JCC [Image heavy]A thread for art: See note on page 776

Khanum Sevilay Begotoglu of Dalachi Yurtu by Gambargin

"Another quick concept drawing for the Steppe Women Warriors of Project: Blood and Steel, a part Historically Wrong Sketch Series based in the 17th century era. Her character is inspired from the various steppe people that settled along the Crimea and Caucasus mountains, mainly the Kazakh and Tatars, some of which developed a semi-independent sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula called the Crimean Khanate.

Inspired by the Music: Algirma by Enkh Jargal www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJb7Le… (Modern Mongolian Throat Singing)

The history of steppe people was filled with tales and stories of both brave and bold warriors, whose mastery of the saddle was unmatched by any other people in the world. It is sad, that in my opinion, their legacy became more and more obscure as their neighbors grew in power, and their land were contested by the ambitious turks, russians and others. A good example would be one of the longest lasting Turkic Khanate, the Crimean Khanate, populated mostly by the Tatar people that lasted from late 15th century to mid 18th century.

The khanate itself was born after several Kypchak clans under the golden horde decided to settle down in Crimea. After a series of conflict, they became Ottoman protectorate in 1475 and developed a close relationship that was comparable to that of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the same era. By the late 17th century, the Ottomans power was weakening, and the balance of power had shifted to the Russian Empire who wanted to control the Crimea and securing their access to the Black Sea. In the mid 18th century, conflict conflict erupted between the 2 giants and would soon evolve to the bloody Russo-Turkish war which ended with the Russian victory, claiming the Crimean Independence with allegiance to the Tsar's banner. Although the Khanate itself was 'liberated' after the war from the Ottomans, the growing influence of the Russian and internal conflict led to civil wars, which finally ended with the annexation of the Khanate itself by the Russian Authority, therefore closing the chapter of generations of the steppe people's independence. It was a sad ending in my opinion, but their legacy always remains in the annals of history.

In this drawing, Khanum Sevilay Begotoglu of the Steppe Khanate (Dalachi Yurtu), is the descendant of the Begotoglu Clan that ruled the Steppe Federation in the previous series, tracing back her ancestry to Khanum Sevindik Begotoglu. What was once a powerful faction that dominated the the Eastern Steppe, their power and influence have somewhat diminished in the current timeline. The Turkish Orhans wanted Crimea as a platform to launch their invasion of Eastern Europe, while the Wendish Commonwealth, the Carpathians and the Russian Tsardom needed Crimea to secure their access to the Black Sea. It would not take long before the ambitions of the Khanate's neighbors erupted into a massive war that will challenge the independence of the proud steppe people in the series.

Khanum Sevilay is portrayed in a stylized tatar/turkic dress, and is depicted (inaccurately) holding a (very badly drawn) wheellock carbine. Wheellock carbine was prohibitively expensive due to their complex and intricate design, although the mechanism allowed a much more reliable method of firing on horseback, combined with the carbine style, which made it popular with mounted warriors. The depiction of her with firearm in my opinion is highly unlikely in real life, as the tatars were still using bows, which was cheaper, readily available and were easier to handle than the cumbersome and slow musket. Neverthless, being a Khanum, she would have had enough wealth to afford such expensive foreign weapon, but at the same time still opt for a much more traditional archery which undoubtedly something she's more familiar (and skilled) with."

 

Lalla Tanaszart of Al-Mamlakati Al-Murnakus by Gambargin

"A concept drawing for the Maghreb Woman Warrior from the Project: Blood and Steel, a part of Historically Wrong Sketch Series based on the 17th Century Era Warfare. She is loosely based on the historical Berber and Tuareg people, and she can be said to represents the Berber Dynasty that ruled North West Africa in the 17th century (Morocco?). Anyway, This is made as a gift for my dearest friend, who is leaving back to Morocco for good in the next few days

Inspired by the Music: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nY3KN… - Nedunya by Bustan Abraham

Historically speaking, North West Africa is home to some of the most powerful empires and kingdoms that ever sat their foot on. The earliest historical record of its inhabitants were the ancient semitic people called the phonecians who set up their trade networks along the north-west african coast. The area then became part of the Carthaginian Empire, before being subdued and integrated into the Roman Empire's territories. The Byzantine had their share as well, however, for most of the time throughout the ages, the Berber and the Tuareg people who inhabited the high mountain were left untouched.

With the arrival of Islam, the Berber people adopted its islamic principle, governance as well as the langauge used (arabic). Although, conversion to Islam was slow and was still ongoing even after the Arabs left, the Berber people were forever changed by the impact their neighbors. Under the Ummayads, the berber people invaded the iberian peninsula and established their rule of Al-Andalus, one of the most richest, advance and prosperous period recorded in the history of the Iberian peninsula. They also established a powerful and influential power base, first done by the Idrisid dynasty, which marked the start of Moroccan Sovereignty. With the fall of the Umayyads Caliphate, the turbulent period of the Abbasids, the rise of the Iberian Kingdoms as well as the Disunity between muslim rulers in Al-andalus, their influence over the Iberian peninsula slowly diminished over time. Although the berbers managed to held their foot as regional power in north-west africa, the expulsion of any Moorish influence in Iberia by the Reconquista as well as the growing expansionism of the Ottomans, meant that their rule and independence would be challenges by the other growing regional powers. Nevertheless, their legacy still stands today, as a testimony of what was once a powerful and influential people that changed the course of history.

Interestingly enough, while doing research on the history of Morocco, the Sultanate of Morocco under the Alaouite Dynasty (the current surviving dynasty), was the first nation to recognize United States of America as an Independent Nation, in 1777. It was on this period that the sultan declared it's full protection for any American merchant ships going through the Mediterranean from the Barbary pirates, as such, the first Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship was signed in 1786, the longest non-broken friendship treaty in the History of United States of America. It was the first nation in the whole world, and the first Muslim nation to do so, something that really surprises me. Maybe perhaps we can learn something from this?


