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Pertinax

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  1. Pertinax
    Finally I have been able to get to the site of Mediobogdvm. This is the best preserved site in Cumbria south of the Wall.The earliest fort is likely to have been Trajanic , and finished under Hadrian. The initial Hadrianic garrison was the 4th Cohort of Dalmatiae. The fort may well have been one of those abandoned during the reign of Antoninus Pius , as troops pushed northward into modern Scotland to secure a new frontier at the Antonine Wall.The fort was reoccupied circa 160 AD and appears to have been sacked or deliberately razed in 197. Its life was therefore quite limited in comparison to other sites I have illustrated .
    As can be seen from the images of the Fort this is probably one outpost that ,despite its scenic glory, could without understatemant be described as "remote".
     
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=840
     
    Its function appers to have been as a staging post on the tough march ,over very high ground , from Glannaventa ( Glannaventa) toward Borrans (Ambleside) and either thence to Alavanna (Watercrook) or northwards toward Luguvallum.
    If the area was under reasonable "police" control the fort would hardly have had sway over anything but a scattered rural population , hence I suggest its short life .Fort layout is the usual playing card shape.
    If you approach by foot it is a warm days work to walk up the valley from Dalegarth (terminal of the narrow guage railway from Ravenglass). As can be seen there was little need to dig defensive earthworks around the fort as two sides are precipitous , and its not easy to find any other flat land in the vicinity
     
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=843
     
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=842
     
     
    The weather was very changeable and a cold, lashing rain descended , just as you would expect in mid-June in Britain.
    For a bulk upload of more photos from this trip my msn blog will be updated soon.
    http://triclinium.spaces.msn.com/
    edit: now uploaded and annotation to follow soon.
     
    Due to one of those unusual strokes of fortune that occur from time to time , I happened to arrive at the secondhand book dealers, who cheerfully announced that he had just taken delivery of an extensive array of Romanophile tomes.
     
    I purchased amongst others PS Fry's "Roman Britain" (what you say thats three books with the same title now ? The answer is yes)
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0715382...glance&n=266239
     
    I am part way through this work which is part history and part gazetteer-still a useful addition despite having Salway and De La Bedoyere's titles of the same name.
     
    The North West Frontier of Rome (a military study) D Divine .
     
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0356023...glance&n=266239
     
    and most usefully Sheppard Frere's "Brittania".
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0712650...glance&n=266239
     
    on top of that an armful of smaller books and maps, especially a 1956 OS "Roman Britain" in top notch condition.Yet more reading for the long , wet , dark summer nights.
     
    Just to produce a tiny frisson of envy -I hope to report from my forthcoming hawk handling trip next week...
  2. Pertinax
    Prithee: Note well that Pertinax will be much Engagde in Venerye the Morrowe..
     
    so what do we have here? Amedieval shopping list?
     
    Emperor :The Eagle, Vulture and Merloun / Lady : The Marlyon
    King : The Ger Falcon and Tercel of the Ger Falcon / Young Man :The Hobby
    Prince :The Falcon Gentle and the Tercel Gentle / Yeoman :The Goshawk
    Duke : The Falcon of the Rock (coastal type) / Poor Man :The Jercel (male goshawk)
    Earl : The Falcon Peregrine / Priest :The Sparrowhawk
    Baron : The Bustard / Holy Water Clerk:The Musket (male sparrowhawk)
    Knight: The Sacre and the Sacret / Knave or Servant:The Kestrel
    Esquire: The Lanere and the Laneret
     
    Beshrew me! An order of precedence for the entitlement of persons to fly a rank of hunting bird fit to their station .A man could not fly a bird commesurate with a person of higher social standing.
    Tomorrow , hopefully, I fly the Peregrine and the Hobby ( mostte seemlye in ranke to my personne)-in bird handling skills alone , (I think it unlikely I will be hunting Roe Deer with an eagle).The Marlyon is the merlin, the smallest but nevertheless deadly hawk, hence its decorous adornment of the feminine wrist .Notice though that the better hunters are usually the feathery females.
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=863
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=864
     
    some curiose footnottes:
    "Much has been written of King John's passion for crane hawking (for which he flew a cast of gyrs given to him by the King of Norway) and he often brought hunting parties to the Test Valley to fly falcons at herons." James I ( and VI) was noted for using cormorants to hunt fish.All monarchs from Alfred to George III are recorded as keen in the art of falconry.
  3. Pertinax

