Adventures of a Shield Maiden

Haddon Hall Bakewell, Derbyshire. | @gardenersworld.com

Concept Art of Woodland Realm

by Viktor Orlov on Flickr.

Skye

Fairytale Castle Ravadinovo in Bulgaria. The castle has beautiful gardens where you can find peacocks, garden statues and mermaids, a lake with swans, winery and chapel. Its name means “In love with the wind”.

More pictures from the Flammageddon, Drachenfest 2018 Photos by Michael Meister

Here, you can see the Landsknechte from Drachenfest in their natural habitat. Contrary to popular belief, their natural habitat isn’t the lager/camp they made. It’s the turnpike/gate they made and the camp comes only after behind it.  Their daily routine is mostly leaning on the turnpike, watching people as they pass along, leaning on it, drinking, leaning on it, call-out people while leaning on it, catcalling and sometimes they even lean on it. As you can see it’s a very important thing in their life, and one - who doesn’t know them - would think they are pretty much territorial about the whole turnpike. In truth the calling out, shittalking, catcalling and other forms of verbal-bravado is just a complicated social-tradition that also has functional purposes. For one thing young landsknechts can prove themselves in the eyes of the veterans this way, or veterans can settle who is more senior to the other this way without actually commiting violence. And obviously it also helps to raise awareness in the opposite gender, as mating call. That said it doesn’t mean they can’t be aggressive and VERY territorial if someone approaches them in the wrong way. Anyone who doesn’t show the reasonable amount of respect to their feathers or their cloths AND doesn’t bring gifts or at stuff for sale can be easily find aggression and he insist to go inside may even bring on himself the wrath of the ones at the turnpike. Even more, if someone happens to be an ork, goblin or other kind of subhuman creature it could easily happen that after an alarm call from those at the turnpike the whole camp goes out to fight those filthy creatures. It is also less known that that Landsknechte is mostly a night-time predator, mostly hunting cheap ale, fitting company or entertainment at the city and naive or less armed people at the Murder Meadow. During these times usually less people is leaning on the turnpike, but it’s a rare sight to find nobody close to it.

Forest of Light by Alain et Nadine

Spring Woodland by Phill

“With hope or without hope we will follow the trail of our enemies. And woe to them, if we prove the swifter! We will make such a chase as shall be accounted a marvel among the Three Kindreds: Elves, Dwarves, and Men.” ~ Tolkien - I find it easy to press on with the hope of a clear reward ahead of me. Where I falter is when I face mundane tasks in obscurity. But those who are faithful when no one is watching, in the little things, in the day-to-day tasks, will also be faithful when the need is greatest. (at Henneth Annûn)

Scotney Castle in Kent, England

More Archery Pictures (x)

blue.ridinghood instagram

THE OAK KING - MIDSUMMER by Ange Harper Photography