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Montgomery Josh

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Photo
Josh wearing his beloved Virginia Tech kilt at Yule

The Legend of the Kilted Filker grows...
Information
Resides: Barony of Iron Bog
Status: Active at both Baronial and Kingdom levels. Working on getting authorized for Siege / Combat Archery and possibly becoming a Siege Marshall.
Awards: Order of Precedence
Heraldry
Not Submitted Yet
Not Submitted Yet
Award & Office Badges
Companion of the Order of the Silver Brooch Companion of the Order of the Silver Mantle Blue Tyger Legion Order of the Sable Compass

Introduction

I am Montgomery Josh, the Kilted Filker. Also known as "Josh the Hilariously Awesome". After attending Pennsic 49 I found my place within the SCA developing Siege Weapons and joining Combat Archery, writing Scrolls and other works, and injecting a sense of fun and energy such as walking around in a kilted TRex costume in the middle of the Pennsic heat. After 50 I cemented my place within Missile Command and the Siege community. For me, it's both the engineering, and use in combat, and in building the community of builders and engineers. I also am a combat archer, wordsmith, and "horsey herald".

If you see me at an event or on social media, please feel free to stop by and say hello. I enjoy meeting people and hearing about your persona and work in the SCA. Or your work outside of the SCA. Or, well, anything really as I am entering the "Kenobi" phase of my life being the old wizard to enjoy both doing myself and enabling others around me.

I can be the glowing flame of energy at times, but when I am what you might not see is that I'm assembling the kindling around me so that flame grows and spreads. With a community of people, there is nothing we can't accomplish. Except apparently stop the Tuchux with only three siege engines when they are charging in a field battle. But we will stand our ground and take out as many of them as we can before we are physically overrun. And we did.

Persona

My persona is "me" in a different time and place: who I might be if I lived in Period. For me, my SCA persona is an extension of myself and not an escape into another person. My journey is to discover how I might have lived centuries ago. Most of all, lucky to have not been cast into the Iron Maiden or lava pit for the blasphemy that comes from my mouth because at-home latte makers haven't been invented yet and no way would I survive having to milk a cow before coffee in the first place.

Josh after the East won the Siege/CA battle

So if I am going to be me... as they say, the great engineers were Scottish thus I am taking on the persona of a late 16th century Scottish engineer, bardic wordsmith, stand-up philosopher, and generic pain-in-the-ass. I am choosing this time period for a simple reason. One of my first events was Bhakail's "Yule" in Dec, 2021. There I met a man in a Great Kilt, and above all of the other wonderful garb at that and other events, I thought it was the most beautiful look I had seen to date. It felt like "me". The name Montgomery Josh is a tribute to a great Scottish Engineer (who just happens to not be born yet) whose actor made the character Scot because all of the great Engineers were Scot. Thus you may also call me Joshy or simply Mister Josh. Just never call me late to morning coffee.

In period, I am a private engineer from the Highlands that creates devices and equipment for civilian and military applications. I do not necessarily still live in Scotland but dress in kilts when I can. My name may be a tribute to a fictional naval engineer and miracle worker but I am not a military officer. Just a loyal Highlander. Within the SCA this matches my desire to be involved in siege weapons, work on improvements to combat archery equipment, and/or improve any other martial equipment and tooling. Plus as an educated man with a zest for life, do wordsmithing for scrolls, writing for barony / kingdom needs, and planning fun events whether I am in a Dinosaur costume or not.

Over the past year, I have focused on Siege growing both the community and the engineering / A&S side of Medieval Engineering. As a result of this work and the amazing community growing around me, we authorized 13 engineers at Pennsic, set the record for time to victory in the Siege / CA battle, and showed the impact Siege has in a battle leading to Siege and CA being awarded the Blue Tyger Legion. I am beyond proud of our emerging team and the new siege engineers.

Offices & Positions

  • Lt General (Siege) for Pennsic 50
  • Founding East Kingdom Siege Guild Master (2024 - Present)
  • Iron Bog Chatelaine (2024 - Present)

Affiliations

Projects & Publications

A&S Competitions / Demos

  • Yule Revel 2022, Zen and the Art of a Craftsman’s Journey: Lessons Learned While Designing and Prototyping a Period-Inspired Roman Trigger Mechanism for a Euthytone Catapulta Ballista in SCA Siege Combat. DOWNLOAD: Project Overview, Full Documentation
  • Birka 2024, Reconstructing Scale models of Period Correct Euthytone and Palentone Siege Engines. This included "Zen and the Art of Engineering Archaeology: Designs for a SCA 'Class A' Combat Siege Engine based on a Roman Palintone 'Rock Thrower' Ballista" DOWNLOAD: Class A Changes from Period

Montgomery Josh Bardic Portfolio Details on wordsmithing for scrolls.