In anycase, Lalla Tanaszart bint Zayar mn Itberin, is depicted here in a stylized, typical Berber clothing and armed with the oriental turkish style musket, as well as malinese dagger and generic scimitar. Much to my surprise when looking at what many artist draw for middle-eastern women warriors, the amount of clothing (if any, at all) and armors that looks more like a belly dancer, would really make this drawing looked very boring. Nevertheless, as a Noble lady and a princess, she would certainly have her modesty from the high upbringing, and her clothing would suit the arid and unforgiving climate of her homeland, while providing adequate protection from her enemies and the weathers."

 

Melanie Delon: Megara:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/wOO1g

 

Datuak Rangkayo of Sultanate of Pulau Rempah by Gambargin

"A concept of Women Warrior from the Sultanate of Pulau Panjang in the Historically Wrong Series, inspired by the legacy of Majapahit Empire and various Indo-Malay Sultanates along the Malayan Peninsula as well as Indonesian Archipelago. This has been long been something that i want to draw ever since i started with the Historically Wrong Sketch series, given my Indonesian Background. To be fairly true, it's always feel good when you are representing something from your country in art

Historically speaking, the Indonesian Archipelago has always been noted for their most precious resources, the Spices. The various Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms that had existed along these islands in the ancient time were known for their spices trades and maritime power. The whole archipelago was then United by Gajah Mada under the Majapahit Banner in the 14th century and prospered to its golden age. The arrival of Islam through trades with the Islamic world from India and Middle East created some of the notable and powerful sultanates that marked the end of Majapahit Empire in the end of 15th century. When the Europeans first arrived in Indonesian Archipelago on the early 16th Century, the "spice rush" was sparked, with European powers such as the Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch fighting for control over these lucrative resources. Dutch eventually came out as the victor and set up their major colonies along the islands, gaining riches that rivaled their European neighbors, especially the British throughout the colonization era.

While there are many folklore in Indonesia that tells tale of gallant female warriors, the best examples would be the famous and honored women fighters/supporters/champion of Indonesian Independence, such as Cut Nyak Dien, R.A. Kartini, Martha Christina Tiahahu, Rasuna Said, Nyi Ageng Serang, and the first recorded Women Admiral in the history of Indonesia, Keumala Hayati (link upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia…

In the drawing, Datuak Rangkayo Syah Pamuntjak is an Ethnic Minangkabauan Noble from the Padang region in the island of Sumatra. The people of Minang has a matrilineal culture, in which properties and titles are passed down to the female line. These people are renowned merchants and sailors, to the extend that you can always find their people in every corners of Indonesia, whose ethnicity numbers over 220, with 750 languages and encompassing 17.500 islands (Bali is one of the islands). Despite their diaspora, the Minangkabauans are known for their extravagant dress, independent spirit, strong family ties and were taught to respect and be loyal their mothers and women from the early age.

As such, she is to be expected to hold her status in high esteem, manage her own wealth and properties, and even as far as commanding her own merchant fleet. She is dressed in stylized traditional Minang Dress, and equpped with unique curve/wavy sword and dagger called Kris, commonly used amongst the Malay culture. The Indonesians back then did used some form of chain shirt as armor, imported from middle east and India, but otherwise uses padded clothing as protection or even none at all.

One interesting to note is that, the women normally offers the "dowry" to their potential spouse depending on their status and occupation. a mere commoners would only receive few gold, while the highest and respected nobles could potentially be presented with land, houses, enormous gold and jewelries. Although of course, after the death of the husband, his property will be passed down to his daughters under the female line. "


Ratu Wijaya Tunggadewi of Kerajaan Pulau Rempah by Gambargin

"A concept drawing of the Indonesian..err, actually, Javanese Women Warriors as part of the Historically Wrong Sketch Series: Medieval Revisited which aims to portray Women Warriors of various cultures in a fictitious historical settings based on AD 800s - AD 1400s era of warfare. Kerajaan Pulau Rempah is the Indonesian for "Kingdom of the Spices Island", since Indonesian archipelago is known for its spices since ancient time. Her faction represents the height of the Historical Majapahit Empire, whose dominion covered much of the current Indonesian territory, to the Malayan peninsula and Sulu near Philippines. As for her name, it is taken from the actual historical figure of Queen Regent Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi the 3rd Majapahit Monarch, responsible for appointing Gajah Mada as her prime minister and responsible for expanding Majapahit's Territory to its largest extend.

Inspired by the music - www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_xHqf… - Gending Jawa (Javanese Traditional Music, mostly reserved for the royalties)

Since I started the Historically Wrong Sketch Series, I have drawn many, many (anachronistic and inaccurate) representation of various cultures across the equally anachronistic universe, from Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia even as far as the New World. It was fun studying other people's cultures and drawing their representation through my art, and with the help of many people like you, (yes, you) I have expanded this series to be bigger than what I initially imagined. However, deep down inside, I feel the need to represent my own nation, being an Indonesian myself, into the series

It really saddens to see that not many people have drawn or know about my country (except Bali), let alone her history......so hopefully this drawing can bring more exposure about the history of my country Indonesia, amidst the Giants of medieval world like that of Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia And yes, please excuse me for my display of nationalistic pride .

What is depicted in this drawing is probably somewhat more of a product of creativity rather than historical accuracy. The character itself is drawn based on the only surviving relief statue of Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi, which depicted her as Parvati. Complete with ornate jeweleries and expensive clothing with the Central Javanese Batik Pattern, she is probably one of the least armored Woman Warriors depicted in the series. As strange as it may seems, Warriors of earlier Majapahit wore little to no armor at all, even if they did, it would have been very very very rare and prohibitively expensive imports. Chainmails from Arabs and India were imported at a latter era, as can be seen on the bodyguards standing behind her, although this one is more common with the newly rising Muslim sultanates in Indonesia from 14th century onwards. Metal or leather scale would probably be more common, with China being the main major exporters. Resting next to her, is a covered Javanese dagger gcalled Kris, which has a distinctive curved wavy blade (not shown), famous for both its usage as weapon as well as spiritual object. In the scenery, I have included the famous tall gate Wringin Lawang, which can be found in the archeological site of Trowulan, former capital of Majapahit empire. Speaking to her is a group of Chinese diplomatic envoys, most likely of the Sino-Mongol Yuan Dynasty, which maintained trade contact with the Majapahit.


