Possible names for early Christian warriors/horsemen

[Craig_Sutter]

I'm working on an early medieval Europe mod. The scenario I am working on is centered on Northwest Europe - British Isles, northern France and Germany, Scandinavia...

I am incorporating religious units (in a convoluted way which involves units needing certain religious buildings for construction and resource producing buildings). I have created Crusader Footmen and Crusader Knights as religious unit contemporaries of the Longswordsman and Knight. (I use Berserker and Berserk Warrior for Norse equivalents of longsword and shortsword units). However, I would really like to create Swordsman/Horseman equivalents for Christianity which could upgrade to these units Crusader units.

Only thing is, I am having difficulty finding a name... Charles Martel's army would seem to be a sort of template to follow, but I don't know particularly Christian names for those kind of units. I had thought of Paladin for the horsemen, but that sounds particularly fantastical and was really a later term used particularly in reference to the 12 knights of Charlemagne, so I'm not certain I'd like to use that one. No idea as to a Swordsman-type unit name.

I had also thought of "Christian Horseman" and "Christian Swordsman" but those seem too long and are not real unit names.

Anyhow, for those of you with some historical knowledge, do you have any possible names for the units I've described?

Thanks.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

I think you could use these units from Constantinople in the 6th Century. The swordsman is called a Spatharios and the spearman is called the Protector of Primoscutarii - though as a group, the spearmen, guards and standard bearers were known as Torquati.

Incidentally, the other unit is a Excubitor, who used axes and javelins. The horsemen were known as Eques.

EDIT: Horseman options

This is a Cavalry Decurion:

This is the Cohors Equitata:

 

[Craig_Sutter]

I think I may be looking for something that does not exist... the Byzantium units may fit the bill, but I need something more Carolingian or earlier in nature...

The Crusades provide a clear example of military orders based upon religion... there may not be units that are appropriate before that period.

Brief research shows Vassalli, Milites as being possible, but they were not particularly religious in nature. Paladins are actually used in a couple of total war mods... but the term is renaissance in nature.

Your examples of Eques and Decurion may have some usefulness... I need to research the terms further.

I may have to make up some sort of name using the examples above and some latin of some sort to come up with a good name. I may also just decide to go with a mounted unit rather than a foot unit as I think any religiously driven military force may have been from the nobility rather than foot soldiers.

Perhaps in such case, just using Paladin might be easiest.

Thanks for the suggestions. As I said, I'll have to ponder a bit more.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

I have the Osprey book "Carolingian Cavalryman AD 768-987". The Cavalry class are known as "Miles" but they're generally referred to as Cavalrymen. As a UU somewhere, there's mention of "Magyar Raiders" - who are to the left of this picture, with the Carolingians to the right.

 

[Craig_Sutter]

I have found the reference Miles Christi and Milites Christi in reference to the Crusades... they may do as standins for precrusade units. I think I'll use these terms.

Thanks for the advice... it certainly helped in the decision making process...

 

[Neirai]

So, I'm curious --> your scenario will allow players to build special war units if they have certain religions?

If so, that is very interesting.

 

[AW Arcaeca]

You might try looking through the Fall of Rome scenario for units, as it's about the right time period you need. The Seaxman and Huscarl might be of use.

 

[Craig_Sutter]

Got those... thanks.

 

[Craig_Sutter]

I create a religious building (similar to pagoda). I have it produce a resource and make religious units require that resource and building to be built. By manipulating eras and using era dependent variants of the holy warrior belief I can have the unit be purchasable by either faith or money as well.

 

[mrc2022]

Hey Rob I'm looking for a Frankish cavalry unit what details can you share?

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

We are intruding on Craig's thread here - but as it's a related subject that Craig himself will probably be interested in then I'm sure it'll be okay - apologies, Craig, if it isn't.

The Franks had cavalrymen, but generally used ground troops, even against other horseback units - the Battle of Tours will show you that. Of interest is the Gascon Cavalryman; these were light cavalry, who found with javelins. They didn't use stirrups and their saddles were quite basic, AFAIK they just threw some leather material to give some padding, but there wasn't even a frame to the saddle.

The Amorican cavalryman was from Brettony and was armoured - we're looking at mid-ninth century here (with the Gascon Cavalryman about a century earlier). They fought with javelins and were influenced traditionally by Alans who had settled in their area centuries before.

The pictures on the Osprey website are all I could find - they're quite small. The Gascon cavalryman is at the back of the first picture (of the three that's together under "view online content") with the green tunic and the Amorican cavalryman is on the middle picture stood with his horse at the right of the image.

 

[Calavente]

For christians I would have gone with crusader milite (or militia) and crusader for early middle age..
and then gone for the knight orders for the later couple of unit :templar / hospitlier ...etc

otherwise, for early christian I would have told you to look at the spanish reconquista... but there are not really names.... those were "knights"...

but truth to tell, there were not "religious" soldiers till the crusades..

the mounted units of the christian realms were all called "knights"... whatever the period.. and the other way around... all knights were christians.
so maybe : "knight" could be the "heavy christian cavalry".

but then non-religious heavy cavalry would have to be something else: "nobles ? esquires ?..."

 

[Craig_Sutter]

I tend to agree with you, Calavente, about knights== Christian mounted warriors. There were wars against pagans pre-crusades, certainly, but whether that equals holy war is a question to which I do not know the answer. Charlemagne's wars against the Saxons and Moslems in Spain certainly had some religious aspects. Anyhow, as I've mentioned, I've settled upon a naming convention for precrusade units, Miles Christi and Milates Christi, which more or less translate to Christian Knight and Christian Soldier. The units are more or less horsemen/knights except for a couple of promotions I've added... I'm just going to presume, precrusades, that these units were maintained by providing troops under feudal obligation to church rather than being vassals to a secular overlord.

 

[Magma_Dragoon]

The word you want is Paladin

 

[Craig_Sutter]

Yes... that seemed very appropriate from my research initially; however, it is really a renaissance term applied to the 12 knights of Charlemagne. So it is slightly anachronistic and not really a unit type when viewed in that light.

That being said, I did consider it... but was finally too put off by the fantasy elements of the name, warranted or not.