Of Cults and Cultists...

My post the other day in which I mentioned Sid the Mast Beast seems to have garnered some interest.  It has also set my mind thinking about cultists in wargaming.

Before we start, I know some people are uncomfortable with playing with the occult (much as many others are uncomfortable with playing SS units).  If that's you're feeling, I respect that - you needn't read any further if it's going to bother you.

Also, I must admit to having no particular knowledge of this - these are just the thoughts that occur to me.  If anyone wants a study of horror tropes in gaming I'd recommend reading James Holloway's blogs The Gonzo History Project and Gonzo History: Gaming Edition.

Artezan? Coplestone?  Pulp Figures?

Artezan

Most of the cultists we meet in gaming seem to be based on the Klu Klux Klan (or at least the comic version of the KKK we're used to from movies such as O Brother Where Art Thou?).  So we get comic hillbillies wearing pillow-cases and carrying tommy guns.  Is that simply because most pulp horror games are set in 1920s and '30s America?

Eureka Miniatures

Most of these games are loosely based on a Lovecraftian mythos - is this how he and his followers depict cultists?  Somehow I suspect the true type are more like those dark hooded figures, whose visages we never see (because they may not be quite human).

But as anyone who has ever seen The Wicker Man (before Nicholas Cage got involved) knows, the UK can provide cultists enough to scare the pants of anyone.  However, stripped of context, its cultists look a little silly...

...and Alester Crowley always looked much scarier in mufti...

But rather than the Occultists with their sham Orientalism, I'd prefer to go with some authentic British folk customs (OK, OK, we'll gloss over just how ancient some of these customs are!).  So we're back to Sid..

So, we have Morris Dancers and scary scarecrows from Woodbine Designs

What else is out there?

Loose Ends...

Ave Salute!

I hope everyone who is going to Salute has fun and managed not to spend too much money.

Me, I'm saving myself for Diceni and hoping I have some spare cash when it comes around.

Sid the Beast

After writing about snap dragons and 'obby 'osses yesterday, I remember that you can buy such a beastie of your own.  He's Sid from Fenris Games, and fits in with their Faceless Cultists range.  It's a range that's often tempted me.  He might also do well with the armed Morris Dancers if you put flowers in his hair.

Hey Goomba!

This morning in writing about BigT from Pigeon Guard Games I suggested that what we needed was a Paulie Walnuts.  Well, word on the streets is that a 'Wally Peanuts' might be joining the gang.

Order Received, Processed and Completed

Does anyone understand Black Tree Designs methodology?  

I placed an order with them on 29 Mar and received an acknowledgement that day; on 1 Apr I had an e-mail saying that the order had now been 'Processed' and on 23 Apr one saying it had been 'Completed' and dispatched.  Does anyone know what BTD means by all this?  I know the money was taken off me at point of sale and that as 'found stock' the figures didn't need to be cast or (a favorite one of there's) shipped from the US?  Personally, when I receive an order at Diplomatist Books I try to 'process' and 'complete' it that day...

Oathsworn

It wasn't my cup of tea, but here's a cry-out to Michael and Jo at Oathsworn for their successful Burrows and Badgers Kickstarter (£15,520 pledged on a £4,000 target).  Oathsworn are old hands at Kickstarters and mange them in an exemplary manner - there will be some happy customers once the figures are sent out.

Free Stuff!

We all love free stuff. don't we?

Sally 4th had produced a couple of pdf's to dress their Terra-Block system.  Those lucky enough to go to one of their workshops at Salute will get the whole room (blocks and all) free.  The rest of us can download the pdfs here.

Nice as the system seems to be, I'm afraid it doesn't fit in within my budget limitations.  However, I thought to myself, why not download the pdf and use it anyway?  (olde-time readers will remember I had a some success with a cardstock Egyptian tomb).  I'll keep you apprised.

Shiny! (Or Its Resin Equivalent)

On Monday I was notified by a sharp-eyed Friend of the Blog (thanks Christopher!) that I had won a draw being held on the Pigeon Guard Games Facebook page.  I high-tailed over there, gave them my details and yesterday morning received this splendid guy.

He's BigT (surely Tony) a Wise Guy with a distinct Jersey or Miami feel.  He's very nicely sculpted by Ian Mountain.  I understand from the Pigeon Guard website that he may eventually be cast in metal, but for the moment there is only a limited edition run of 100 (mine is number 20) in resin.  The spare hand isn't giving you the finger, but is holding a cigar.