Dedicated to My indonesian friends, specially KaiKainat and whose art inspired this drawing, as well as joolita for drawing of A Minang Suitor

Now, the next bit is the historical commentary part. Any feedback is much appreciated
====================================================================================================================

The Indonesian Archipelago perhaps gained attention to the westerners when the European in the 16th Century tried to secure important spices trade such as nutmeg, cloves etc in the island of Maluku. The Dutch managed to gained dominance over the spices trade, first under the VOC, before passing under direct goverment control in the 19th century. But the origin of Indonesia's history has its own unique touch due to its geographical position.

History first recorded the earliest inhabitants of the Island of Java, Homo Erectus, or more commonly reffered to as the Java man, is at least 700,000 years old, however, fossils found in Sangiran with at least 1.6 millions of age, were shown to have been made by clamshells tool manually, giving further evidence of a much much earlier settlements. Another fossils, the Homo floresiensis or the Flores Man found in the island of Flores, whose discovery of stone tools dating from 1 million years ago, gave the oldest evidence anywhere in the world that early man had the technology to make sea crossings at this very early time. Despite of that, both the Java man and Flores man became extinct somewhere about 12,000 years ago. The current inhabitants of the Indonesian Archipelago descendent from the Austronesian people that migrated into the region around 2,000 BCE, possibly from Taiwan.

Given the local conditions, agriculture like rice cultivation flourished and a more sophisticated society emerged from around 8th century BCE, before the earliest Kingdom was recorded. Many of the earlier Kingdoms in Indonesia, were influenced by the Hindu-Buddhist civilization, like many in southeast Asia. The epic of ramayana mentioned the Island of Java under the name of Yavadvipa, and there were many influences found from the Southern Indian Kingdoms, like that of Pallavas and the Cholas. From then on, several indigenous kingdom and states emerged, like that of Malayan Srivijaya, Kallingas Kingdom, and Tarumanegara.

In the context of Medieval history, by the late 13th century, the most powerful kingdom in the archipelago was the Singhasari Kingdom, after the defeat of Melayu Kingdom. By this time, The Mongols had already conquered China and sent their envoys demanding tributes from Singhasari, to which, the king by the name of Kertanegara reject it. The Mongols Yuan retaliated by sending a massive expeditionary force of 1000 ships to Java, determined to subjugate the kingdom under their rule. However, at the same time, discontent grew withing the Singhasari, and one of its Adipati (vassal rulers like Duke), by the name of Jayakatwang, usurped the throne from Kertanegara. He pardoned Kertanegara's son in law, Raden Wijaya, and gave him the land of Tarik (trowulan) to govern. Sensing the instability within the kingdom, Raden Wijaya allied himself with the Mongolian Yuan expeditionary forces, and defeated Singhasari. Once it was done, he launched a surprise attack against the mongolian yuan forces that caused major confusion, which forced them to retreat back to china. Thus, Raden Wijaya managed to consolidate his rule and established the Kingdom of Majapahit over Java. His successors, Hayam Wuruk, the son of Queen Regent Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi, continued to expand the territories, and with the help of his prime minister Gajah Mada, the Majapahit Empire reached its greatest extend. It is common for Indonesian to see this as a symbol of national pride, where Gajah Mada is revered as Indonesia's true national hero.

The decline of the Empire came with the death of Gajah Mada and Hayam Wuruk. Plagued by succession crisis and instability, many of the Majapahit's vassals rebelled for independence and the Empire's border and influence were reduced to just half of the Java Island. It was also by this time, that Islam gained foothold in the region and brought Indonesia to a new era of Numerous powerful Islamic Sultanates that ruled over the archipelago. The earliest contact with Indonesia by the Muslims was recorded during the reign of Abbasids, and many arabs and Muslim Indian traders came to Indonesia and began spreading Islam to its local inhabitants. Contrary to the popular belief, Islam was also spread by the Chinese Muslims who came to Indonesia, the famous one being admiral Zeng He. The process of conversion was rather slow and fragmented, and the local populace still maintained its animistic tradition/practice alongside Islam, a distinct image which makes Indonesian Muslims differ from the rest of the world. by the 15th century, Islam had became a dominant religion in the western archipelago, surpassing Hinduism and Buddhism (who survived as smaller kingdoms, such as that in Bali). For most of the Eastern part however, the population remained largely animist, until the arrival of Europeans that made Christianity a dominant religion in the eastern area.

 

Candra Gloomblade: alternate Queen Salacia:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/lAO4Y

 

Empress of Byzantium by Uracca

 

Kael Ngu: Mera:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4beeQq

 

Mogeyisu Gurun-i-Gungju of Jusen Gurun (Manchu) by Gambargin

"A highly conceptual sketch of Manchurian (jurchen with a bit of Mongolian influence) Woman Warriors for the Historically Wrong Sketch Series Project: Blood and Steel, based on the 17th Century timeline. There are not many people who draw the Manchurian, who not only established one of China's greatest dynasty, the Qing, but also laid the foundation for Chinese territories in the present.

Now, if one were to look at the history of East Asia, many can name the great culture that built some of the largest and influential civilizations ever recorded in history. The Chinese, the Koreans, the Japanese, even the Mongols, all deserves their mention, but few knows about the semi-nomadic tungustic Jurchen people that lived in the north-eastern part of Asia, a land known as Manchuria. The land had always been inhabited by the strong and hardy people, born from the harsh climate, who served many kings as tributary state (Chinese Ming) or as part of the kingdom itself (Korean Balhae).

