TIMONIUM 2007 - FROM A EUROPEAN POINT OF VIEW
 

Dear Friends!

I think this is a proper time for me to remind this year Timonium where I found myself, arrived from far away Poland, thanks to the generosity of Arzti and Avner Yarom and all EA&AF staff which decided to invite me this year with a lecture.

This was a great event, full of work for me but I enjoyed it very much. These were a happy moments I will always remember. I was very happy to meet some of my Friends from this Forum in person (at last!), but on the other hand I'm quite surprise how many of my other fellow forumites were there and we probably didn't recognize each other, or we just didn't know who is who :) Some of you were missing there - especially Jim McDougall who couldn't visit Timonium this year because of some serious personal problems. Jim - I hope you're better now!

For this year Timonium Seminar I was asked to present a lecture on "Eastern Influences on Polish Arms" what was turned (in subtitle) to rather "Orientalization of military life in Poland in 15th-18th c.". This subject is a crucial one to understand the development of Polish arms in those centuries. I had only one hour, so I could only touch some of the problems. I lingered this speech to 1hour 40 minutes anyway :D and I hope the guys on the backseats didn't get too sleepy because of me :eek:

I was really enjoying the next speech by Erik Farrow on Dayak weapons very much and it is great pity he didn't make any printed work on his researches till now - Erik! The future knowledge on Dayak weaponry is in your hands!

I would like to thank all the people who were bearing a company for me: Artzi, Avner, Roy, Eugene, Philip, Mark, Charles(S), Rick, Nick, Erik, and everybody I could meet on the place! Thank you for a great time we spent together and for your leniency for my not-always-clear-English-and-accent :rolleyes: :eek:

PS. I'm finishing a correction of my lecture at the moment. Later it should be available on the net provided by Mark and Lee. It won't be as spectacular as in Timonium, were all the attractions were put to PowerPoint presentation in prepared animations. But I hope everybody who couldn't join us there will be satisfied with this small work.

And some pictures from the fair

Artzi in his kingdom

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...CF4424fair.jpg

Philip with his new toy

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...CF4427fair.jpg

Title page of my presentation - just before the speech :eek:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...438seminar.jpg

Fellowship of the... sword? Erik, Mark, Philip, Charles and Nick

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...440seminar.jpg

Mark and his babies

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...444seminar.jpg

and well... I have no picture of me so you're welcome to post one
:)

Before your presentation, I had no knowledge of Poland in the early days. Your lecture was absolutely fascinating. What a lot of work you put into preparing it. Thanks so much!

Steve Ferguson

I truely enjoyed your lecture and learned a great deal from it. Thanks for sharing it with us

and as for a picture

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...eal/woviex.jpg

Hi Michal,
I would love to have heard your talk, as it is a subject that is so closely related to 'Oriental' arms, and yet so easily roped under the Western banner and bypassed. Also, its a subject I would love to learn more about.
I just have to figure a way to get you to England to do the same!!

Thank you for kind words and the picture - at last!

Brian - the entire lecture will be available here soon, I suppose :)

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR PRESENTATION POSTED SO I CAN CATCH UP ON THE PARTS I MISSED. I WAS VERY INTERESTED AND THE PRESENTATION WAS VERY GOOD BUT I KEPT FADING IN AND OUT AS I HAD JUST FINISHED RUNNING THE GAUNTLET THRU NEWARK AIRPORT AND HAD BEEN WITHOUT SLEEP AND MOSTLY ON THE MOVE FOR 40 HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE TALK. SO MY NODDING OFF AND ABOUT FALLING OUT OF MY CHAIR WAS NOT BECAUSE THE PRESENTATION WAS LONG OR BOREING JUST PROOF THAT A 60 YEAR OLD CAN'T STAY AWAKE FOR EVER EVEN IF YOU HAD DANCING GIRLS UP THERE I AM AFRAID I WOULD HAVE NODDED OFF. :D

THE MUSEUM DOES INDEED HAVE SOME VERY BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS FROM A RICH CULTURE THAT WE HEAR VERY LITTLE OF TODAY. THANKS FOR BRINGING US A GLIMPSE OF THE HISTORY AND ARTEFACTS OF THAT CULTURE. PERHAPS SOMEDAY I CAN VISIT THE MUSEUM AND PERHAPS TRY ON THE COOL HAT YOU WERE WEARING. ;)

Michal,

It was an excellent presentation, very thorough for an overview, and very well illustrated.

I think you left us a bit speechless, because I think Polish arms--eastern-influenced or otherwise--are pretty rare among our crowd.

It was fascinating how persistent was emulation of the Ottomans, in particular, given that they were enemies. There are certainly many historical examples of enemies emulating each other, but that it continued over centuries and extended to nearly so many aspects of tactics, organization, arms and dress is certainly interesting.