I'm not sure what to do with him - he'd obviously be at hope in a modern city (capping Zombies or facing-off to Batman?), but that's not my scene.  My initial idea was to put in in that box 'for when I do a Blog giveaway', but I've decided he's far to nice for that!  Even The Wife was rather taken with him.  But now we need to find Paulie Walnuts.

Happy St George's Day!

OK, no stuff here about why today should be a Bank Holiday.  Nothing about why we should recapture pride in England from the extremists.  Instead, let's look at the True Meaning of St George's Day - dragons!

In the past my 'Only in Norfolk' posts have prompted a lot of interest.  Here's something for the fans of that kind of thing (you're welcome Robert!).

This Snap the Dragon in the Norwich Castle Museum,  Snap is an example of the tradition of snapdragons (and snap-horses* - the best-known is the Padstow 'Obby 'Oss).  

In common with many English cities, Norwich had a Guild of St George, founded as a religious guild in the fourteenth-century to  to honour St. George and keep his feast day, to pray for its members past and present and to offer alms to the poor and needy within the Guild.

On St George's Day, the guild held a grand parade.  George and Margaret, the maiden he rescued, were represented, but the undoubted star was Snap, rushing around, taunting the crowds with wings flapping and smoke shooting from his mouth.  The earliest reference to the dragon comes from the minutes of the Guild Assembly of 1408 at which it was agreed 'to furnish priests with copes, and the George shall go in procession and make a conflict with the Dragon, and keep his estate both days'. 

Norwich Guildhall (with Special Guest)

The guild became one of the most powerful and wealthy in the city and developed close ties to the city government.  By the end of the sixteenth-century the Mayor was the ex-officio head of the guild (now a livery company) and City Aldermen and officials formed its council.  Guild Day merged with the swearing-in of the city's new mayor.  The Company had rooms in the Norwich Guildhall.

Mayor-Making, 2010

The Reformation stripped the guild of its religious aspects, but its civic links ensured its survival.  . Although St George and Margaret no longer featured in the procession, Snap remained** and the procession evolved into a grand civic occasion.   In the 1720s reformers attacked the legality of the Company's actions, the outcome of which was the surrender of all their goods and possessions to the Corporation in 1731.   

An antiquarian has left a description of an eighteenth-century parade:

The outsides of the houses were hung with tapestries and pictures, particularly the new Mayor's house. From here the dignitaries then paraded on horseback to the house of the retiring Mayor where a substantial breakfast of pasties, roast beef, boiled legs of mutton and wine were provided. The procession then set out for the cathedral.  

The way was cleared by six Whifflers and two Dick Fools accompanied by the dragon. Mackerell says 'The Dragon, carried by a Man in the body of it, gave great diversion to the common People: they always seemed very much to fear it when it was near them, but always looked upon it with pleasure when it was a little distance from them'. The Whifflers were dressed in a distinctive costume of scarlet satin breeches, white satin jerkin and a hat decorated with a cockade of feathers and ibbons. They carried swords which they brandished and tossed in the air. Helping the Whifflers were the Dick Fools, who wore painted canvas coats with red and yellow cloth caps adorned with fox or cats' tails and small bells.

Throughout the country such activities were increasingly seen as part of a corrupt system of local government and swept away by the reforming Municipal Corporations Act of 1835.  Snap and his ilk refused to go quietly, though.  In Norwich the tradition was maintained by the Pockthorpe Guild, founded in 1772***.  With the 'election' of a Mock Major and mock officials, the Pockthorpe ceremonies were a a rowdier take on the official ones.  The focus was firmly on the dragon, who would snap at hats and caps in his jaws, holding them to ransom, accompanied by the chant 'Snap, Snap, steal a boy's cap, give him a penny and he'll give it back'. 

Watch that cap!

In 1997 a Morris group, the Norwich Whifflers revived Snap, and as you can see he is once more part of the Lord Mayors' celebration.

Whiffler and Dragon

But the fun doesn't end there!  Since 2008 Norwich has held an annual week-long Dragon Festival of arts and events.

A modern  recognition of Norwich's dragon links in the Castle grounds

Later this year, a sculpture trail around the city will feature decorated dragons****.