It was not until the 17th century that the Manchurian, who originally served as tributary state to the ever-weakening Ming Empire, were united under the leadership of Nurhachi and expelled the chinese force from their territory by his son, Hong Taiji. The Jurchen organized their tribes into several banners, forming the military divisions for the manchurians to operate with in rebelling against their former master, the Ming. When the empire collapsed and the Manchurian took control of the capital, they further embarked on the conquest to put down numerous rebellions and exerted their authority over the Chinese people they would rule for centuries.

The Manchurian themselves are not chinese, they are more closely related to the Indigenous tungustic that lived in the nort-eastern part of Siberia (Tunguska). However, as the time goes, the Manchus adopted much of the Chinese language, administrative systems, as well as employing many of the Han Chinese to run many government post.

In this drawing, Princess Mogeyisu is drawn in a highly stylized Mongolian attires (yes, including the cowboy lookalike hat), commonly worn by some of the Jurchen tribes that served mostly as mounted missile warrior. To ensure the mobility, padded cloth or leather armor is worn underneath the thick clothing, which also helps to shield against the harsh climate. She is depicted using both matchlock and composite bow, along with a dagger and sword (Positioning may not be accurate). By this time of the 17th century, many Asian mounted warriors still prefers using bows for their reliability and accuracy in comparison to the matchlock musket (flintlock or other carbine mechanism were not that common in Asia). In her case, she would only use her musket against heavily armed opponents, before switching to her bow.

Although it may be just a speculation, but her ancestry could be traced back to the clan of Batuyisu Gonji, a Mongolian Warrior Woman from the previous series"

 

Christopher Michael Walker: Aura & Ming:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/v1Ykdd

 

"Ride now! Ride to Gondor!", by Magdalena Katanska:

 

Christopher Michael Walker: Labyrinth:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/JKLyZ

 

Aerye Hwang-Shi of Jima Seon-Guk by Gambargin

"A rather unusual drawing of Korean Woman Warrior of Project: Blood and Steel, a part of Historically Wrong Sketch Series based on the 17th Century Era. She is representing Korea in the series, based on the period of turmoil of Joseon Dynasty in the 17th century.I feel its time to take a break from Europe and put my attention to Asia for the time being

Inspired by the music: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM52jv… (Not Korean Gayageum)

Historically speaking, the Korean peninsula has been home to one of the ethnically homogenous and culturally unique people, sandwiched between their 2 ambitious neighbors, the Japanese and the Chinese. The Korean history is somewhat parable to that of the Italians in Europe, whose peninsula had always been contested by major powers, at least in my opinion. In the 17th century, the once powerful and independent Joseon Korea was struggling to cope with its declining influence. It began with internal factional struggles withing the royal court, followed by Japanese invasion of Korea in late 16th century as well as the Manchurian invasion of Korean peninsula, twice in the 17th century. The outcome of the invasion resulted in Joseon becoming a tributary state of Chinese Manchurian Qing dynasty. Although many Koreans resented the idea of submission to their "barbaric invaders", during this period of late 17th - 18 centuries that the Korean people enjoyed their peaceful existence, triggering the 'korean renaissance' for over 200 years, while at the same time becoming more and more isolationist.

In this series, Aerye of Cheongseong Hwang Clan or simply Hwang Aerye, is depicted in a very stylized hanbok worn by korean nobility (Yangban), complete with enormous wig galled gache. One of the reason why she is not drawn in proper korean scale armor is because, women warriors in Korean history were virtually unknown or very hard to find. It can be speculated that the strictly male-dominated Korean society prevented Korean women from ever participating in battles or war and even if they did exist, they were not properly recorded or dismissed by the scholars of that time.

As a descendant of the character of the same name from the previous series and , Aerye is trained martially by her family who held a strong but radical idea of martial prowess. To be able to hold a position of power in a highly gendered society where women were to be expected to guard the household and serve their husband, She would have to be very cunning and ambitious. Knowing the game of politics is a must in the highly complex Korean court filled with feuding rival political factions. Afterall, she is less likely to use her sword than her tongue.......unless another foreign power knocks on the door un-welcomed.

Her dress must have been really...really expensive....and that big wig 'gache' of hers, it weights 3kg. She must have a very strong neck to support that."

 

Citemer Liu: Mera:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/aR0dEX

 

Haraszti-hazi Orsolya of Kingdom of Carpathia by Gambargin

"A quick conceptual drawing for the Women Warrior in the Historically Wrong Sketch series based on the Magyars and their Legacy of Medieval Hungary, as well as the generalization of the various balkan states in the middle ages. This drawing may not be the most detailed, so please pardon it (along with the rough outline as well). Nevertheless, i would like to credit for the inspiration

One of the reason why I drew this in the first place, is because i was intrigued by the history of the Magyars (or Hungarian in general term). If you have read about the steppe people of Eurasia, you would come across the Magyars, as well as various other tribes such as the Pechenegs, Tatars, Cumans, Kypchaks and the Volga-Bulgars. What is interesting about the Magyars is that, while the other steppe tribes influence were eventually diminished, the Magyars actually managed to build a long lasting Sovereignty over the Carphatian region that has been culturally unique in the Balkans, something that has survived even to this day.

Their legacy was built by Arpad, a legendary king that lead the Magyar Invasion of Carphatia somewhere in the 850s, and successfully established a power basin in the region and eventually became known as Kingdom of Hungary. The Magyars were fierce warriors skilled in horseback-riding and mounted archery, both of which helped them to defeat and spread terrors to the neighboring Balkans and Germans. In their glory days of the early middle ages, Kingdom of Hungary held more territory than that of France, and managed to hold their ground against various incursions. However, their decline started with the rise of the Ottomans who fought over the control of Balkan Region as well as incursions by the Austrians who contested the the Ottoman Sovereignty over Hungary.

