Who were the knights, who were encouraged to fight on the battlefield, but forbidden to take part in duels of honour? How could a runaway murdering duellist be openly accepted and honoured among the ranks of the greatest heroes of Europe? Find out at Dreynevent.

Lecture

From the towns and forts of the Crusader Holy Land to global missions in more than 120 countries of the present day, the red banner with a white cross represents an order of professed religious individuals of the Order of St John in their continuous service that also includes military service. Heroic knighthood, devout commitment and military renown have been paired with brutal punishment for indiscretions, suppressed traits of chivalry and heavy prices of defeat. The lecture aims to shed light on how they have trained, how they have fought (even in secret) and how they live among us even now.

About the lecturer – Roman Vučajnk

HEMA came to my life in the late 1990s through the big gate of the ascending www with all the reenactment and medievalism. In the early 2000s, proper studying, interpreting and practicing the Art of fighting took over from reenacting and the Early Modern Age stepped to the front of the queue of my interests. The path has led me through wondrous landscapes of the urban combat of the 16th and 17th centuries, and I’ve never looked back.
At the same time, I became a fervent supporter of HEMA communities from big stern structured federations to happy circles of dear friends (and I even got to preside over marriages of several HEMA couples!).
Close to 30 years later, I am a content practitioner of fighting with things that cut, thrust, slice or poke, and I am grateful to be able to share my views with great people at the Academia Artis Dimicatoriae in Slovenia, and wherever HEMA takes me.