SciFi and Fantasy Art: The Unfair Fight

SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!

Barbarians and highlanders also used swords and prefered them over axes and they invented the japanese fighting style and u are rude and insulting to everyone scottish irish norweigen swedish french and mongolian

John Gareth Harvey replies: "Er... thanks for that interesting comment Mr/Mrs Anonymous. I'm quite aware that highlanders preferred swords, however their use was restricted largely to those that could afford them I believe i.e. the nobles of the clans. I suspect that in the various scottish uprisings many of the common people will have carried axes though admittedly probably woodsmans axes not hatchets as I've drawn. As far as I know there is no race known as 'barbarian', it is merely a construct of the roman empire and a string of RPG games. I suspect many scots would find this description of them as barbaric quite offensive. Nor do I see the link between all the countries mentioned. The Norwegian and Swedish are perhaps alluding to the vikings, who were mainly mariners and coincidently used axes quite a lot. The mongols were great conquers, but mainly from horseback, when the used powerful recurve bows as their weapon of choice. I am quite impressed to hear the highlanders developed the Japanese sword fighting techniques. I was not aware there was any significant contact between the two peoples at the time. In fact I had always thought that many of the techniques used were in fact impossible with a broadsword and I have yet to hear of a highlander fighting Dai-Sho. Oh yes I do have irish blood. Lastly and most of all this is a FANTASY website, please, please get some perspective."

Yes, Anonymous is quite wrong to claim that the Highlanders invented the Japanese fighting style. However, there are a large number of other inaccuracies in this picture. First, the Highlander wears a féileadh beag (little kilt), with nothing above the waist. The féileadh beag is the garment most closely associated with the Highlands today, but it only came in around 1700 or later. Before that, the Gaels wore the féileadh mór or great kilt, which had a big fold of cloth that went over one shoulder. In fact, that was the more common style right up until tartan was banned after Culloden. Under the féileadh mór they would wear a leine (shirt) coloured yellow with saffron; this warrior is bare to the waist. And they didn't wear sandals. I suppose the leg coverings here might be interpreted as old-style brògan ("gaiters" originally, "shoes" in modern Gaelic) - but they don't look it. Swords were more common among the Celts (including the Gaels) than among the Germanic Saxons and Vikings. Also, as I recall the Samurai were rich nobles - hardly a fair contest to pit him against a poor crofter who can't afford a sword then, is it? And the feudal system didn't really operate in the Gaelic lands as it did elsewhere in Europe; be he never so common, this man's chief would have provided him with weaponry if he was asking him to fight. And that would have included a shield (a round targe, most likely). If on the other hand he belongs to the later period when the clan system was starting to collapse from English influence, he should have a pair of flintlock pistols and a basket-hilted broadsword.

And what the he ll has happened to the poor man's head?

To make the same point more briefly and less subtly: I know it's a fantasy website, but it was you, not us, who identified your characters as a Highlander and a samurai, and as such it is quite legitimate to complain that your Highlander actually isn't a Highlander but an imaginary random half-dressed axe-wielding Barbarian out of a rôle-playing game. Perhaps a better title would be "The Unfair Stereotype."

You offen scottsman all around. I hope some druk scott will cleave your head off with a claymore.

Oh stop arguing, it is so immature. This art, so artistic licence, ever heard of it?

Only one problem like what hapened to to the Highlander guys head? ps whyfore didn't you give him a sword.

Um....well it's certainly an interesting picture. Just a note from a kendo practicing person, however, the stance that the samurai is in doesn't look like one you would use to pierce a person with. In fact, unless the "highlander" fell on the samurai's sword it'd be quite impossible.

Very sweet, im irish too but who cares about the highlander, the samuri would kill him so fast and quick, like ur drawings, make more of these!

What is this !!!!!
Come on can't you do better than that?, or are you limited to your drawing abilities.^_^
@_@
<.>_<.>
it is still a pretty good drawing though

Obviously a quick sketch, compared to your other work. Anatomy and pose on both figures needs a bit of work. Interesting topic, although I'm not sure that the end result would be a foregone conclusion necessarily. We scots have to stick together Would love to see you do another version of this, utilizing the talent that you have displayed elsewhere in your gallery.