In this drawing, Haraszti-hazi Orsolya (Orsolia of House of Haraszti) is depicted as a Magyar Noblewomen in a stylized Magyar dress with mail, as well as a stylized headdress commonly worn by the nobility in Hungary. I'm not entirely sure as to the actual details of the traditional Magyar dress worn during the middle ages, but back then only the richest and the most influential nobles that could afford mail shirt or plated armor, something similar to that worn by the Cumans and Pechenegs. She would have been a trained expert in Mounted Archery, enough to be put along that of the mongols and other steppe mounted warriors.

Maybe related to the other steppe Women Warrior "


Haraszt-Hazi Orsolya of Karpati Kiralysag (Magyar) by Gambargin

"A concept drawing for the Hungarian/Magyar Women Warriors in the Historically Wrong Sketch Series: Medieval Revisited, which is roughly based on the Middle ages covering 800 AD to 1400 AD. Karpati Kiralysag, or the Kingdom of Carpathia, represents the historical Hungarian Kingdom in the Medieval, during the reign of the Arpads. Carpathia is taken from the name of the mountain range that stood tall over the region.

Inspired by the Music - Zengő együttes + Rüdiger Oppermann + Epi - Rózsák és tövisek





INTRODUCTION

The Magyars, ancestors of the modern Hungarians, have been the source of many scholarly studies and debates ranging their origin to the impact they caused in the history of Balkan and Western Europe. Begrudgingly, they were referred to as nomadic raiders who brought the demise of Great Moravia and terrorized much of Western Europe, comparable to other nomadic raiders like the Huns and the Avars. Though this idea is somewhat challenged by modern scholars, it is without doubt that the settlement of Magyars in the Carpathian basin led to the founding of one of the largest, influential and powerful medieval kingdoms, rivaling even France, that shaped the history of the Balkan region, as well as being one of the last bastion of Christian Balkan states to fight against the onslaught of Ottoman expansion from the 14th century onwards


DRAWING COMMENTARIES

Probably one of the least portrayed in DA, (unless you count Hetalia version of Hungary for the artwork) the Magyars are one of the most interesting medevial groups of people to study. Famous for their mounted warriors and also the goulash, I feel that I must make a contribution to represent them more in the art community. After all, the Historically Wrong Sketch Series would not be complete without the Magyars dominating the Carpathia region. However, I would like to point out that the History and the identity of Magyar itself is something that still puzzles me to this very moment.

Nevertheless, In this drawing, Haraszt-hazi Orsolya (Orsolia of House of Haraszti) is depicted as a Magyar Noblewoman in a stylized Kaftan dress with mail, as well as a stylized headdress. I'm not absolutely sure about the actual details of the traditional Magyar dress worn during the middle ages, but I took the inspiration from other steppe Turkic fashion (like the Pechenegs). Most of wealthy Hungarian nobles by the time of high middle ages and beyond would have worn western armors, typically those from German or Italy. So, her depiction would probably closer to Tribal Magyar Mounted Warriors than the Hungarian Knights.

Also, first and foremost, I would like to give a mountain of thanks for ugiel for helping with the proofreading and historical information with this drawing!


REFERENCES AND OTHER RELATED MEDIA

Developed from the Original Concept - Haraszti-hazi Orsolya of Kingdom of Carpathia

Drawn as part of the Women Warriors of Balkan Alliances in the Historically Wrong Sketch Series , featuring 5 distinct Balkan cultures represented in the series Anachronism and Historically Inaccurate depictions

Maybe related to:

The Polish , The Steppe Turkic Tribes , The Bulgarian , The Germans (Austrian)



A Part of the Historically Wrong Sketch Series: Medieval Revisited - You can find more on the various faction on the map here:

HWS Medieval Revisited - Faction Map v.1.30


HISTORICAL COMMENTARIES


The origins of Hungarians, or Magyars, is currently still a mystery and much to the subject of scholarly debate. One theory suggested that they were originally minority tribes inhabitting the central plains, surrounded by the Slavs and the Vlachs. Another theory, suggesting that the Magyars were originally Turkic when they settled down in the Hungarian Plains in the 9th century, specifically, the year 895when Arpad brought the Magyars through the Carpathian Mountains, whose ruling elites adopted the Finno-Ugrian Language from 11th century onwards. Regardless whether or not these two theories are correct, The Magyars had a very strong ties with the Persian and Turkestani culture, which are reflected in their arms, armours and combat tactics.

One thing that should be admired about the Magyars is that while many steppe or tribal empires/federations faded away due to internal instability and foreign incursion in the middle ages, the Magyars had succeeded in establishing their rule as Kingdom of Hungary, one of the largest Kingdom in Medieval Europe, a long lasting Sovereignty over the Carphatian region that has been culturally unique in the Balkans, something that has survived even to this day.

The birth of the Hungarian state could be traced back to the seven tribes from the Pontic steppes that formed the Magyar federation in early 9th century that would later descended into the Carpathian Basin, conquering the territory previously held by the Moravians. Initially, The Carpathian basin was an area of clashes of three regional powers: the Great Moravia, First Bulgarian Empire and East Francia. These three kingdoms occasionally hired the service of Magyars horsemen as auxiliary to fight in their wars, so this would probably be one of the reasons why the Carpathian basin was chosen due to the familiarities of Magyars with the area. When the Magyars were united under the Arpad, they crossed the Carpathian Mountains and entered the basin in the late 9th century. There's several historical sources that chronicled the events of this migration, with ranging dates and accuracies but the common assumption was that the Magyars entered the area initially as small migrations after a combined attack of the Pechenegs and Bulgarians against them. With the disintegration of Moravia, the Magyars exploited the internal conflicts and invaded the region, thereon established their firm hold in the late 9th century as Principality of Hungary. The origin of the name Hungary is as debated as the Origin of Magyars themselves, but several written sources referred the Magyars either as "Hetu-Moger (Seven Magyars)", Ungari or Hungrin, and is no way related to the English word of “hungry” .

