Civ: Huns

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Edited September 6, 2022 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

<Reserved>

[Lion.Kanzen]

very similar to the Xianbian , Avar and Alan equipment.

 

https://elementy.ru/nauchno-populyarnaya_biblioteka/435540/V_roskoshnykh_shlemakh_v_pyshnom_bleske_lat

 

 

Xianbi - the successors of the Xiongnu

As a result of continuous wars with Ancient China and civil strife in 57-55 BC, the Xiongnu were divided into northern and southern. The latter completely fell under the influence of the Chinese Han Empire, part of the northern Xiongnu went to the west, and the rest were soon assimilated by the Xianbi tribes who lived to the east. Subjugating the Huns, the Xianbis formed their own state association, which reached the peak of its power under the leader Tanshihuai (141-181 AD). The strength and power of the Xianbians was experienced by the Middle Chinese state, which for hundreds of years had been in a state of continuous war with its northern nomadic neighbors. However, already in the middle of the III century. the Xianbis broke up into a number of independent principalities, among which the largest were Toba Wei and Muyun, which existed within Southern Mongolia and Northern China.

Xianbian warriors protected the body with a scaly shell made of iron plates connected by straps threaded through holes, and the head with a spherical helmet with a dome of long narrow plates, with a pommel and a scaly barmice. Although the Xianbians themselves were hardly the developers of a new progressive type of narrow-plate helmets, but their widespread spread from Korea to Eastern Europe occurred precisely in the Xianbian era. The first such samples, which appeared at the end of the I century, probably originated from similar Hunnic ones.

 

The Hunnu —Hunnu, Xiongnu) are nomadic tribes who created a powerful tribal alliance in the steppes of Central Asia, which reached its greatest power under the supreme ruler Mode, who took this post in 209 BC. A huge territory appeared under the rule of the Hunnu: from Khingan to Tien Shan and from Baikal to the Gobi Desert. Although cattle breeding continued to play a leading role in the life of this people, their way of life was changing, becoming more settled, agriculture, metalworking and crafts began to develop

Subject scientific and historical reconstruction of the helmet of the Kenkolsky warrior of the III-V century. It is made based on the images of warriors in the frescoes of East Turkestan and finds of helmet parts of a similar design in adjacent territories. Photo by A. Bolzhurov

 

 

Edited February 3, 2022 by Lion.Kanzen

[Lion.Kanzen]

champion infantry would be like this.

It has all the elements of Central Asia.

Lamellar conic helmet.

Lamellar pads.

Neck protection.

We have to take advantage of silk. For the colors.

 

 

 

 

[Lion.Kanzen]

This, in turn, hints at their identity as a super-tribe or a confederacy (rather than a single tribe) with vast resources and manpower – who could manage to escape climatic conditions of their native lands (probably present-day Kazakhstan) and further effectively invade neighboring domains. Some scholars have conjectured that many tribes of this Hunnish confederacy were of possibly Turkic or mixed-Turkic origins. And as the super-tribe moved westward, it must have incorporated elements of other ethnicities, including the Germanic Goths and Iranic Alans, thus leading to an even more dynamic and complicated tribal structure.

[Lion.Kanzen]

However, before the birth of Attila, the formidable onslaught of the Huns had already claimed the Alans, a probably Iranic (with Germanic elements) tribe as the first victim, by circa 370 AD. Their next target pertained to the Greuthungi Goths (who mainly resided by the Eurasian borders), with ancient sources mentioning how the pressure was so high on the Gothic king Ermanaric that he had to resort to suicide. Finally, the Huns approached near the borders of the Roman Empire and started to coerce the frontier Thervengi Goths (who mostly lived within Roman territories). This directly led to widespread chaos in the Western Roman Empire, with the desperate (and rebellious) Goths, in turn, delivering a crushing defeat on the Roman army at the Battle of Adrianople in 378 AD.