A Go Go Dragon (with another Special Guest)

* Writing this reminds me that whippets are also known as 'snap dogs'.  As the flies have been out and bothering Zeppo, I see why.

**  From the 1553 minutes,'there shall be neither George nor Margaret; but for pastime, the Dragon to come and shew himself as in other years.'

*** Then an hamlet, Pockthorpe is now a suburb of the City.

****Previous years have seen similar elephants and gorillas.

Royals in Medals: Prince Philip's New Order

Prince Phillip's insignia

It's been quite a while since I made a Royals in Medals post and I recently received a slight rebuke for not mentioning the controversy over the Duke of Edinburgh's appointment as a Knight of the Order of Australia.

The controversy is down to three points.

First, there is the political dispute over the grade of Knight/Dame itself.  When the Order was created in February 1975 (under a Labor government), the Order consisted of three grades: Companion, Officer and Member.  Just under a year later (under a Liberal government) the grade of Knight/Dame and the Medal of the Order were created, only for it to be abolished in March 1986 (under a Labor government).  In 2014 the Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott recommended to the Queen that the grade be re-established, and Letters Patent were issued to that effect.  As one can quickly guess from these to-ings and fro-ings, the whole matter is tied up in party politics: the Labor Party has said it will again abolish the grade when it is next elected.

Secondly, there is the matter of the announcement of Prince Phillip's appointment.  The announcement itself was made on Australia Day, 26 January,  2015: this was the first that senior government ministers had heard of the matter and they felt aggrieved to be included in the backlash (and ridicule) which followed Mr Abbott's unilateral action.  The upshot is that A.bbott was forced to relinquish the Prime Minister's power of patronage in the Order - which is now held by an independent body.

The third point is a more fundamental one.  The criteria for appointment to the Knight grade of the Order is 'extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Australia or to humanity at large'.  Does the Prince meet that criteria for his long service as consort to the Queen of Australia?

All questions aside, the Queen presented the Duke with the insignia of the knighthood on 22 April.

...having first checked it was genuine.

Anyone Fancy Nabbing a Kite and Have a Go at the Hun?

Clint has announced that he is recruiting for a PBB game to take place later this year.

You will remember that he hosted the successful (and very enjoyable!) Napoleonic sea battle last year.  This time we will be taking to the air above the trenches.

I have asked if I can be the dashing French pilot Capt Reynard, better known as "The Flying Fox".

Capitaine Reynard "The Flying Fox"

And I need to buy a flying coat for Moley...

Wednesday Welcomes

Welcome to two new followers, bringing the total to three marvelous figures

• Paul O'G.  Surely some mistake?  Paul's been here for ever.
• Gordon Richards of I have wrote my simple plan...  Gordon does wonderful IHMN stuff with aquarium furnishings and has a nice line in comic-format AARs.

The History of Wargaming Project

Earlier in the week John Curry put an interesting post on the History of Wargaming Blog outlining various options for the future of the Project.

It seems that there are no shortage of interesting options, and John has thrown them out for comment.  I'm rather surprised therefore that there haven't been any comments so far.  I urge my wargaming readers to go across there and chip in (knowing my readership I suspect you'll all clamour for more from the Paddy Griffiths ouvre rather than NHS emergency planning!).

A declaration of interest - Diplomatist Books sells publications of the History of Wargaming Project in our Modeling and Wargaming category.

Diceni 2015

What's Around the Corner?

Hello Death, Old Friend

Terry took Death’s arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night.

The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

If you're like me you have a little list of books that you've seen in bookshops and liked the look of.  You may also find that various computer algorithms has suggested you should read them.  If the latter doesn't put you off and you see a cheap copy you probably buy it and put in on a shelf to sit unread.

Occasionally I will take one of these books and read it.  In this case it was Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London (apparently re-titled Midnight Riot in the US).  This is the first in a series of books about Peter Grant, a young PC who after a chance encounter with a witness to a especially nasty murder who just happens to be a ghost, is assigned to a secret division of the Met and becomes the first apprentice wizard in 50 years.

So far so silly, but this is really very well written with some nice ideas.  Grant's narrative voice is laconic but not cynical, providing some really funny descriptive passages.  Although the book is very firmly set in London (and indeed the genii locorum play a important part in the plot) it doesn't make a fetish of the city as the work of some might (Peter Ackroyd, I'm looking at you!).  Thus it isn't off-putting to someone like me who doesn't particularly like the place.

