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The Landskonnections

The Official Newsletter of Das TeufelsAlpdrücken Fähnlein.

(Okay, it's corny. YOU think up a better name for an official newsletter!) The Official Newsletter of Das TeufelsAlpdrücken Fähnlein. Published monthly, or whenever I get around to it. The opinions contained herein are strictly my own, as are any typographical errors. Not to be taken internally. Entire contents copyright 1995 by Paula Peterka, unless otherwise noted or authored. Yeah, like you'd WANT to steal anything out of here! Void where prohibited by law. Marshmallows not included.

Volume 2Issue 6

Date Unknown


In This Issue:


Maryland Renaissance Festival

Welcome to rehearsals! By now you have been to the first "big" one, and hopefully, have found that they're not as scary as you thought they were. Now for the bad news: There are more of them! The evening character rehearsals will take place on July 17, July 31, and August 14, from 7:30 until 10:00. Heather Brown, Alexis Darnall, Karen Dawson, Bob & Barbara Kriner, Jennifer Lease and Jennifer Wadford will be attending the rehearsals at the home of Mike Field and Carolyn Spedden, in Baltimore; Becky Green, Kellie Hendley, Drew Jones, Brien Langsdorf, Victor Nazarian, Meredith Page, and Tim Vert will be at the Festival Site in Annapolis. Larry & Paula Peterka, and Amber Jacks will be at the Fun Factory in Northern Virginia; and Mike Amos, Rob Slater, and David Milam are signed up for the rehearsal in Rockville. Directions are available if you need them. As we said before, and as you discovered on the 8th, these are very low-key rehearsals that concentrate mainly on "Meet-and-Greet" skills.

We have also been asked to attend a few of the Court rehearsals. The exact dates are still up in the air, until the scripts are finalized, but count on being at the Festival site on Sunday, July 16, and Sunday, July 20, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Additionally, on August 5, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, will be the Big Court and Village rehearsal, also on site. This will be very much like the "Grand Get-together" that some of you attended last year.

As soon as we have additional dates, we will let you know

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More Weapons, We Need More Weapons!

Where do you go to get Halberds in Washington? Potomac Steel, of course! We placed an order with those fine fellows in Springfield on July 10, and they have already finished our halberd heads. Based on a design laboriously worked out by Larry, Drew, and Bob, the heads were cut from a single 4' X 8' sheet of 3/8" steel. They originally estimated somewhere between 12 and 20 heads, and actually managed to cut 24!

The poles will probably be 6'-7' octagonal oak, from our old friend, Mark Supik in Baltimore. Larry and Bob Kriner will need help with grinding and finishing work, fitting the sockets, and mounting the heads in the poles, so any volunteers would be greatly appreciated. The immediate goal is to complete six of them by the start of Festival, for the unit to use as they guard the monarchs.

The unit is also looking into the costs and feasibility of having Zweihander blades made there as well.

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Trivial Pursuits

Because the CRO hates blank spaces, this trivia challenge is being presented (I'm running out of songs, and I can't find my Osprey book to continue our unit history wit the Battle of Pavia). These are things your character would (or should) know.

  1. It is the year 1529. Charles V is on the Imperial throne, and all is right with the Empire. We are heading where to face what new threat?

    1. Rome, to fight against Papal troops.
    2. Spain, for an amphibious assault against Henry VIII.
    3. The Netherlands, to sweep into France and kick Francis I's heinie (again).
    4. Vienna, to Help Ferdinand of Austria against Sulemein.
    5. Home, to face our families.
  2. Maximillian I is from what ruling house?

    1. Hohenstaufen
    2. Hapsburg
    3. Pfannenkuchen
    4. Guelph
    5. Valois
  3. Charles V is Max's

    1. Father
    2. Son
    3. Grandson
    4. Nephew
    5. None of the above
  4. Eleanor of Austria is

    1. Charles V's sister
    2. Francis I's wife
    3. Ferdinand of Austria's sister
    4. Mary Ann Jung
    5. All of the above
  5. Rome

    1. wasn't built in a day, but fell in one.
    2. is beautiful by firelight
    3. is a nice place to visit, but there's not much left
    4. is the location of the Vatican, the home of the Pope
    5. All of the above
  6. Which of the following is not part of the Holy Roman Empire?

    1. Austria
    2. Spain
    3. Cleves
    4. Bavaria
    5. Saxony
  7. In 1541 Charles V is married to

    1. Eleanor of Austria
    2. Eleanor of Toledo
    3. Isabella of Portugal
    4. Anna of Cleves
    5. None of the above
  8. In 1541 Henry VIII is married to

    1. Eleanor of Austria
    2. Katherine Howard
    3. Catherine Parr
    4. Anna of Cleves
    5. None of the Above
  9. Manferd Blöde is

    1. Duke of Hess
    2. Margraf of Brandenburg
    3. A Landsknecht captain
    4. A Landsknecht colonel
    5. None of the above
  10. Das TeufelsAlpdrücken Fähnlein means "the

    1. Knightly Regiment"
    2. Devil's Children Regiment"
    3. Devil's Nightmare Regiment"
    4. Pope's Nightmare Regiment"
    5. War Dog's Regiment"
  11. What would you do with a "kartoffel"?

    1. Eat it.
    2. Sit on it.
    3. Spend it.
    4. Wear it.
    5. Give it to a Campfollower.
  12. Which of these cities was NOT sacked on the way to Rome?

    1. Cividale
    2. Pavia
    3. Friaul
    4. Florence
    5. Trieste
  13. Which of the following is NOT a military command?

    1. "Geht Doch!"
    2. "Gegenmarsch!"
    3. "Waffen Auf!"
    4. "Einsfallen!"
    5. "Spinrad!"
  14. What is the significance of two halberds and a pike?

    1. They're used against cavalry in a three-man formation called a "Dreifüsse".
    2. They're used as a gate to a muster camp.
    3. When broiled with a little garlic and lemon they're delicious.
    4. They're used as ceremonial weapons by the three Imperial electors
    5. They're on Charles V's Imperial Battle Flag

  15. When on duty, a guard bows only to

    1. the King
    2. the Queen
    3. the Princess
    4. A & B
    5. None of the above

The answers (and possibly more questions) in the next issue!

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Hey, What Ever Happened To . . .

There are a few events of interest to the unit in which we will not be taking part, for one reason or another. The Fire Hill Furnace Founding Day in Richmond has been scheduled for September 23, so we will be unable to attend. The information for that event has been passed along to Bob Julio and his English Civil War unit, so maybe they can get some money and publicity from the event. The Ontario Renaissance Festival has been postponed until Spring of 1996, for site development reasons, as we understand. Similarly, the Stafford Renaissance Festival, which was scheduled for Spring of 1996, has moved it's opening back to Fall of 1996. As other information becomes available, we'll pass it along. So now you know!

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