The Hungarian Principality wasn't a developed state at this time, as the Arpads who ruled the realm had weak influence over the tribal Hungarian warlords and chieftains who had settled in the area. In this period, the Hungarians launched several attacks deep into Europe, to Italy, Germany, France, and even as far as Spain. Their defeat at the battle of Lechfeld in year 955, finally stopped the invasion and allowed the Magyars to focus more on rebuilding their realm. This is somewhat interesting, because the Magyars’ loss at the battle of Lechfeld included many of the warlords and chieftains and thus allowed the Arpads to firmly establish their grip in Hungary and united the tribes. The nomadic lifestyle would soon phase out in favor of settled communities, and the principality would later turn into a Kingdom with the conversion of Hungarians into Christianity and the coronation of Stephen I of Arpad as the first King of Hungary. This signaled the birth of one powerful kingdom that would remain influential in the politics of Balkan region as well as throughout Europe, before their decline in the 16th century.

The final fate of the Kingdom of Hungary could be chronicled after the battle of Mohacs in 1526, when king Louis II died in fight, the Kingdom became a sphere of influence of Turkish Ottomans and Austrian Habsburgs, fighting each other to take over Hungary. In the same year Habsburgs took western parts of the realm. Ottomans, ruled by Suleiman the Magnificent, were slowly gaining power in other parts of the realm, where John Zapolya, the enemy of Habsburgs, ruled as the king of Hungary, chosen and crowned after Louis’s death. Zapolya’s son and successor, John Sigismund, in 1570 ceded most of his lands to Turkey and become duke of Transylvania. From that moment, Hungarian lands were divided in three parts: one controlled by Habsburgs, the second one controlled by Turkey and the last one was semi-independent Transylvania."

 

John Polidora: Wizardess:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/6wvY5

 

The Silmarilllion - Carcharoth, by Magdalena Katanska:


Land of Light:


Royal Negoo:

 

HWS Women Pirates - Canavar of Mediterranean Sea by Gambargin

"HWS Women Pirates is a spin-off of the current Historically Wrong Sketch Project: Blood and Steel, with the aim to portray the different types of Women Pirates in the 17th century era, albeit perhaps with lots of stylization and anachronism . Nevertheless, hopefully this will increase the awareness of people about the many pirates that ruled the sea during their golden age, from America, Erope to Asia.

Her Theme Song: http:www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1L9Mg… - It's kinda like Greek Music though....

The first drawing of the series, is dedicated to one of the most infamous of them all, the Barbary Corsairs, who pretty much terrorized the Mediterranean sea from the 16th century till the late 18th century. Initially, the piracy activity along the Mediterranean had been active since the 11th century, both by the Muslims who lived along the northern coast of Africa, as well as Christians pirates who settled along the Mediterranean coastline. It was not until the 16th century, where migration of the moors who were expelled from the 'reconquista', that the northern coast of Africa saw increased activity in piracy. With their influence under the Ottomans in the 17th centuries, as well as the ongoing conflicts between the Europeans during the 30 years war, the Barbary pirates activity flourished, partly to the support they receive from major European powers to disturb the enemies shipping activity in the Mediterranean. The arrival of European shipbuilding techniques, brought by the exiles of the 30 year war, also helped the Corsairs to be able to extend their activities in the Atlantic, even going as far as the coast of Cork in Ireland.

It was said that they had estimated enslaved up to 1 million people in the course of 16th - 19th centuries, whom they captured during their raid, and managed to loot and captured thousands of ships. This caused many of the coastal settlement along the Mediterranean being abandoned in fear of the pirates, and it was not until the early 19th century that people began to resettle along the coastline. With the french conquest of algiers in 1830, the piracy finally ceased and the dreaded legacy of the legend of Barbary Pirates was put to an end by the European powers.

Now, for most of you who were not aware of, Women Pirates did exists in the history, although details of them are more or less very sketchy. You can find more details here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in….


This drawing, is a conceptual sketch of a Female Barbary pirate, known in the Historically Wrong Sketch Series as Lalla Taljat binti Adherbal, or simply "The Canavar of Mediterranean Sea". She is dressed in the typical loose oriental clothing, a mixed of maghrebi and ottoman style, and equipped with a pistol, some darts and a scimitar, which were commonly used by the Barbary pirates (except the darts). She descended from the family of the Maghreb Woman Warrior from the previous series, Lalla Zuhayra bint Muzzamadin, whose dynasty ruled the Grenada region before being expelled by the Iberian in an attempt to establish the Iberian Empire free from any African influence. Eventually, the family settled down along the coast of Tunisia and began their life of piracy, supported by the Orhan Empire to disturb the shipping line of their rivals.

Given the volatile situation of the era, Lalla Taljat chose to follow the radical path of becoming a corsair, despite her gender and any danger that comes along with such profession. With the personal support from another warrior of the series , Ikhal Effendi Apek of the Orhan Empire, Lady Taljat was able to afford her own ship and crew, who then embark on numerous raids as instructed by the Orhans to severely weakens the enemies of the Empire. After gaining much trust from the Ottoman Admirals and Generals, she and her ships were asked to vanguard the Ottoman Navy in the Black sea, opening the way for their Invasion of Eastern Europe. The success of the naval escort and further piracy raids earned her the nicknamed "Canavar of Mediterranean Sea", or simply 'Sea Monster' by the Turkish Orhans who fought alongside her.

Her tale of glory was was short lived though, at one point in the course of the history, the Iberian Empire and the Italian League sent their armada to hunt her down in retaliation for raiding their merchant ships continously. Outnumbered, outgunned and outmaneuvered, her entire fleet of ships along with her corsairs were obliterated and her personal ship was destroyed in the battle. Although the Iberians and the Italians claimed their victory and called it a day, Lalla managed to escape and seek refuge to her homeland, whereby she retired the life of Piracy and eventually establishing her own independent rule of a small wilayah along the coast of Tunisia.

