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The banner was about two to three feet square, or if rectangular, about two to three feet deep, and with a width about two thirds of the depth. The earlier banners tended to be rectangular rather than square. Sometimes the banner was fringed with the livery colours. The arms were displayed on the whole surface of the banner, with the dexter side always in the hoist. Don't assume that your choices are embroidery or nothing. Medieval banners were often painted. If you are making a banner for this tournament we suggest that you make it rectangular, two by three feet (60 cm by 90 cm) since this seems to be consistent with what is shown in King René's tournament book. Banners were not the gonfannons so often seen in the Society (that is, a flag hanging from a horizontal crossbar attached to a central pole), but like modern flags, except for their proportion. If you want a crossbar, here one way to have one. Drill a hole through your pole perpendicular to its length, as close to the end as you can and just large enough to accept a dowel by press fit. Make your banner with a casing for the pole, and a narrower casing for the dowel. Leave the dowel casing open at both ends, and make the dowel casing open into the pole casing. You can now use your banner with or without the support dowel. Or, with a longer dowel, you can hang the banner flat against the wall without the pole.
The ideal way to carry your helmet is on a short pole. This is convenient, elevates your crest so people can see it better, and keeps oil off your hands and sweat off the helmet. King Rene recommends a length of lance-shaft as long as your arm. Lengths of broken lance shaft must have filled the same ecological niche then that pieces of broken rattan too short to turn into a decent sword do today. After a day's jousting they must have been knee deep in the stuff.
To uphold your dignity properly, to make your challenges and announce your entry, a personal herald is a fine thing. A personal herald should wear a tabard or coat-armour with your device on it. There are many who would covet such a position as an escape from interminably droning: Salute-the-Crowns-of-Drachenwald-and-the-Lady-who's-favour-you-wear... Even more would take the job if you paid them. Seriously, field heralds live for this kind of stuff , and the right one can be a great help with your challenges. Besides, it's so hard to be heard from inside your helmet.
Proper 14th and 15th century had a war cry or motto that they and their retinue could shout in battle or during a tournament. Their fans could shout it from the sidelines too (Seriously. It's all in King Rene's book) A cry could be based on a name ("a Chandos! a Chandos!"), a place ("Guienne!") a patron saint ("Notre Dame!") or a combination of these elements ("Montjoie et St. Denis!). We will assume that if your cry contains the name of a saint you are not calling on supernatural aid to assure victory (which the Society frowns on) but asking the saint's aid to fight fairly and honorably (and who could object to that?)
A small wooden shield will be useful during the Helmschau. Make the shield out of plywood, hardboard or particleboard, and paint your device on it. The last two look like gessoed wood if you paint both front and back, and give a good smooth surface for painting. The size of the shield should be that of an A4 sized paper that you cut down to a shield shape. (The top edge of the shield should be as wide as the paper). These shields are of the same type that were used for the Pas d'Armes at the Double Wars in 1997 and the behourdiums in 1999 and 2002.
King of Naples and Jerusalem, Duke of Anjou, Bar, and Lorraine, Count of Piedmont, Provence and Barcelona etc. René is without doubt one of the outstanding characters of the 15th century. He took part in Joan of Arc´s campaigns against the English when he was quite young, and then spent years trying to make his real position in society match that of all his illustrious titles. He did never manage to realise the claims to Naples and Jerusalem however, although he became known to the posterity as Roi René. To the student of the Middle Ages, he is mostly known for his lavishly illustrated manuscripts, and as a patron of the arts. Most noted is certainly Livre de Tournois, from which this event was inspired, but also for Le Cueur d'Amours Espris, a typical allegory in the fashion of his day.
The tourney of the Later Middle Ages
It's often said that the tourney of the later middle ages was decadent and exaggerated, far removed from the training for warfare it was supposed to be. And certainly the great pas d'armes that is the most famous examples of 15th century tournaments provide a picture of a very elaborate and synthetic event.
"Let us take as an example of the late medieval joust the pas d'armes of the Fontaine des Pleurs, staged at Chalon-sur-Saône in 1450, which happens to be particularly well recorded. ... On the island of St Laurent on the Saône by Chalon a pavilion was to be set up, with an image of Or Lady above it. Before it was to be found a damsel, in a robe stained with tears, her hair flowing about her shoulders, tending a unicorn from whose neck hung three shields, these too tear-bestrewn (the lady and the unicorn, it is clear, were both models, not real). Here on the first day of each month a herald would be found in attendance. The unicorn's shields were of three colours, white, violet and black: Lalaing's [the defendant of the pas, Jacques de Lalaing] challengers had to touch the white shield if they wished to fight with the axe, the violet if they wished to fight with the sword, and the black for twenty-five courses with the lance. As soon as a challenger had touched a shield, his name was enrolled by the herald, who also verified that he was a gentleman of at least four lines; and a time seven days ahead was assigned for the encounter. To him among the challengers who should bear himself best with the axe was assigned as a prize an axe of gold, and a golden sword and a golden lance for the champions with the other weapons. He who was brought to the ground with the axe was to be bound to wear a bracelet of gold for a year, or until he could find the lady with key to unlock it." [Keen]
A number of similar events took place throughout the 15th century, and this example wasn't even the most elaborate event of those. But one must bear in mind that these still wasn't even the majority of tourneys, the most were simple challenges without most of the trappings outlined above. And melêe formats were still popular, especially in Germany. Also, most of the tournament heroes were also accomplished warriors, such as Boucicaut, Bayart, Earl Richard Beauchamp and others. Men such as the Gascon routier Poton de Xaintrailles also took part in events like pas d'armes Emprise de Dragon, arranged by René d'Anjou. Maurice Keen (in Chivalry) holds that the connection between actual warfare and tournaments was stronger than is most often believed. What René d'Anjou set out to do when his wrote his tourney manual was in part to revive the custom of melêe tournaments. He says specifically that the book is inspired by tourneys such as those usually performed in Germany.