of the ways that this important mindset manifests is through the ability to see through the "form" to what's really going on. In the case of weapons training, the Ninja aspirant works to see any particular weapon, not as a specific weapon limited to a certain form and function, but as a model for the use of any other weapon or object of similar shape and size. An example of this might be to see a knife, not just as a knife, but as a sword with an extremely...

Associated images can be found at I've just received a Hanwei bone handled rapier and main gauche for review and I'm quite impressed. Model numbers SH1092 and SH2197. The guard is nicely formed - functional and yet elegant, as befitting a gentleman's weapon. There are a couple of slight wobbles in the guard branches but they don't detract from the overall look and feel of the piece. As you can see from the photos there are a number of embellishments to the guard that really make it quite attractive. It's not over-done so the total appearance suggests a weapon an officer might have carried. The pommel is quite massive but balances the long blade well, and the balance point is just a fingers width in...

Collecting antiques is an expensive, but exhilarating hobby. Antique collectors explore the Net in search of antique items, regularly visit antique stores and read the ads of public auctions. Antique Roman and Hellenistic items, different items of Asia and China draw the attention of private collectors worldwide. Antiques websites inform the collectors about the news in the antique business, which gives them the opportunity to check and verify the latest discoveries and special offers. There are numerous ways to collect antiques. Some people collect items of specific country or historical period. Others choose antiques of a specific origin or related to a certain tradition. For instance, some people...

It may be a surprise that bronze is the alloy of choice for most cast metal sculptures. It has a unique ability to expand when setting which allows for a full and precise filling of a mold. Artists praise the alloy for it's filling of even the most detailed mold. Bronze alloys also are very robust and lack in ductility. These qualities are also very desirable to artists. The tremendous strength allows for figures to be sculpted in action or in extended poses rather than the somewhat dull marble and ceramic sculptures which do not have the strength of bronze. The overall popularity of bronze has not helped in the preservation of statues from ancient times, however. During different wars, most of the...

A great portion of a knight's life was devoted to the mastery of a variety of weapons. Here is a look at some of the more common weapons that were wielded throughout the Middle Ages. Knights had a reign that lasted several hundred years and in this time period the weapons they used varied and changed significantly. Some of the factors that caused this change were improvements in metalworking and improvements in weapon design. Armor also improved over this period of time and it mandated improvements in weapons. One of the most significant changes came with the advent of plated armor. This new type of armor caused changes in many of the knight's standard weapons. Slicing and bladed weapons were often...

There may have been a time when, besides the epic and the two species of poetry Hesiod represented, the Greeks had only folk songs with refrains. Following this mythopoeic, religious, seasonal, and festival art, the lyric arose as a spontaneous creation, not like the poetry of Occidental nations that at the very least had Latin church hymns as models. The elegy may well have appeared as a great innovation, even as a kind of debasement. Modern lyric poetry contrasts most sharply with the Greek, recognizing hardly any set limits or laws and seeking to escape discipline for pleasure. Greek lyric poetry on the other hand was, by its connection with singing and conviviality, with dancing and instrumental...

Most fantasy writers have been constructing their fantasy world since childhood. It grows with them; they add to it as they develop as writers until it's so real to them that writing about it feels effortless - even when they seem to have created a huge, sophisticated universe. But if you're new to the genre, where do you start? Many professional fantasy writers will joke about 'the formula' for good fantasy because it does exist and good fantasy authors still use it - not because they're lazy but because the fans want it - in fact insist on it! It has been condensed thus: 'Hero, artifact, quest'. That's it. All you need to start a fantasy novel! Think Froddo, the ring and the journey to Mordor and...

One of my favorite stories to tell is about the time my brother-in-law's girlfriend got her black belt in karate... She had her big flashy test...kicked the bag...sparred other girls (and a couple of guys that looked like girls!) with the foam booties and gloves on...did her kata with the appropriate "snap" in her movements...very nice. Now, I'm not a complete jerk, so I let her have her moment. Congratulated her, hobnobbed with the karate "master", and ate a piece of the sheet cake with little icing karate dudes on it.... That was until a couple of months later at a family graduation party when she began to tell all the girls how the type of "karate" she studies is great for fitness (ok), fun (ok...

A crossbow is an ancient weapon, composed of a bow mounted on a stock that launches projectiles, known as bolts. A mechanism in the stock allows the bow to be in its fully-drawn position at all times. The crossbow is fully-drawn until it is shot by releasing a trigger. These dangerous weapons are known for their role in Asian and European warfare. Today however, crossbows are mainly used for target shooting and sport hunting. It is likely that the crossbow was first used by tribes of South-Eastern Asia, where today it is still used by the hunter-gatherer and nomad tribes, both for hunting, warfare, and "toys". Gastraphetes, the Greek version of the crossbow, was used in various Greek wars and seiges...

I am going to concede the fact that everyone knows how to get online and sell Antique at Actions on EBay, Yahoo. Since I cannot imbed links to the auction site you will have to get to the site on your own. Antique (Latin: antiquus; old) is a collectible item which is old (usually at least 100 years old) and is collected or desirable because of its age, rarity, condition, utility, or other unique features. It is an object which has reached an age which makes it a witness of a previous era in human society. Antiques are usually objects which show some degree of craftsmanship, or a certain attention to design such as a desk or the early automobile. In a consumer society, an antique is above all an...

Back in the early times of sword manufacture, the production of super strong high-grade carbon steel wasn't even a vague dream. But we know, as history has taught us, that sword makers of ancient times still managed to produce superb quality, strong weapons. So just how was this possible all those hundreds of years ago? How did these ancient swordmakers manage to craft weapons of such high-quality? What was the secret to this skill of taking poor quality ore and turning it into the finest quality steel blades? Well, it seems the process of Japanese samurai swords making was an highly advanced artform. It wasn't as simple as casting a sword shape with molten steel and sharpening an edge. What the...

The Amber Room If you happen to visit Tsarskoje Selo, Russia, perhaps you would be lucky enough to see the rebuilt Amber Room. The original Amber Room is the subject of a great vanishing act. Given to Peter the Great by the son of the King of Prussia, Frederick Wilhelm I, the Amber Room consisted of thousands of pieces of amber assembled into intricate mosaics and decorated with ornaments, figures and patterns. In 1941, the Nazis disassembled the room and took it to the German city of Königsberg, now known as Kaliningrad, Russia. In 1945, the Soviets captured Königsberg and packed the Amber Room into 27 crates. The original room hasn't been seen since. The hunt continues for the whereabouts of...

Cultural antiques have always drawn the attention of the collectors. Primitive statues, antique lamps and swords were bought for large sums of money or brought from foreign countries. Each country exhibited its own heritage in museums, and presented to the wide public a variety of beautiful items, brought from different parts of the country. Some antiques were never presented to the wide public, but were kept in museum stores, hidden and well-guarded due to their priceless value. Some antiques were hidden because of their poor condition, which made it impossible for them to be exhibited in the open. Museums worldwide exhibit different collections of antiques, which represent the country's cultural...