It is summer, the moment to escape into space and time, into the historical / mythological fantasy: here is the -republished- Lindwurm!

The Lindwurm, or lindworm, was a serpentine dragon (and man-eater) of Norse and Central European mythology (Fafnir was also a lindworm). It is at the origin of the legendary foundation of the city of Klagenfurt (among others), of which it is the symbol. 

The preparatory sketch and the pencil drawing 

More illustrations for "Sorcery: Contested Realm"

Medieval longbowmen, crossbowmen and a falconer. As always my illustrations (and all those of other "Sorcery: Contested Realm" artists) are hand painted!

Illustrations for "Sorcery: Contested Realm"

                                                                              

Here is a small selection of the illustrations published with "Sorcery: Contested Realm", the fantasy Card Game by Erik Olofsson; a wonderful artistic work that kept me busy for a year with dozens of illustrations, and in which I am truly honored to have taken part, along with so many good artists!

The official page is:https://www.facebook.com/SorceryTCG/?view_public_for=103710751561842

Kickstarter launch early 2021!

New illustrations, for the Card Game "Sorcery: Contested Realm"

A small selection of three (among many) illustrations published with the new Card Game "Sorcery: Contested Realm". Medieval Knight and castle, Swiss and Landsknecht Pikemen and a Hunting Party.

Coming very soon!

Information and updates here:Sorcery Contested Realm Facebook

https://twitter.com/SorceryTCG

Swiss Soldiers, Burgundian Wars, March 1476

On 2 March 1476 the Swiss army has directed an attack on the castle of Vaumarcus, near Neuchâtel.
The attack was led by the men of Berne.
The standard bearer of the picture carries the flag and colors of Hans von Hallwyl, a Swiss army commander.

English archer of Charles the Bold's Burgundian army c.1475

The archer on training. In the square some arrow heads.



Drawing

Gotlander Warrior, Battle of Visby, 1361

The Battle of Visby was fought between the Danish army of King Valdemar Atterdag and the inhabitants of the island of Gotland. It was an extremely ferocious clash that saw the triumph of the best-armed Danes. A series of archaeological excavations on the site allowed to find the remains of 1185 individuals.
The remains of more than twenty armor were also found. These coat-of-plates are very interesting and extremely important because of their rarity, but also because they illustrate a moment of transition from the chainmail to the plate armor of the XV and XVI century.
These coat-of-plates (transitional armour) consist of overlapping and riveted metal strips on a support or covering of leather or canvas, with the rivets left clearly visible.

Klaus Störtebeker, the German Privateer (1360-1400 or 1401), and Hanseatic Mercenary

Klaus VS Mercenary of the Hanseatic League 

Klaus Störtebeker (1360 - Hamburg, 1400 or 1401) was a German pirate of the North Sea and Baltic Sea and the most famous leader of the so-called Vitalienbrüder, the extraordinary privateers in the war between the Swedes and the Danish and the powerful Hanseatic League. "Victual Brothers" because originally they were hired to supply the besieged city of Stockholm with provisions.
After the end of the war, the "Brothers" continued to capture merchant ships by themselves (by true pirates) and renamed "Likedeelers" (literally: equal sharers). At the helm of their power they also plundered Bergen in Norway and posed a huge threat to any commercial vessel on the Baltic Sea and (later,  when they were driven from their base in Visby, Gotland) and the North Sea.
He was finally captured by the Hanseatic League, which had put in place enormous resources, and executed by decapitation, along with his companions. A skull of these, found in Hamburg, was used to suggest a hypothetical "reconstruction".

Medieval Knights (Artwork for Conquest Games)

The Artwork "Medieval Knights"
(end of the 12th century, beginning of the 13th century)

And the cover of the CONQUEST GAMES boxed set

Swiss halberdier, Morat/Murten 1476, & Swiss soldier from Bern, 1475

In 1475 the Bernese, with Fribourg, conquered large parts of the Vaud Savoyard, which was allied with the Burgundians. During the month of August the Bernese attacked the castle of Aigle, to end the restless deployment of enemy troops.

Burgundian Guardsmen, 1460-70

A Guardsman of Antoine, Bastard of Burgundy 

Bodyguard of Charles, Count of Charolais, 1465

Ottonian Warrior and Watchtower, 11th century AD

    

Alamannic Warriors and Hillfort, 5th century AD

 

There are many wrong informations about the life and the general appearance of the people who lived in the late Antiquity/Dark Ages.

First of all: folks were not always short!

According to the data of the beautiful Archaeologisches Landesmuseum Baden-Württemberg in Konstanz (average height of the men at 172 cm and at 162 cm for the women in Alamannic area, www.konstanz.alm-bw.de), the archaeologist of the Oxford University Sally Crawford writes about the Anglo-Saxons:

“(the earliest cemeteries) show that the population buried in these Germanic burial grounds was a little taller than the population associated to the late Romano-British cemeteries, with males standing at about 173 cm and females at 162 cm on average. (…) The evidence from the early Anglo-Saxon inhumation cemeteries shows that the population was relatively healty, with little bone evidence for diseases caused by malnutrition or deficiency in the diet.”

©Sally Crawford, “Anglo-Saxon England”, Shire Publications, 2011, page 65.

The results of the measurements of Charlemagne's tibia indicates that he was 1.84 m tall!

 

Anglo-Saxons

Anglian King, 7th century AD




Anglo-Saxon Woman, 7th century

Ceorl, 8th century AD

Anglo-Saxon Thegn, 8th-9th century AD

English Longbowman, 1346 AD

Clausewitz, issue 2/15. Inside: Longbow VS Crossbow











Hussite Handgunner and Flailman, 15th C.

Varangian Guardsmen

English Varangian Guardsman, 1204 AD

Varangian Officer, 1020-1050 AD

Bulgar Warrior and Mongol Horseman

Bulgar Boyar, 10th century

Mongol Horseman, early 13th century