Pass the Muster

Post # 79 



      Sometimes we hear the phrase, "pass the muster."  The has no relationship at all with a similar sounding phrase that might be heard around a table full of bratwurst being "pass the mustard."  This second phrase is gastronomical, whereas the one I'm talking about has a military term as its roots.  It is related to the term, "Muster the troops."  
      In its simplest terms the word muster means to gather or to assemble a group of soldiers or an entire army.  Under feudalism a noble was required from time to time to muster a group of soldiers and knights for his overlord, or liege.  This practice dates back at least as far as the dark ages, such as in Anglo-Saxon England.  The size of the required body of fit, fighting men to be mustered depended largely on the size of the estates of the particular noble.  Under the agreements of their vassalage, those lords with larger holdings were required to muster larger bodies of soldiers.  
      Sometimes someone would come through a region to get new recruits, usually as mercenaries for a different country.  An example of this was Johann Spens, who in 1629 got permission from the British crown to recruit and hire mercenaries throughout Scotland for King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden to fight for him in what was known then as "the Holy Warres of Germany" (the Thirty Years War).  Sometimes even local nobles of sorts would be allowed to recruit their own regiments of mercenaries on behalf of Johann Spens and the Swedish King.  McKay did this and had his own regiment in the service of Gustavus Adolphus, and so did Alexander Hamilton (not to be confused with the man of the same name who was shot by Aaron Burr over 180 years later).  
      They would go into a town and a sergeant or some officer would cry out.  They would promise riches, gold and glory.  Since the areas they went through were extremely economically depressed during that time, the six Riksdalers per month sounded like a good idea at the time.  One by one men would come up to a table they had set up, and would take a soldier's oath.  They would be given a small sum as a recruiting bounty (an incentive), and would be allowed to go home for a short while to set their houses in order before departing to fight in the "Warres."  The time allowed for doing this was usually about a fortnight (two weeks).  When the fortnight was over they were expected appear at a preordained muster camp (with penalty of law to back them up).   At this muster the men would train in their weapons for a short time before moving on to the next community.  Eventually Spens shipped them all over to Sweden to get ready for the invasion with other mercenaries, and with levied regular army.  
      In later periods mustering troops is the same as gathering them.    It could also often involve training and drilling.  
      In the world of historical reenactments, there are sometimes events that are called Musters (for military reenactments).  These are basically a gathering of reenactment groups who portray specific units, and and are for specific timelines.  

      17th Century groups have musters, such as the annual one that is hosted at Historic St, Maries City.  In this event groups portraying various units gather together.  They drill together, they strut their stuff, and there is often a battle reenactment or a tactical demonstration too.  Some 18th century events are called musters also.  I don't know if War of 1812, or Civil War reenactors have musters or not.  
      One reenactment group that I belong to has two events per year that they call musters.  In these events they are a time for the members of the regiment to gather together and drill.  They are also a time to have reenacting skills workshops, or classes.  The members are all taught and display skills that everyone during their period would have known.  There are classes on things like proper period correct clothing, how to interpret properly for the public, how to use the various weapons safely and correctly, fire starting, cooking period correct foods, and even things like spinning wool.  Period dance and music are also included.  

  Members all participate in these skills workshops, and they get checked off for them as they get completed.  These musters are designed to make the members better reenactors. 

      I am at one of these events this weekend.  We have had a full schedule of workshops, and we will still have many more.  I have been at all the workshops so far, and I have even run some of them (such as "creating a believable, and correct persona")  Since we have much more to go, I have to go get back out there.