SCA Projects where I learned new skills and period design:

  • Multiple early-style walking kilts designed and made for Pennsic: easy to put on and off, sewn in knife pleats, simple and cheap to make in case it gets ruined in the elements. Designed to be made by someone in an evening using a home sewing machine.
  • 28" x 34" end-grain throwing target for knives and axes made from 4x4's with a 2x6 frame.
    Both Docmo Arbalests at Pennsic 50
  • A SCA-compliant Roman Ballista (#KF-01) using older plans, updating the design to use more period elements and fill in gaps in the plans. After making this prototype, will document lessons learned and will make a second using improvements learned from the first.
  • Period correct one-span scale model Roman Ballista: "Mini-B" (#KF-02). This was an Engineering Archaeology exercise based on the writings of Philon and Vitruvis, and extant finds an Xanten and Carameal to develop a design that is both period correct and can be used in Combat and Target Siege.
  • Two Docmo Arbalests for use in Combat Siege: "Spicy Pants" (#KF-03) and "The Flying Tyger" (#KF-04)
  • Rebuilding leather armor I purchased used so it fits and matches my persona.
  • Period correct rock-throwing Palintone model Roman Ballista: "Stickus DeMinimus" (#KF-05). This was another research and design study to understand the nuance and mechanics in order to build a full-scale SCA combat ballista based on Vitruvius designs.
  • SCA-compliant Class A 5-bolt shooting ballista (under construction), named "Biggus Stickus" (#KF-06), to be used in Pennsic 51.

Facebook photo galleries:

  • Birka display entry of both scale siege models

    Birka display entry of both scale siege models

  • The end-grain throwing target

    The end-grain throwing target

  • Front view of the prototype ballista

    Front view of the prototype ballista

  • "Mini-B" one-span Roman torsion ballista model

    "Mini-B" one-span Roman torsion ballista model

  • Biggus Stickus (under construction)

    Biggus Stickus (under construction)

Interests

  • Siege Weapons, from an A&S point of view to research and improve the design for target shooting (I'd love to resurrect competitions for Ballistas and Arbalists used like giant crossbows)
  • Siege Weapons, from a tactical point of view using them at Pennsic and other wars
  • Bardic Arts, wordsmithing and writing, whether a custom scroll or announcement or other document at the Kingdom or Baronial / local level
  • Dinosaur-based events for the children of the known world
  • Making bets if my wording can get the Herald or the Royalty to break character while reading the scroll
  • Filking, whether through words or personas. You do NOT want me to sing. Ever. For any reason. It won't end well.
  • Kilting and period dress, whatever period I might wear for that day
  • Cursing in Scottish because yet again I didn't sew in "cheat pleats" to my kilt and eff me I'm too old to be rolling around on the cold Pennsic ground this early in the g-ddamn morning just to get dressed
  • Lobbying the royalty to make modern kilts be period, at least an early walking kilt
  • My morning latte or coffee or whatever caffeine potions exist
  • Telling someone to "Hold my latte" right before I embarrass them
  • Heckling combatants
  • Standing on the Shoulders of Giants within the SCA to learn their trade, from garb to blacksmithing
  • Heralding for whatever may be needed, whether it be last minute equestrian events giving color commentary or something more traditional. This includes being a "Horsey Herald" in the Southern Region
  • Combat Archery, using any kind of weapon

In Case of Court

Please contact Katherine Barr of Cumberland as she can work her Jedi-zen voodoo magic to make sure I'm where I need to be and still in proper garb. And she will make sure to hide the T-Rex costumes in plain sight.

To any scribes or wordsmiths stalking my profile: As a scribal wordsmith I appreciate the task ahead of you. I see how much time my scribe spends trying to find exemplars that match a persona's time and country. In my case, I am honored enough to be considered for an award. Please do not feel limited to something historically accurate to Scotland in the 1590's. I'd rather see your creativity and artistry in matching a scroll to me, whether it is historically accurate to an exemplar or not. Impress me with your creativity in design and wording.

More Information

If you are still reading my wiki, you need some serious help. If our Anachronism included the future (when there would be technology like phones and digital watches), I'd leave a few numbers to call. Since the only remedy available in our time is fermented, I suggest you try the Strawberry Surprise at Pennsic.

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