Revisitation

The Dark Ages was my introduction to tabletop gaming. I had long been fascinated with the history, culture and language of the British Isles during this period, and a chance encounter with Gripping Beast's line of miniatures showed me a great outlet for my research, and an opportunity to create my own corner of pseudo-history. This is, oddly enough, the first time I've posted any of my Dark Age miniatures on here! I was still developing my skills when I painted my warband, and so until recently I've had no figures from this era worthy of posting. I have started going back and stripping my miniatures (this is the only game I've invested in a completely metal army), to give them paint jobs more worthy of their place in my collection.

My warlord is Gripping Beast's Brodir of Man. Brodir was known as an apostate Christian, practitioner of pagan sorceries. He led a band of  infamous pirates based on the Isle of Man, which culminated in his death by slow disembowelment after he killed Irish King Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

The shield reflects his allegiance to the pagan gods, bearing a serpent and the inscription "Odin own you"- a nod to a runic inscription discovered in Bergen as well as the early tradition of dedicating one's victories and kills to the Allfather.

The other two miniatures I've finished are among my favorites, from the Gall-Gaedhil (or Sons of Death) pack. They're meant to represent a group of reavers of mongrel Scottish/Norse/Irish blood, perfect to accompany a minor sea-king like my warlord is supposed to represent. This first miniature's bald pate was too good an opportunity to pass up, and so was tattooed with a Jelling-style serpent design.

Most of my miniatures have some sort of plaid or striping on their garments. In Ireland, the number of colors which could be woven into a leine (a long tunic, like this figure wears) was governed by law, ranging from two or three for a low-class freedman all the way up to twelve for a high-ranking king.

Ireland and Scotland were well-known for their lack of trousers under these tunics- in fact, King Magnus of Norway acquired the nickname "bare-legs" after returning from a sojourn in the isles wearing native fashions.

This last was one of the first metal miniatures I painted, and remains a favorite of mine. The cat-like visor on his helm lends a very menacing air to the sculpt. He has also found favor with his lord, wearing a broad ring around one arm.

The little details like the arm-ring or Brodir's Thor's hammer and the accurate shoe fastenings make a big difference in my appreciation of the sculpts. The British Isles at this time were a great melting pot of cultures, and I love replicating this blend in miniature.

I'll be posting more pictures of my Norse Gael warband soon, having already completed another of the Gall-Gaedhil set and a pair of low-ranking warriors. It'll probably take me a good long while to go through all of my warband, but I'm thoroughly enjoying this project.