    Falconry Part 2

    By Pertinax,

    A most excellent days excursion . I was unable to fly any bird to the lure on this trip, as the resident Peregrine is now retired and of pensionable age-a shame , because they strike hard and you need to have your nerves still and head calm as they swoop in at speed, all very exhilarating if it comes off well. The weather was warm and calm, so that ruled out any possibility of flying the vultures , as decent thermals are needed to get them airborne , also the large Lappet Vulture was resting due to egg laying exertions. However I had the whole day to work with other birds, and some of them were a joy to handle.
     
    The Barn Owl is a featherweight and a sociable little chap, you will get pecked but only in a very gentle way, they enjoy being stroked and tickled on the back of the head, but they have very sharp little talons .The seem to be able to eat all day, without guilt or indigestion.Short tail vole is the dish most desired and a pair require 300 acres of untouched grassland to forage over-so if you can keep a pair in comfort you are doing the species a favour.
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=866
     
    Here's a small African Owl.
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=868
     
    The Harris Hawk is a recent addittion to hawking, halfway between buzzard and eagle but mistaken for a carrion bird because of its sociable habit (unique for a hawk).These animals are paragons of numerous Pagan virtues- haughty, proud, clever, inclined to sloth, immaculately well dressed, yet sociable hunters and well mannered. I forgot I had the bird on my hand when we were walking out this afternoon,(she was quite happy to sit on the glove or take to the tree tops)
     
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=869
     
    however when presented with a rabbit my hand was held in a vice whilst she concentrated on eating.
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=870
     
    Quite an interesting mechanism the claws, if the prey squirms the talons bite deeper and deeper by reflex -so if you havethe hawk on the bare flesh you must cease any movement, let the bird peck at you (which hurts) to see if you are a large rabbit or vole and wait till she realises you are a large human and lets go.You should always wear a glove but sometimes the wrong arm gets sat upon, that being the case you should lower the hand and the animal will move toward the shoulder for a more secure perch.You find yourself chatting quite happily to the bird, other handlers and other birds without any unease.
     
    The Snake Eating Eagle is big, heavy, bad tempered and fairly dim. However he has "kickass" killing feet, apparently able to deliver the force of the bite of two alsatian dogs per foot, so any snake is spaghetti.
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=867
    An extra glove is neede to handle these birds as the talons are fearsome-in this photo I thought my arm was going to snap, you have to fly these birds off quickly.They are also very very lazy, feed them and they pack up for the day.
     
    And...here's young Toby, he's only just into Owl Jump School and hasn't got his wings yet, but he did some decent hops and jumps this morning....and he blinks cutely and is even tempered.
     
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=871
     
    for those who are interested I will post off site on my msn blog-plenty of vera the vulture!
     
    http://triclinium.spaces.msn.com/
     
    you cant miss her , she is the seriously ugly one.
     
    Look at the equipment you need!
    http://www.falconiformes.co.uk/wip_falconiformes_014.htm
     
    and finally , wikipedia has a useful little note on the Japanese art (Takagari) , notice the congruity with English feudal rules.
     
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takagari
  4. Pertinax

    Cilvirnvm (2)

    By Pertinax,

    Chester's Fort (that is on Hadrian's Wall not Deva the Fort at Chester!) is the subject of a second visit. The collection of artefacts in the site museum repays scrutiny , many are altars and inscriptions of great value saved by local antiquarians working only with private resources and a love of history. That these items are now in the custody of English Hertiage at least means theft and dispoilation cannot befall them.
     