The Hunnish incursions also afflicted the Eastern Roman Empire, so much so that by 398 AD, the Hunnish tribes were known to have devastated Thrace and even reached Syria. But instead of occupying and conquering territories, they were content with plundering – which in itself suggests that the Huns still didn’t have a fully centralized structure. Simply put, their disparate tribes, by virtue of their autonomous nature (within a larger super-tribe) made forays based on localized conditions – both political and economic

[Lion.Kanzen]

The death of Attila had huge ramifications for the burgeoning Hunnish Empire. Like we mentioned before, the Huns never really had a system of centralized government, but Attila’s effective rule (complemented by his dynamic personality) filled that administrative and political void. Furthermore, the Huns themselves (as Turkic elites) were a minority in their empire, outnumbered by folks from the eastern reaches of the Baltic and the Balkans. Consequently, after Attila’s untimely demise, many of these East Germanic subjects and their allies led various rebellions to fill the power vacuum, while at the same time the Hunnish confederacy broke into various singular tribes due to lack of senior leadership.

 

Historical events rather mirror such a chaotic state – with the Gepids (an East Germanic people) dealing a crushing defeat on Attila’s eldest son Ellak in Pannonia in circa 454 AD, which led to the latter’s death. However, as opposed to popular opinion, the death of Attila (and many of his successors) didn’t completely signal the end of the Huns. Some of the major tribes, although fractured from the larger confederacy, migrated to the steppes, especially in and around what is now Ukraine, to continue their nomadic and semi-nomadic lifestyles. 

 

Edited February 3, 2022 by Lion.Kanzen

[Lion.Kanzen]

A clear distinction has to be made between the equipment and armor used by the Hunnish elite and the other sections of their army (comprising people from different ethnicities and tribal affiliations). Pertaining to the former, historian Nic Fields has surmised how the high-ranking ‘Huns’ probably favored the steppe-inspired lamellar armor – composed of an arrangement of narrow vertical plates (lamellae) of metal. And while such armor could be slightly inflexible, like the scale armor of the Scythians, modifications (like extending pteruges) over ‘ergonomic’ cuts were made along the armpit and groin regions. In stark contrast, the ‘regular’ Hun was content with the unadorned short-sleeved steppe tunic made of wool or goat hair. 

 

As for protective gear, the horsemen, especially the heavy horse archers were furnished with small circular shields made of wood or hide that could be attached to the forearm. These were complemented by helmets like the typical spangenhelm (made of multiple pieces that gave way to a conical form), many of which were acquired as booty from raiding and plundering enemy camps. Coming to weapons, like many contemporary armies, the spear and sword were preferred by the cavalrymen. 

[Lion.Kanzen]

By its very nature, the design of a composite bow pertains to an elaborate arrangement of materials that can resist the forces of both stretching and compression. The steppe dwellers improved upon this design scope by incorporating ‘specialized’ animal materials that had apt mechanical properties. For example, sinew is known to have an almost four-times greater tensile strength than the wooden bow, while the complementary horn has enviable compressive strength. Furthermore, the Huns added notched extensions made of bone or horn (generally sourced from steppe longhorn cattle) to the limbs of the bows – thus endowing them with far greater rigidity than conventional wood can offer. These engineered extensions even had their tactical value, as they allowed the archer to bend and draw a heavier bow with lesser physical effort.

 

And, since we brought up the action of drawing the bow, the Huns were also known for using different arrows for hunting and battles. In case of battles, they preferred to carry arrows with blades that were both stocky and broad, while their shoulders were kept hooked. This made the delicate process of extracting the arrow from an enemy’s body very difficult, which often resulted in extensive blood loss.

Agility was the cornerstone of every steppe dweller’s battlefield tactics. The Huns improved upon this scope of flexibility by using their loose formations to surround the enemy. However, they tended to avoid melee combat as much as possible in the beginning stages of the conflict. Instead, their horse archer contingents relied on precise missile barrages that affected the foe both physically and psychologically. And to ‘complement’ such an intense scenario, the Huns intentionally made harsh and guttural sounds that caught the enemy unawares, thus endowing an illusion of Hunnish ferocity and ‘barbarism’.