Having finished the book, I went straight to the second in the series (which was also conveniently on the shelf), but had to stop.  The Wife, having put up with me chuckling in bed and reading out the best bits, insisted that I read the whole thing to Her.  So I've started again...

Highly recommended, this one.

This Week's Obits of Interest

Liz Garvin (d. 21 Jan 2015)

Wartime intelligence officer

Daily Telegraph obit 22 Feb 2015

Leonard Nimoy (d. 27 Feb 2015)

Actor, director

Daily Telegraph obit 27 Feb 2015

Guardian obit 27 Feb 2015

Independent obit 27 Feb 2015

Click here to see other obits of interest

Misc Stuff

VSF Blogs

First up, a new blog - One Last Wargame - SPACE 1889 - which has just started,  The aim is to follow the design an progress of a Space 1889 project.  It's off to a promising start.

And talking of VSF, one of my favorite blogs has returned after a fourteen month hiatus.  Yes, Colonel O'Truth's Miniature Issues is back!  And as bonkers as ever, with the build of Lord Smudgington Smythely-Smythe's Hydraulically Motorvated Sextupedal Land-Traversing Vacational Domicile continuing.

The Wit and Wisdom of Spock

Secondly, following the death of Leonard Nimoy there's been much talk of the inspiration and legacy provided by Spock.  It won't be any great surprise to readers of my blog to know that I'm a fan of Spock.

In among all the inspirational quotes and the cheesy memes, somehow, this one has been missed

Paint Table Saturday

Apologies for the lack of blog updates, which is down to business, some family health concerns and general lack of mojo.  But not only am I back but, as the subject of the post indicates, I've got some hobby stuff done.

As some of you may be able to make out (I know that some like to pour over the details of these thing!) I'm on a bit of a Dr Who vibe again.  I hope to be able to submit some to the Painting Challenge on Tuesday.

The Dr Who theme means I'm again experiencing the delay gratification that comes from ordering from Black Tree Design - the order went in on 18 Feb and I'm still waiting.  Fortunately, there are other suppliers of lead satisfaction - an order that went in on the same day with NorthStar arrived two days later.  Equally, an order placed with Gripping Beast on Thursday arrived yesterday - my first order with GB, and I'm very pleased with the figures and speed of service.

With the latter, the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge FaceBook page deserves a shout-out.  Not wanting to to order BTD's UNIT figures I asked for a suggestion of British soldiers from the 60s and 70s.  Among the several helpful suggestions RoyW pointed me to GB's Falklands troops.  Although not perfect (I'd like something without Bergens if anyone knows of anything), they are very nice sculpts.  Also while on GB's site I found the TCWD Specials from Woodbine Designs - these include the NOT-cast from the Dr Who episode 'Family of Blood'.  So I've a few of those too!  They're so nice I might order the rest next.

Edit

I'm getting in a tangle describing what I'd like for UNIT.  These would have been perfect, but they're 1/72 scale.

Over Open Sights

Now, many of you know that I have what can be charitably termed an antiquarian nature.  This, and my interest in the transitional (ie, from sail to steam) period of naval thinking in the second half of the nineteenth century was behind my decision to stock publications of the History of Wargaming Project over on Diplomatist Books.

It will come as no surprise then that the first of these (really quite interesting) publications I've set to read was John Curry (ed), Over Open Sights: Early Naval Wargaming Rules 1873-1904.   This book republishes and examines naval wargame rules presented at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). between those dates.  They are

• Lt Castle RN: The Game of Naval Tactics (1873)
• Capt Colomb RN: The Duel (1879)
• Lt Chamberlain RN: Game of Naval Blockade (1888)
• The Fred Jane Naval Wargame (1898)

Now these games are interesting in themselves (Bob Cordery has reported on some games of Lt Chamberlain's rules over at the Wargaming Miscellany, do have a look), but they weren't produced in a vacuum: the fact that they were presented at RUSI indicates that they were meant as professional tools.  I was therefore interested in what a theologian would term their Reception.  Did they change naval thinking?  Were they indicators of great things for these bright young thinkers?  The success of Jane's game is well-known, and Columb is a familiar name to those interested in naval tactics of the period, but what of Castle and Chamberlain?

