Legless

 

Mythago has just done its annual turn at the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival this past weekend. By all accounts it was amazing even if the side did get all sorts of weather thrown at them including a thunderstorm! Every time I've been it's been blazing sunshine and very hot, but we had to drop out last week as dear old Humphrey was poorly and needed an emergency trip to the vets. We weren't sure what the outlook was to be honest, but thankfully he has responded well to his meds and seems much more like his normal cuddly self. We usually finish our final set of dancing early on Sunday afternoon and whilst we're packing up all the knights are starting to muster for the final battle. If it's hot it's a real struggle for these reenactors as they overheat very quickly and the armour takes an age to get off. I've seen the organisers chuck the knights into a large paddling pool they keep to cool them down quickly.  Last year we had a fellow opposite us who'd brought his son along to help him dress and then undress, but his charge was only young and he'd wandered off. He shouted across to us as he was really struggling to get everything off and was starting to panic. We all rushed over and quickly got him him out of it, but he was still quite distressed by his ordeal and one of us offered to go and get him a beer to cool down. He politely refused as he was teetotal, but gladly accepted water instead. I've seen a few legless knights there over the years, but he obviously wasn't one of them. However, I did encounter a real legless knight in Hereford Cathedral

 

This fellow is Sir Richard Pembridge who died in 1375. He was one of the earliest men to be made a Knight of the Garter by Edward III and he fought in the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. That's all very straightforward so far and no doubt there are others who have a similar history. However, his alabaster effigy did not escape the Civil War unscathed and his right leg was smashed and disappeared at some point.

Somebody somewhere tried very hard to rectify his limbless situation by having the wooden replacement below fitted. Unfortunately it transpired that it was wrong because it's been carved incorrectly with the garter on it and this should have only been on the remaining left one as shown.

If you look closely as Sir Richard you can see that once again he is sporting two alabaster legs, but with the right one being quite obviously a newer addition. We have Lord Saye and Sele, the Archdeacon of Hereford, to thank for commissioning it in the 19th century. It's certainly the first time I've encountered a knight who has been both legless and had three right legs on my travels!

Arilx