    I dont intend to post the majority of shots in UNRV , rather a selection with a bulk upload off-site at my msn blog, otherwise I will clog up the plumbing here.
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1463
     
    Some of the artefacts have been taken by myself previously, this time though I have gone equipped for indoor work as well as site photos.So if you think youve seen the item before, I hope I have improved on my previous gallery shot. I will be loading a "Cilvirnvm Secvndvs" gallery on msn shortly.
    http://triclinium.spaces.live.com/
     
    Scrolling down this blog will lead you to the first entry and assorted links. Augustus' "Hadrian's Wall site " is under construction , but watch for a future ntry for this important Fort.Find him here:-
     
    http://hadrians-wall.info/hadrianswall/segedunum/index.htm
     
    Just to remind readers that this is the crossing point of Wall over River Tyne, and I have placed a shot showing the remains of the southern bridge structure across the Tyne.
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1461
    The bathhouse fascinates me with its wonderful setting , so I took one or two more shots of it in autumnal colours.
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1462
    If you have keen eyes you may notice that finds are not just from this site but a number of adjoining localities (Proccolita, Vindolanda).
     
    Post Scriptum: I forgot to add this link to a blog entry on the concept of thoroughly hating your enemies in the Ancient World , as an appropriate aspect of virtue.
     
    http://laudatortemporisacti.blogspot.com/2...ng-enemies.html
     
    The whole Blog is a joyful plunge into a deep, evil smellin, weed choked pond of curmudgeonly excellence.
  5. Pertinax
    The annual visit of the II Augusta to Ribchester (their furthest North from their south coast HQ) is taking place this weekend .
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1787
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1790
    I was able to get some more useful shots of the proceedings which will appear in the gallery and then also in bulk on my external blog.This year the event was enlivened by the presence of the Legion's sub-unit of horsemen . As always the re-enactors make a good fist of trying to convey the reality of soldierly life to a largely uncomprehending (though friendly) audience . Im always impressed by the amount of effort and determination put in to these things. Alas this was the first return to Ribchester without the late John Davies (Architectus) whose untimely death I mention earlier in this blog.
    I got a useful shot of John the Medicus with his authentic eqipment for the cauterisation of haemerroids , namely a robust set of iron tongs (to be heated over a brazier) and a rams horn cut-out to prevent damage to the patients seat and the Doctors hands:
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1789
    I will have more to say on the cavalry in a further blog, and will let everyone know when I have a bulk upload into a dedicated gallery on msn.
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1791
  6. Pertinax
    How odd that another brief stroll should , this time without a hangover , should present me with what is now a commonplace weed in Britain that has a very exotic origin. Oxford Ragwort (Senecio squalidus) is a threat to any small grazing animal and non-too kind to humans . Immature animals can die from consuming the plant and humans can have a nasty reaction to contact on account of the toxins it contains.The toxic priciple is alkaloid and tends to poison by causing the liver to fix too much copper in the host.The main alkaloids are the wonderfully named Jacobine, Jacodine and Jaconine.Inclusion in fermenting silage is a particular problem.
    http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1862
     
    In folklore Fairies are said to fly on the ragwort twigs, though this is mainly confined to folktales in Scotland and Ireland.
    Senecio squalidus is actually of hybrid origin. Its parents are two other species of Ragwort, Senecio aethnensis and Senecio chrysanthemifolius which are both presently only found on Sicily , on the slopes of Mt Etna and Vesuvius in Campagnia . It appears that the occur at different heights on the mountain and in between these points on the mountain the hybrid occurs. Now a strange thing has happened , some suggest diffusion of seedlings due to volcanic eruption (quite feasible) others point to the Botanic Gardens at Oxford.
    http://www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/
    In the early 1700's the plant was brought to the Gardens as an exotic, the later spread of railways on gravel beds proved an ideal medium for the propogation of the species.
     
    What is the best method of control ? The caterpillar of the Cinnabar Moth.which is ironic because these fellows have enjoyed a bumper year.
    Bees adore Ragworts of all types, so harking back to some older treads about toxic honey I wonder if this plant was implicated in some of the poisonings mentioned regarding Antony's troops in particular?
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