Nevertheless, Lady Taljat was known throughout the Mediterranean for her bravery and confidence in her leadership, which earned her the heart of her corsairs. Her legend was immortalized throughout the Orhans dominion, where children were told of a gallant and brave female corsair, who fought many battles, and would come to visit any naughty children who didn't obey their parents.

 

John Polidora: Witch:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/ndQ21

 

Princess Immookalee of Native American Tribes by Gambargin

"A concept drawing for the Women Warriors in the Historically Wrong Series inspired by the many various native Northern-American people before before the arrival of first European in America during the age of discovery. After doing some study on the Mesoamerican culture for the series, i felt that the native pre-columbian people of America are given very little attention apart from what we see in the popular media. Hence, i would like to tribute this drawing as a representation of the Northern Native-American people as a part of the Historical (wrong) sketches. Bear in mind though, the representation is very stylized and may not resemble the actual attires, but please do correct me if you are more versed on the subject .

Around the same time as the peak of Mayan Civilization around the 10th and 11th centuries, the northern part of the American continent had been inhabited by numerous tribes and culturally diversed group of people, ranging from hunter gatherers, nomads to the more settle agriculture society. One such culture that settled down and based their society on farming during the Woodland Period was the Mississippian culture, that constructed mounds, temples and houses. These native people were fine craftsmen, artisans and skilled hunters, even up to this day, presenting the world with a unique and beautiful artistry and philosophy that contrasted the Western world. Although, I feel sad that some of their great past histories have been lost to the death of many of their people due to conflicts, diseases and others radical social change which may have come from the arrival of Europeans on American Soil, I still believe that there's more to to be learn from their wonderful civilization.

Historically speaking, depending on various tribes people study, the Tribal life of the Native American generally are more tolerant to women in comparison to the Western Culture at the same period of time. The Iroquois women of the First Nation for example, were allowed to cast vote and controlled the appointment of their clan's tribal chief. They also have the right to remove them if such chief is deemed too "incompetent". From what I have read, almost all of the Native American were taught to respect their women as the caretaker of the family, with some of the occupying the most respected place as a "Clan Wother", whose guidance was consulted by the people of the tribes. It was said that if the men did not get approval from their women to go for a hunt, they would be denied with food and supplies. On the other hand, folk stories and legends of the various tribes speaks of warrior women, but i have yet to read an actual recorded history of them taking part in battle.

A very interesting note however, was that the European Colonial Women of the colonization period had much less right (at least in voting) as compare to some of their Native American neighbors.

In this drawing, Princess Immookalee (A cherooke name) is depicted in the mixed of elements belonging to the various tribes such as the Iroquois, Hurons, Sioux, Pueblos as well as many others that I have come across in my study. Wooden or stone weapons have been very common back then, as metal working were not readily available to these people (compare the Mesoamerican) before the arrival of Europeans. I can humorously say, that the native people of America certainly have their fascination with displaying feathers on their clothing and attires."


Immookalee of Italwa Ani-Yvwuyu (American Indian) by Gambargin

"A Concept Drawing of the North American Native Indian (Mainly the Mississippian Culture) Woman Warrior in the Historically Wrong Sketch Series: Medieval Revisited, which is roughly based on the Middle ages covering 800 AD to 1400 AD. I couldn't think of the name of the faction, and made up some gibberish name for it, but nevertheless, her faction represents the Mississippian Culture or Mound Builders that thrived in the Eastern Part of North America during the pre-columbian era, or roughly (or anachronistically) parallel to that of the middle ages.

Inspired by the Music: Anna's Theme - Outlaw Ost (It's rather sad song, mirroring my feeling after reading their history)

The Native North American Indians may have constitutes as minorities within the American and Canadian Communities, but long before European settlers came to this region, the Native people of North America roamed freely and ruled their realm with prosperity and wealth. The Mississippian culture in the eastern part of North America, along the Mississippi river, flourished into several city states and tribal federations with sizes bigger than some of the cities in Europe of the same era. Alas, with the arrival of European Settlers, Old World diseases came came and wiped out majority of them, with only remnants of mounds they had left behind as well as their legacy contained within in the oral traditions that survived amongst the American Indian communities to this day.


----------Drawing Commentaries----------


Now, this drawing is a very general representation of the Northern American Native Indians and as we know, the American Indigenous people are very diverse, numbering more than hundreds (not counting the extinct ones) so I cannot really accurately portray the character as to which tribes/federation she belongs to (it's like saying Europe is just one culture). Given the complexity of having to condense numerous tribes into one, i decided to portray their ancestors, the Mount builders . Nevertheless I wanted this drawing as a tribute to the Native People of America, for their beautiful histories and cultures that I really admire.

Now, for her depiction, it's probably somewhat inaccurate (and bad anatomy), due to the fact that most of the portrayal i've seen, the Mount Builders were depicted (half) naked (including the Women). So I had to get a little creative as to how to portray the character without having to earn a mature content filter . The furcoat would probably suit the priest(tess, but according to what I have read, the influential warriors/leaders wore elaborate headdress with feathers attached and had copper disks hanged on their chest (maybe as symbols of importance). Like i said, it may not be the best portrayal of the Mississippian Mount Builders so any kind feedback or suggestions would be highly appreciated


===========Historical Commentaries==========


From what i know of, the history of the Native People of America were a bit sketchy (just like the dark ages/early middle ages), but it could be said that most of the tribes were living as hunter-gatherers or with a nomadic lifestyle. Sometime around the 6th century, roughly the same time when the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex was formed, 3 crops called the Three Sisters, from the Central America managed to cross into North America. These 3 crops, (beans, corns/maize and squash) arrived at the hands of these hunter-gathers, providing a new means of food supply through agriculture. As such, these tribes began to settle down forming an agrarian society along tthe Mississippian River (plenty source of water). As the crops cultivation shaped the way of life, so too do they shape the society. The tribes grew into chiefdom, and different social class began to shape across most of the Mississippian Culture. With that, food production become more effective and manageable, leading to increase in population growth and a more complex society and political structures (think of, say, the Italians city states)

It was during this peak time that these people began to build settlements with mounds and structures on them, some of which still
stands today, hence the reason is why they were also referred to as "mount-builders". I can't really say that they grew into a united empire or some short of a united political power, but some of the settlements did grew powerful enough to influence the politics (and sometimes wage wars) on their neighbors. It was also said that one of the settlement, called Cahokia, prospered in around mid 1200s that the its size were actually larger than that of many european cities like Paris/London . They too, were some of the fine artisans and craftsmen, although given that they rarely work on metals, very few of their artifacts survived to these day.

