MountsPage

Set in the beautiful Blue Mountains, west of Sydney in New South wales, this Garrison began with an identity crisis, being both an NVG group known as Janus Keep, and a household of the Society for Creative Anachronism, called the Shire of Dismal Fogs. I don't know the founding date, but it was definitely in existence by 1986. Its concentration has almost always been on the Turkish and other Muslim neighbours of the Byzantine Empire, and much good research has been carried out. Longstanding members include Steven and Amanda Baker, and Martin and Rebecca Baker (Steven & Martin are brothers), Sean McBride, and Graeme and Kim Walker. They have consistently produced high quality (and good-looking) equipment. Fearsome archers.

In the early 1980s, a group of people interested in mediaeval culture formed in the Blue Mountains. The key figures were Tim Dawson, Jaqueline Manes, Steven Baker, Martin Baker and Sean McBride, and interests were diverse. The group formed part of a household, Janus Keep, and sought affiliation with the SCA as the Shire of Dismal Fogs. Tim had been an NVG member in Melbourne, and in 1984 the group was given permission to call itself an NVG garrison, based on a precedent set by the book The Varangians of Byzantium.

The main activity of the early NVG garrison was that of a weapons training school, which it ran for many years in Springwood. Other activities were conducted through the SCA. This position, with a foot in both camps, allowed members access to a great pool of resources, and was influential in our development as a group. In tur, it gave us the opportunity to influence the development of both those organisations.

Steve Nichol, another Melbourne Varangian, arrived in the late 1980s, and introduced the group to catering for large numbers. It was largely due to Steve that a garrison marquee was purchased. Members bought shares in it. In the 1990s, the garrison took on a more dominant role.

The Mountains Garrison has a special relationship with its neighbour Miklagard. We have swapped members as and when these have moved house, and combined for training, for events and to put on shows. While quite separate, there is a high degree of co-operation between the two groups.

We have held two events more or less annually since the late 1980s. The Manzikert Memorial Feast, normally in August/September, celebrates the famous battle, and has ben run with various Varangian, Seljuk and Byzantine themes. The Al Zinj Archery Tournament, named in honour of departed member Sa'di al Zinj (Sean), is of no fixed date, and combines the results of formal taget, wand, gourd, clout, hunting and combat, to decide the most proficient archer f the year. In 2001, the perpetual trophy was won by Chris Morgan of Miklagard.

The garrison has had many influences. In its earliest years, there was the strong connection with the SCA as many members tried to draw on the best of both cultures, to create a fusion. This led to such things as a set of draft rules for rapier combat, and more successfully, to a set of archery combat rules, which form the basis of the activity we enjoy today. With Sean, Steven, Martin, and later, Rick Cullinan, all interested in the Middle East, the garrison has always head a middle eastern flavour. There were also less dominant interestes in mediaeval Greek and Viking cultures.

During 1991 the idea of an organisation to link the various NVG groups took hold. Several informal schemes were put forward, but some of us saw this as an opportunity for the groups to gain insurance cover. The only way that could be achieved was either as a company or an incorporation, and due to the recreational nature of the NVG, the latter was chosen.

The Mountains Garrison was very active in getting the incorporation off the ground. Greame Walker created the constitution, most of its amendments, and negotiated its acceptance by the NSW Dept of Consumer Affairs. Amanda Baker advised on finance and accounting. The garrison promoted the benefits of incorporation to other NVG groups, and Steven, Amanda, Rick and Graeme supplied many of its officers over the first few years of operation. We have always been a small garrison, and it became a standing joke that, should the other groups decide to pull out of the incorporation, our little group could run with it, having most of the experience.

Few people know that the inspiration for the incorporated body came from an interest in ancient history. The idea of a federal body, independent local groups, and a council of representatives without a president, comes from the Boetian league, in 4th century BC Greece.

The garrison celebrated its first ten years with an event in the Megalong Valley over the weekend of 5-6 November, 1994.

In late 1996, the group decided to trial a "group focus". This was not to exclude or replace current member interests. Rather, it was an additional theme, something we could all agree to do as a group, in additin to the more usual, individual presentations. While several possibilities were suggested, a Byzantine household was finally settled on. When the existence of McGeer's translation of Nikephoros' military manual became known, the focus shifted slightly. The result was the first re-enactment of an infantry kontarion (pike) group. To do this involved a fair amount of experimentation, despite the wealth of manuals. It also included considering how an ordinary, as opposed to rich, citizen lived, as infantry were drawn from the lower socio-economic classes. Our focus shifetd from the 12th to the late 10th/early 11th centuries. Interest in this type of display has spread, and now members from several other garrisons are investigating the possibilities.

Some of the more interesting demonstrations we have done have included "after dark" combats at bonfire nights. Fighting under a spotlight rather than in sunlight, and before a large audience, we had to be both interesting and safe. One evening was capped off with our archers firing specially concocted, flaming arrows into a well prepared mountain of timber, to set the bonfire aflame. It is not easy to shoot and have the arrow remain alight, so many hours of experimentation went into perfecting a mixture that could cope with the rapid flow of fresh air.

There have been various fairs, games days and festivals where we have set up static displays, answerd enquiries from the public and demonstrated both martial and peaceful forms of re-enactment.

There have also been street marches and parades. We found that this was an ideal format to demonstrate the Byzantine kontarion drill. With a few simple commands, changes can be performed in unison, and the long shafts of the kontaria when upright, appear way over the heads of the other street marchers and attract attention. For such festiveoccasions, they can eb decorated with garlands or streamers, adding more movement. Being a drill demonstration, rather than combat, the kontaria enabled people who are normally non-combatants to take part in the display. On a couple of occasions we have combined with combatants from Miklagard to contrast the long weapon fighting style to the more traditional sword, axe and spear.