Christian and Miles Cameron
@phokion
Author, outdoor enthusiast, modern-day knight. Artifact Space, Red Knight, Cold Iron, Tyrant, Killer of Men, Chivalry etc
I’m not a great horse person but I sometimes wonder, as a writer, if we take enough account of training with horses and dogs in the past as an influence on character.
The chase to the finish. I’m writing the end of #thealienswar over the next week!
We had the largest #deedofalms2026 yet, with 20 armoured combatants and dozens unarmoured. So far we’ve raised more than 3500$ for local troops underhoused folks. If you still want to donate, visit us at Still wish to donate? Donate here www.boarstooth.net/new-events/2...
Tomorrow I’ll be in armour, fighting in the lists to raise money for the underhoused at #deedofalms2026 but first I need to put new gloves in my gauntlets and repair the maille aventail on my proto-armet. This is the real life of armoured fighting. Please donate! www.boarstooth.net/new-events/2...
To whom it may concern: There are Africans in the Iliad source material. In the Little Iliad, Memnon, prince of Aethiopia, leads an army of Aethiopians to Troy after Hector’s death. There are Africans in Minoan art. Bronze and Iron Age Greeks travelled widely. (1)
‘Over the land there lies a long shadow, westward reaching wings of darkness’ certainly apt today
The only good confederate flag is a captured confederate flag.
Following on last week’s video about heavy spears and tgeir deadly nature, this week on #writingfighting we look at a real-life switchblade heavy spear that seems like it’s from a #fantasy novel. And I have the famous’Tod’ of Tod’s Workshop to show me how it works!
Today’s #writingfighting is about heavy spears. The Ghiavarina is my favourite, and both #fantasy and #hisfic tend to ignore the shear power of the heavy spear
I’m answering the copy-editor queries from the brilliant @steveeditor.bsky.social and in addition to a brilliant job I’m laughing my arse off, mostly at me. Ahhh language! #soulstealer
A little light reading while camping. I collect drill manuals. They’re technical but comprehensible and very revealing. If you read the manual and then the eye-witness account you can usually figure out exactly what people did.
Today we return to ‘Writing Fighting’ I’ve been making these since 2019 and I stopped for a while, but now I feel I have more to say. The intention of all 232 episodes is to help non-martial arts/reenactors write better fight scenes. Enjoy! Today we take real weapons and attack chainmail (maille)
This was one of the best things that I read last year. Strongly recommended. Out today! emmaburnett.carrd.co
I spent three days camping in the wilderness of Temagami.
The last ‘Captain of Venice’ ad… out today! And just for historian, reenactors and armoured fighters, some photos of rare originals from the National Historical Museum in Athens, all probably of late 14th-early 15th c. Italian manufacture.
So, I’m queuing to leave the Acropolis via the propylon. An American comments on the beauty of the construction and his wife says something about ‘all the damage.’ I mention that it was a medieval castle until very recently and an active fortress. (1)
Lord Byron died two hundred years ago this year at the siege of Missolonghi. A rock star, ‘mad, bad, and dangerous to know’ he died supporting the freedom of Greece.
Athens. There is no place like it! The Acropolis from the Pnyx, Sarah and Bea on the Pnyx, and the Acropolis at night from our apartment.
More castles in Greece! Skala Eressos; this is the 14th c. Gattelussi castle but there’s a whole Bronze age to Roman complex underneath. Sappho had her school here. And… the wild oregano is superb.
Surface hunting in Ancient Mithymna. I’ve said this before, but it can be staggering to look down and see Roman-era roof tiles, 5th c. BCE Attic blackware and bits of 15th c. Italian ware… all in 1M sq. And yes, I leave it where I find it.