Re: Polish medieval terminology

 --- Josh Brandt-Young skrzypszy:

> 1. What's the English for ?pó³pancerz?? It's a suit of armor that comes down
> only to the waist..."hauberk" is the closest I can think of, but I have the
> feeling that's not quite right.
Not the faintest idea! This is a question to an English speaker rather than to
a Polish speaker.

> 2. What on Earth is a ?landsknecht?? This is from a Mro¿ek story, and the
> context is ?Nasz Dom Towarowy otrzyma³ czterysta nowych pó³pancerzy, model
> XVI wiek, u¿ywany swego czasu przez landsknechtów?.
Just a wild thought. I remember I once saw the Dutch word "lansknecht". A
"lans" is some sort of spear, a "knecht" is a helper. If I'm not mistaken,
"landsknecht" would not be connected with the word "Land", but with the word
"Lanze". Well, spelling was never very accurate in those days.

You see the image? A Medieval rich bastard plundering a small village, because
he is not satisfied with the taxes the poor peasants pay him, and incidentally
because he is in love with the mayor's beautiful daughter, an innocent young
thing interested in completely different things than him. Now, the nobleman in
question sits safely on a huge horse, and his cruelties (burning the village,
slaughtering the men, raping the women) are carried out by his helpers. Movies
enough about the subject.
Anyway, it's those helpers your question is about. Thus: a "Landsknecht" is a
mercenary, a member of a Medieval landowner's private army.
Obviously, the "pó³pancerz" is part of his outfit.

> I have to do a translation of this story for my Polish Literature class, and
> this is holding up the whole operation. :)
Well, good luck then. I hope this helps a bit.

> Bardzo dziêkujê,
Nie ma za co.

Jan

=====
"Originality is the art of concealing your source." - Franklin P. Jones

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