Company of Saint George Pas d’Armes

Celebrating Jean le Maingre, dit Boucicaut (1366-1421)

Oct. 11-12, 2024

Tickets: https://CSG-Fall-2024.rsvpify.com 

Be it known that the Right Noble New Company of Saint George will once again defend the field, 11-12 October, in the year Two Thousand Twenty-Four, this year celebrating the life and deeds of the Marshal of France, Jean le Maingre, called Boucicaut.

Fights during the day will emphasize feats of strength and will be comprised of both a outrance and a plaisance opportunities, reflecting Boucicaut’s balanced love of tournaments and deeds on the field of battle, including the 1415 Battle of Agincourt.

All combatants are expected to augment their armour with heraldic trappings (cottes, torse and mantle, etc.). Transitional-style armour will be emphasized (though fifteenth century plate is welcomed also), with prizes for the best martial heraldic display. Weapons will include batons of wood and simulated baleen (synthetics) and rebated swords, plus spears, poleaxes and mass weapons.

Complete armour will be required to participate in the armoured tourney, while un- or lightly armoured combatants may compete in the Vespers tourney on Friday evening, where we will also once again hold a Round Table discussion revolving around Geoffrey de Charny’s Demands Pour La Jouste, La Tournoi et le Guerre, “questions about the joust, tournament and war,” as well as Honoret Bonet’s Tree of Battles.

The full medieval feast will be served at the Trinity Episcopal Church, just over a mile away, in Wetumpka. Full medieval dress is required, and there will also be dancing by Rachel Lorenz, "the Countess," courtesy of Dennis Priztel and Jon Hendrickson.  

The pas will be structured starting with feats a plaisance and moving towards a outrancethroughout the course of the day, interspaced with feats of strength and endurance drawn and inspired from Boucicaut’s chivalric biography—including ladders, balance beams, stone- and javelin casting, and lifting.

• Pass 1 – Commençaille(batons melee to ‘first blood,’ three good blows [traditional opening]
• Intermezzo 1 - Strength – Armoured Push-ups, Stone Casting
• Pass 2 – a la béhourd– batons with counted blows to 1, 3 or 5 blows
• Intermezzo 2 - Obstacle Course and Spear Melee
• Pass 3 – St. Ingelvert - Plaisance – spears or polearms with counted blows over the barrier
• Intermezzo 3 - Spear Melee
• Pass 4 – Baltic Crusade – A outrance longswords
• Intermezzo 4 - Javelin Casting & Crossbow Shooting
• Pass 5 – Agincourt – Sword and Shield – Endurance bouts two minutes
• Intermezzo 5 - Combatants without a painted shield must use a small buckler (provided)

The tournament will once again take place in Wetumpka, Alabana, and limited camp space will be available. A medieval-style feast is contemplated to follow the tourney!

The 2025 CSG pas d’armeswill celebrate Jacques de Lailain, and will emphasize plate harness, harnishfechten-style (a outrance) combats, while 2026 will once more return to King Rene as we hope to complete the armour, raiment and set dressings envisioned for that event.

Tickets: https://CSG-Fall-2024.rsvpify.com

Bibliography

Anonymous. Livre de Fais du Bon Messire Jehan le Maingre, dit Bouciquaut, Mareschal de France et Gouvenor de Jennes, ed. Denis Lalande, Paris: Librarie Droz, 1999.

______, trans. Craig and Jane H. M. Taylor as The Chivalric Biography of Boucicaut, Jean II Le Meingre. Woodbridge: Boydell, 2016 (recommended).

Taylor, Craig. A Virtuous Knight: Defending Marshal Boucicaut (Jean II Le Meingre, 1366-1421). Woodbridge: Boydell, 2019 (recommended).