 

But where the Huns truly excelled was their execution of the seemingly disparate tactics that more than often confused the enemy forces. As Ammianus gave an account of how the Hunnish horsemen quickly divided themselves into scattered bands from an organized formation. Then they rushed forth into various directions of the Romans almost in a disorderly manner, which rather baffled the foe. But this was a trick that simply epitomized the ‘order in chaos’ dictum, and the Huns aptly overcame the Romans by their aptitude in archery and suddenness in charges.

Agility was the cornerstone of every steppe dweller’s battlefield tactics. The Huns improved upon this scope of flexibility by using their loose formations to surround the enemy. However, they tended to avoid melee combat as much as possible in the beginning stages of the conflict. Instead, their horse archer contingents relied on precise missile barrages that affected the foe both physically and psychologically. And to ‘complement’ such an intense scenario, the Huns intentionally made harsh and guttural sounds that caught the enemy unawares, thus endowing an illusion of Hunnish ferocity and ‘barbarism’.

 

While the Huns preferred to cut back their hair to the temple region, it was left to grow (usually dirty and unattended) along the back of their heads. However, such ‘hairy’ features were only limited to the head portion, since most Hun warriors shaved their cheeks. This served a ritual purpose, with the soldiers intentionally scarring their cheeks to conform to their societal warrior codes. In some cases, the wounds were made deep (according to Jordanes) to supposedly mourn the loss of their fallen brethren in battles – with the scars symbolizing the tears of blood.

 

The interesting feature of the Hunnish warrior was their practice of cranial deformation – which was usually achieved by binding the head from childhood (when the skull tends to be soft yet growing). Similar practices were also observed in other ethnically different nomadic groups, like the Sarmatians. However, the historians are still puzzled by the Hunnish practice, since almost no contemporary record of such rituals are found from literary sources (which contradict the existing archaeological finds). This had led to the hypothesis that perhaps the practice was only prevalent in the elite groups of the Hunnish society.

Mirroring the chaotic military and a rather complex political scenario in the 4th-6th-century Roman world and Eurasia, we know that tribal structures were gradually eroded and replaced by the mutual appreciation of security borne by confederations. To that end, we know of Goths fighting with Romans and yet also serving in Roman frontier armies. Similarly, few Huns (or associated horsemen) possibly took part in the ‘first’ Gothic incursion into Greece. Over time, the Romans also started to employ Hun mercenaries into their service, in spite of their general aversion (and fear) for the ‘horse barbarians’. 

 

There are accounts of the Huns being even inducted into the bodyguard units of Romans – as was the case with the bucellarii retinue of Flavius Stilicho, a magister of Vandal descent in the early 5th century. Even Western Roman Emperor Honorius possibly had 300 Hunnish warriors as part of his scholae palatinae (an elite military guard unit) stationed at Ravenna, in Italy. The very same Honorius possibly also employed over thousands of Huns as mercenaries for his war against Alaric, the first king of the Visigoths.

 

https://www.realmofhistory.com/2019/09/19/8-incredible-facts-about-the-huns-you-probably-didnt-know-about/

 

[Lion.Kanzen]

 

 

Central Asia Armoured Mounted Warrior equipped with Hunish helmet and chinese sword (Jian), halberd Guan Dao (5th type) V-VI Century AD." Artist P. Glodek

5th Century Hanging Lamellar Cuirass, based on Hunnish Plates from the River Ob and stylized after the mosaics at Santa Maria Maggiore. Constructed by Nadeem Ahmad. 

Edited February 3, 2022 by Lion.Kanzen

[Lion.Kanzen]

Probably a warrior after the 5th century.

But it has elements from previous centuries.

The shield is Norse, but has Eastern Roman style footwear. Y. A mesh appointment similar to that of the European peoples and barbarian legions.(Auxilia)

 

the helmet is the only thing i would change.

Remplace for an 

Edited February 21, 2022 by Lion.Kanzen

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

On 03/02/2022 at 5:37 AM, Lion.Kanzen said:

Could be a Hun, could be a Sarmatian under Hunnish dominion. Either way, cool reference.

On 03/02/2022 at 5:37 AM, Lion.Kanzen said:

I like this guy's polearm (accurate?), his red coat, and the fact that the coat's collar shields his neck. 

