Alquerques -- became Draughts when Europeans tried to play it on a Chess board --  then became Checkers

Each player has 12 pieces.  They start on the two back tows and the two far right places of the third row.  Only the center space will be open when the game starts.

Pieces can move one space in any direction.

A player captures pieces by jumping them like in modern checkers.

If a capture or captures are possible, they must be taken.

If a player does not take a possible capture, the other player may remove that piece before starting their turn.

You win by taking all your opponents pieces or by trapping them where they cannot move.




Medieval vs. Modern Chess

Pawns only moved one space forward -- no first move of two spaces and no capture on the diagonal, they became queens if they reached the other side.

Bishops moves two spaces diagonally and could jump over another piece to make their move.

The Queen moved one space diagonally.

Rooks, Knights, and the King moved the same as they do now.

Like modern chess, you win by capturing or blocking the King.  You could also win (though it was considered a lesser victory) by taking all of your opponents pieces except his King.

Next week we will be learning games.  If it is not raining, we will spend most of the class outside.  Please dress comfortably for the temperature.  If it is raining, we'll go outside the week after next.

Some students personal heraldry

 

 

Today we learned how you could tell people apart when they are all wearing helmets or are far away.

The Rules of Heraldry



There are five tinctures:
Azure (blue)
Gules (red)
Purpure (purple)
Sable (black)
Vert (green)

A tincture cannot be on top of another tincture, but two tinctures can be next to each other.


There are two metals:
Argent (silver)
Or (gold)

A metal cannot be on top of or next to another metal.


There are two furs:
Ermine (weasel tails)
Vair (squirrel tails)

There are so many variations of both of them that they got their own hand out.  A fur can go on any tincture or metal or even another fur IF there is enough contrast that you would be able to see it from across a field.


Proper was allowed in the Middle Ages, but was almost never used until modern times.  Proper means the picture is the color it would be in nature.  Proper can go on any tincture, metal, or fur if there is enough contrast that you would be able to see it from across a field.

Your personal heraldry can be as complex as you would like.  However, it will be easier to draw and easier for people to see from a distance if you keep it simple.  For example, my device is Vert, a bezant - which means a gold coin on a green background.  Even when it’s very small, I can tell it’s mine from across the room.

Next week we'll be watching videos of tournaments.

Some help for the older class homework--I don't know as much about medieval food as I'd like, but these recipes look very well researched.


http://recipes.medievalcookery.com/

 Some students enjoying armor