When in doubt, go to primary sources. This picture is a drawing of Irish soldiers by Albrecht Dürer, 1521. Gallowglass and Kern, the gallowglass are the two on the left wearing the padded gambeson and the maille shirt with the burgonet. Gallowglass were (originally)Scottish mercenaries from the highlands hired by Irish nobles as heavy infantry, though in later years they incorporated locals into the companies. See the dude on the left with the claymore? Carries it like a polearm over his shoulder. See the Kern on the right? Holding the claymore under his brat (mantle)? He's acting as a sword bearer for the gallowglass with the spear. He's got the blade wrapped up in his brat so it doesn't cut him.
Here's a landsknecht of the Renaissance, a German mercenary and a doppelsöldner (double pay man) by his weapons. The zweihander he's carrying is to break up the large blocks of pike by chopping through the pikes and then dismemberment of the lightly armored pikemen.
The whole greatsword scabbard discourse gets me because, like, we know the answer to this one. We've got primary sources talking about it. The answer to "how do you carry a weapon that's more than a yard or so long" is:
If you don't think you'll need it on short notice and you're lucky enough to have access to a wagon or other means of transport, you don't carry it at all – you stick it in the wagon.
If you do think you'll need it on short notice or you don't have a wagon, you just carry it in your hands everywhere you go and constantly complain about how dumb and awkward that is, unless you're a professional mercenary and/or independently wealthy, in which case you hire a guy to follow you around carrying it in his hands everywhere you go and he complains about how dumb and awkward that is (though probably not while you're listening).
I am still fucking losing it at this tweet
One advantage of rock music receding in popularity is that metal can retreat to the darkness and become evil again.
I love the lanyard.
Boatswain’s call - Bosun’s call with sailor-macraméd lanyard, 19th century
If you're actively advocating for genocide, no matter how pure your political theory, you are a shitheel and a bad person.
Side effect or bonus? Because the primary heating is wood, I basically smell like a combination of my aftershave (bay rum) and wood smoke all the time. Gotta get the fire going or build it back up, and a bit of smoke gets out. The cabin smells like sandalwood and wood smoke as well.
So in the interests of development of life skills, I'm going to pass down a bit of wisdom that will serve you well.
When one encounters a strange, obviously old, most definitely not a copy of the Readers Digest yearly compilation book in some strange place-perhaps like on a basalt altar you found in a cave hiking, or on a bloodstained table in the root cellar of your cousin's remote hunting cabin- there are certain rules for best practices.
1. We do not touch the book. Let it lie otherwise you'll die.
2. We do not open the book. Maybe circumstances have dictated you have to pick up the book or move it. Let it stay closed.
3. FOR ALL THAT IS SACRED, WE DO NOT I REPEAT NOT READ ALOUD FROM IT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. WE DO NOT TELL OUR FRIENDS THAT THE LATIN IS FUNNY AND READ IT ALOUD TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT OR SOUND OUT SOME GIBBERISH PHONETICALLY. YOUR EYEBALLS STAY OFF THE PAGE, AND YOUR MOUTH DARE NOT SPEAK THE WORDS.
Practice safe eldritch knowledge.
Rodrigo A. Branco
One thing all the cottagecore types either obfuscated or ignored: living in the woods in a cabin is work. The forest is perpetually trying to reclaim the cleared area. Firewood never lasts as long as you think it would, and it's heavy. We just had a really bad windstorm blow through, lost five white pines, and now I have to take a chainsaw and limb & buck them out. On top of that, there's cabin repairs to be done. Not much time for Instagramming bread or knitting.
Back in the Dim Times, when the only thing digital was our fingers and toes, I used hospital corners on a flat sheet to cover the mattress. There are YouTube videos on it, I dunno how to be explain without a visual aid.
I just assumed nobody really used the non fitted sheet that came in sheet sets and it was just in there so we could all pretend to be more adult than we are but everybody KNEW no one used it but @thelawfulchaotic thinks I am actually insane:
One interesting detail I've noticed up in them thar hills is there's a surprising number of dudes that casually walk around with knives on their belt. Well, surprising in relation to an urban area. Dudes that have open carry knives in urban areas have multitools and are geardos. Here, it's because it goes on with the pants. And I'm all for this. I get to have my knife on me and not feel like I have to keep it secret.
Sharpfingers, Buck 110s, Schrade Old Timers, and Walmart knockoffs seem to be the most popular. Multitools like a Leatherman or Gerber seem popular with the fishermen and actual farmers.
Through my actions, I both embody and seek Slack. Therefore, my life journey is to find myself.
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