[Lion.Kanzen]

14 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Could be a Hun, could be a Sarmatian under Hunnish dominion. Either way, cool reference.

I like this guy's polearm (accurate?), his red coat, and the fact that the coat's collar shields his neck. 

Good question. I'm stuck with the Sarmatian helmet answer.

Now the problem is that it went from Asian to European post. To Han to Huns to Xianbei to Late Rome. All is connected.

[Lion.Kanzen]

This image leaves you thinking.

http://therionarms.com/reenact/therionarms_c1067.html

Quoting :

Now, I don't know how much these relate to Kung-Fu, but can anyone help me recognize the long handled-wavy bladed sword kind of a weapon, and the spears with two squiggly bits to the sides. What are they called?

Also, I had understood that the monk's spade was the two-headed polearm with a crescent and a shovel, though I've never seen a antique one. I found online an antique chinese spear/polearm head named a monk's spade, which is crescent in shape. Were blades like that affixed to staves for use? Are this type of blades still called monk's spades?

Reply:

That's a combination of two weapons/tools;

 

月牙铲 yuèyáchǎn (crescent moon shovel/spade), and;

 

方便铲 fāngbiànchǎn (convenience shovel/spade).

 

When combined into one, it usually takes the name of the latter, being the main head.

 

"Monk's spade" is an English term, far as I know.

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70224-Chinese-Polearms-and-Spades

Edited February 21, 2022 by Lion.Kanzen

[Lion.Kanzen]

2 minutes ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

This image leaves you thinking.

http://therionarms.com/reenact/therionarms_c1067.html

Quoting :

Now, I don't know how much these relate to Kung-Fu, but can anyone help me recognize the long handled-wavy bladed sword kind of a weapon, and the spears with two squiggly bits to the sides. What are they called?

Also, I had understood that the monk's spade was the two-headed polearm with a crescent and a shovel, though I've never seen a antique one. I found online an antique chinese spear/polearm head named a monk's spade, which is crescent in shape. Were blades like that affixed to staves for use? Are this type of blades still called monk's spades?

Reply:

That's a combination of two weapons/tools;

 

月牙铲 yuèyáchǎn (crescent moon shovel/spade), and;

 

方便铲 fāngbiànchǎn (convenience shovel/spade).

 

When combined into one, it usually takes the name of the latter, being the main head.

 

"Monk's spade" is an English term, far as I know.

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70224-Chinese-Polearms-and-Spades

 

The Chinese weapon known as the [podao] pudao (Chinese: 樸刀;pinyin: pú dāo/Chinese: 朴刀;pinyin: pò dāo) was originally an edged infantry weapon which is still used for training in many Chinese martial arts. The blade of a pudao [podao] is shaped like a Chinese broadsword, but the weapon has a longer handle usually around one and a half to two meters (about four to six feet) which is circular in cross section. It looks somewhat similar to the guandao. The pudao is sometimes called a horse-cutter sword since it is speculated to have been used to slice the legs out from under a horse during battle {cf. zhanmadao}. It is somewhat analogous to the Japanese nagamaki, although the nagamaki sword may have been developed independently. Looking at the standards of its design, the pudao is also equivalent to the Korean hyeopdo.

[Lion.Kanzen]

[Lion.Kanzen]

The zhanmadao (Chinese: 斬馬刀; pinyin: zhǎnmǎdāo; literally: "horse chopping saber") was a single-bladed anti-cavalry Chinese sword. It originated during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and was especially common in Song China (960–1279). The zhanmadao is a sabre with a single long broad blade, and a long handle suitable for two-handed use. It was used as an anti-cavalry weapon .

@wowgetoffyourcellphone

The sword version is used to kill horses.

It means that putting it on a stick had the same function.

[Lion.Kanzen]

there are various weapons illustrated.

Better known as the Green Crescent Dragon Blade, this ancient weapon was buried with the great General Guan Yu, hidden within the Tomb of Shih Huang Ti. It was rescued from there by Cai Boi at the request of the Jade Emperor himself. Despite it’s age, it is as sharp and deadly as in days past and Cai Boi has demonstrated the ability to engulf the blade in fire.