However, like most of the great civilizations of America, these Mount-Builders eventually came to an end when the European came into the continent. Some of the Mississippian people did came into contact with the Europeans, conduct trades and wage wars, depending which opportunities came first. But it was not the war that destroyed these Native American, but the diseases brought from the Old World to the New World. These diseases (like smallpox), ravaged through much of the land, conquering the people faster than the Europeans did and in just over a century since the first contact, pretty much over 80% - 90% of the Native Population were wiped out because of the plague.

To give a rough picture, the combined population of North America (US + Canada) is roughly about 350,000,000 people (as of 2013 estimate). Just imagine, when a foreign plague came into the continent and kills about 90% of the population, leaving just about 35 millions survivors...that's like having Canada intact, with the rest of US population completely wiped out. The figure can be just an exaggeration, but the scale is enough to be considered apocalyptic

So, what happened afterwards? The surviving natives pretty much lost most of their cultural/technological/political achievements made by their mount-builder ancestors. what was left were preserved in the surviving oral tradition passed down from generation to generation to this day, like what the Cherokee people have been doing (or at least, to the best of my knowledge). It was through these great oral traditions that their ancestor's legacy could be captures, and the wisdom preserved, allowing us to learn that great people and equally great civilizations once ruled the "New World" with achievements comparable to that of the "Old World"."

 

Elias Chatzoudis: Lady Mechanika (Native American)

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Wyoa3

 

Battle of Zhovti Vody by Konstantinart

 

Damien Bajowski: Cleopatra:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/B8Qvr

 

Gonji Batuyisu Mangedei of the Nodai Kahanate by Gambargin

"Princess Batuyisu of the Mengedei Clan in the historically wrong sketch, belonging to the Nodai Khanate Faction, inspired by the Mongolian Golden Horde and Il-Khanate. Inspired by the music Enkh Jargal - Great Eagle Dance www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVFDAu…. Thanks to for the contribution in the musical inspiration.

To the Mongols, life in the steppe is harsh and survival demands strong determination and perseverance. Every men and women were taught in the way of horses, as well as weapons for hunting and self defense. Each member of the household were to be expected to serve their duties in times of war, with the women being called out to fight as the last means of defense. However, in many cases, from the humble nomads to the Noble Clan Families, women could and took part in the battle, often commanding their own troops of bodyguards. These women were versed in the art of war, horse riding as well as mounted-archery, skills that made then fit to be included in the ranks of "Battle Maiden"

In the Sketch, Gonji (Princess) Batuyisu is the daughter of the Leader of Mangedei Clan, based on the famous Mangudai Tribe who served as loyal bodyguards and vanguards of the Khan. She is dressed in Mongolian Style Lamellar Armour, with stylized headgrear made of Fur and embroideries."


Batuyisu Gonji Mangedei of Nodai-in Ulus (Mongol) by Gambargin

"A (poor) concept drawing for the Mongolian Women Warrior in the Historically Wrong Sketch Series - Medieval Revisited, which is roughly based on the Middle ages covering 800s AD to 1400s AD. She represent the Mongols during the middle ages, from it's unification under the Temujin, later Genghis Khan, to it's greatest extend that spans nearly half of Eurasia.

Inspired by the music: Great Eagle Dance by Enkh Jargal (Very Beautiful Music)


INTRODUCTION

There's little to be said about the expansion of the Mongols in the middle ages, other that that which involves both awe and fear, attributed to these nomadic warriors that virtually brought what could have been seen as a "World War". Indeed, no armies or nations have fought enemies so numerous and theaters so diverse than the Mongol Warriors; yet, unlike other steppe empires founded earlier, the Mongols succeeded not only in destroying their foes, but also rebuild and ruled the realm which they have conquered. This was attributed the fact that, despite their nomadic origin, the mongols were highly disciplined warriors, whose taste for conquest and their eagerness to learn, adapt, and embrace changes that lead to the founding of the Mongol Empire, world's largest contiguous empire in the history of mankind, a legacy that shall live on for as long as there's humans that walked on this earth.


DRAWING COMMENTARIES

The Warriors of the Steppe have always been the topic of my interest, much more than any other culture I have came across in the Historically Wrong Sketch Series. We can all be boastful of the legacy that was left by our ancestors in the middle ages, but if there's one thing that is true, none could match the impression that the mongol has left in the mark of our history. It was for this reason, that Mongol is one of the earliest subject which I have included in this HWS series.

This drawing represents Princess Batuyisu of the Mangedei Clan, dressed in a highly stylized armor which incorporates leather lamellar cuirass over a thick kaftan with silk layer underneath. This depiction (with the exception of the fur hat, and the fur mantle), is common for Mongolian Heavy Lancer, while common horse archers would have worn a much more simple jacket and tunic as depicted in the background. The gauntlet may have been of Chinese origin due to the depiction of dragon, nevertheless, please disregard her bow, quiver and arrows, which are erroneously drawn. "

 

Julia Blattman: Young Artemis:

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/VL14R

 

Campaigning Alliance banner in Crimea by Rokatinsky