Off to the book-shelves!  A quick check of the Naval Who's Who 1917 found no entry of Castle (it turns out that he died in 1916) and only a single line entry for Chamberlain - that he was the inventor of the Game of Naval Blockade (1888).  Disappointing, but it showed that the game was still worth mentioning in a professional publication some 30 years later.

Perhaps these junior officers had been commended for there initiative?  Fortunately naval officers service records are available to download from The National Archives' website - perhaps there wa a note of Their Lordship's Approbation?  No there wasn't.  Both had fairly routine careers.

William McCoy Fitzgerald Castle appears to have been very highly regarded by his superiors.  He is commended for his zeal and command of several languages - no mention of his tactics game though.  He was promoted to captain in 1885 and retired in that rank in 1898, at the time of his death in 1916 he was a Vice-Admiral on the retired list.

Henry Chamberlain had a much shorter naval career.  He retired in the rank of Lt-Cdr in 1880 due to poor health and became a lecturer in naval and military history.  He was probably helped there by the fact that his father was an admiral and he was nephew of Field Marshal Sir Neville Chamberlain and Gen Sir Crawford Chamberlain.  In fact his family connections proved to be the most interesting thing I could see about him.  One brother was a leading Japanologist and the other a racialist writer - much regarded by the Nazis - who married Wagner's daughter and became a German citizen in 1916.

And there I was going to leave it, until two rather stunning co-incidences occured, which threw a very interesting light on Castle and his game.

...and I shall write about that tomorrow.

Insomnia Strikes!

I really shouldn't be up blogging at 05:30, but what can you do when insomnia is with you and you don't want to wake the household?

So I've been reading.  I don't go in for New Year Resolutions, but if I did this year's would have been to make more time to read.  I'm pleased to say that I managed it in January.  I read David Crane, Empires of the Dead, the story of Sir Fabian Ware and the early years of the Imperial Wargraves Commission, which was really an interesting read.  I'm also reading Room 40, the fascinating account of the RN's codebreaking section in WWI and re-reading The Hobbit (sadly alternating chapters with a commentary - Corey Olsen's Exploring JRR Tolkein's 'The Hobbit').  As my copy of The Hobbit is falling apart, on Monday I used a Christmas book-token to upgrade to a fancy hardback edition, along with other goodies.

As those who have chosen to follow Diplomatist Books' blog will know, yesterday I got a delivery of books from the History of Wargaming Project.  I couldn't resist starting Over Open Sights, which is about naval wargaming between 1873-1904 - the transistion of naval thinking in this period is one of my particular interests.

I'm not alone in this of course, Bob Cordery over at the Wargaming Miscellany has been play testing these nineteenth century rules and tweaking his Portable Naval Wargame.  I must say that I'm inspired to see if I can do any solo wargaming with ironclads.  The cost of tiny ships being what it is, I shall be going with some of the downloads from the Junior General - they have a nice selection of ironclads there, a great resource.

I'm a Lucky Bunny!

The blogging community is a brilliant place!  This week came news of not one but two great prizes from fellow blogger.  My own painting might have dried up, but there are some wonderful figures on there way to me.

Some of you will remember that before Christmas I took part in the Padre's very enjoyable play-by-blog game of Diplomacy.  An aspect Michael added to make it more fun was to have a commentary on his blog in the form of a newspaper, The Daily Dissembler.  We players (and others) were invited to contribute.  In the process of doing this, I invented 'Our Man in Rome' Ernest Harrington who reported on the goings-on of one Count de Graspi, general turned dictator.

This tickled the Padre's fancy, and he generously awarded me a prize for my efforts.  No less than a figure of de Graspi himself!  Read more about it here.

The good count is the one on the left

But there's more!

Last summer I won a give-away on Loki's blog.  My prize was to have ten figures of my choice painted up by him (those of you not familiar with the painting service he runs with the equally talented Kev Howroyd, should go across to Brigantes Studios).

He's already showcased (is that a word?) the Chinese Wizard I chose (from Black Hat Miniatures' brilliant 'Tales of the Dragon Kings' range) and now he has finished the rest of the figures.  Left to my own devices I would have chosen some Kung-Fu types, but I promised The Wife she could pick, and she plumped for Lord Curr's Company from Northstar.

And look what a job Loki has done with them!

A huge thanks to both Curt and Loki!