Guan Yu ([kwán ỳ] (audio speaker iconlisten); died January or February 220),[a] courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him on most of his early exploits. Guan Yu played a significant role in the events leading up to the end of the Han dynasty and the establishment of Liu Bei's state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. While he is remembered for his loyalty towards Liu Bei, he is also known for repaying Cao Cao's kindness by slaying Yan Liang, a general under Cao Cao's rival Yuan Shao, at the Battle of Boma. After Liu Bei gained control of Yi Province in 214, Guan Yu remained in Jing Province to govern and defend the area for about seven years. In 219, while he was away fighting Cao Cao's forces at the Battle of Fancheng, Liu Bei's ally Sun Quan broke the Sun–Liu alliance and sent his general Lü Meng to conquer Liu Bei's territories in Jing Province. By the time Guan Yu found out about the loss of Jing Province after his defeat at Fancheng, it was too late. He was subsequently captured in an ambush by Sun Quan's forces and executed.

is Accurate weapon. 220 A.D

Edited February 21, 2022 by Lion.Kanzen

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

6 minutes ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

The zhanmadao (Chinese: 斬馬刀; pinyin: zhǎnmǎdāo; literally: "horse chopping saber") was a single-bladed anti-cavalry Chinese sword. It originated during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and was especially common in Song China (960–1279). The zhanmadao is a sabre with a single long broad blade, and a long handle suitable for two-handed use. It was used as an anti-cavalry weapon .

@wowgetoffyourcellphone

The sword version is used to kill horses.

It means that putting it on a stick had the same function.

Pretty much what I gave to the Han champion swordsman.

[Lion.Kanzen]

3 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Pretty much what I gave to the Han champion swordsman.

at this rate we are going to have to split Han or have reforms.

They literally have everything except elephants, slingers, and skirmishers.

And they almost have the first.

Even have Chariots in early era.

[Lion.Kanzen]

the Huns probably in the looting were obtain many stuff as Roman, Germanic and Iranian helmets.

[Lion.Kanzen]

Attila 

 

[Lion.Kanzen]

[Lion.Kanzen]

Niederstotzingen helmet Langobard warrior with Avar lamellar helmet Alemanni or Alamanni

Lamellenhelm, plural Lamellenhelme was a type of helmet used in Europe during the Early Middle Ages. Examples are characterized by caps made from overlapping lamellar scales, in addition to a brow plate, cheek guards, and camail. They are distinct from the contemporary spangenhelm and crested helmets also found in Europe; unlike those, which are influenced by Roman designs, Lamellenhelme display eastern influence and have primarily been found in southeastern Europe. They are mostly associated with the Avars of Pannonia and the Lombards of Italy.[2]

Lamellenhelme are characterized by overlapping plates—a form of lamellar armour—with caps of conical shape and plumes at the top.[4][5] They also tend to have brow plates, cheek pieces, and, like spangenhelme, camail protecting the neck.[5]

 

The Lamellenhelm was one of three primary designs of helmets that proliferated throughout 6th- and 7th-century Europe; the others were the spangenhelm and the northern crested helmet.[6] They are categorized by Heiko Steuer with 'other helmets of eastern origin,'[4] and have been principally found in southeastern Europe.[5] Unlike spangenhelme and the northern crested helmets, which likely derive from Roman helmet designs, the Lamellenhelm appears to have been used by and influenced by eastern European cultures, such as the Avars.

 

Lamellar helmets were popularized in Central Asia by the steppe nomads.[9] Knights wearing dome-shaped lamellar helmets with cup-shaped finials, and armed with swords with Hunnish cloisonné designs, can be seen in the "Cave of the Painters" at the Kizil Caves, and are dated to the 5th century CE.[8] Lamellar helmets were adopted by the Sasanian Empire when they took control of former Hephthalite territory.[9] This type of helmet appears in sculptures on pillar capitals at Ṭāq-e Bostān and Behistun, and on the Anahita coinage of Khosrow II (r. 590-628 CE).[9]

 

 

 

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by Lion.Kanzen

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]