Mysia

[Dave Knight]

These Phyrgians are a bit more up market than that, but I have also managed to round up some scruffy types for warbands and hordes.  Mainly old Greenwood and Ball figures - I have even found some figures with Greekish helmets and axes that I can use as blades that I never thought I would be able to use

[Patrick Waterson]

Masa/Masha could be intended as Msr (Egypt).

Yet Maša (or "Ms", at least) appears in the list of Hittite allies in Ramses' Kadesh inscriptions. And from the Tawagalawas Letter, in a West Anatolian context, "He says this: I will go over to Maša and Karkiya. ... Continue the hostilities against the Hittite king from another country. Do not do it from my country. If you like, go to Maša or Karkiya. The Hittite king and I made an agreement on the matter of the land of Wi[luša]."

In these cases 'Ms' may well denote Mysia.  'Masa' in the Tawagalawas Letter does indeed appear to be something other then Egypt, as it is listed among areas threatened by Periander.  As a general observation, where 'Mizrali' appears it is obviously Egypt, but there are a few cases read as 'Masa' which could pertain to Egypt, e.g. the ritual of Yarris referred to Gurney on p.155 of The Hittites.  Hence I wondered ...

These Phyrgians are a bit more up market than that, but I have also managed to round up some scruffy types for warbands and hordes.  Mainly old Greenwood and Ball figures - I have even found some figures with Greekish helmets and axes that I can use as blades that I never thought I would be able to use

These Mysians are turning out to be rather useful ...

[Tim]

'
scruffy and disreputable infantry, wearing a tunic and carrying a javelin and roundish shield
'

That describes figures in most of my armies (well other than the Swiss...)

[Sharur]

Fascinating discussion of the Mysians, and possible Mysians, here, despite the severe lack of assistance from the ancient writers. I'm especially impressed by Duncan's finding of the 1843 book The Art of Weaving as a source of information on ancient headgear like the "Phrygian bonnet" (or indeed Mercury's "battle bowler" on subsequent pages of that Appendix on felting); one of the wonders of the Internet no doubt!

In regard to representing the Mysians and other more obscure Anatolian forces from the Argo tales, the options expressed latterly here, using various odd, and sometimes modernly-early-sculpted, representations of ancient Greek-period light troops, seems eminently sensible to me. I made efforts to source possible 20mm plastic figures for such force recreations while preparing the Argo series, and have recently returned to the possibilities thus offered, where the sometimes ahistorical sculptings can prove rather a boon than a disadvantage, given the huge gaps in our knowledge. All helps further the "mysterious" nature of a journey to unknown lands.

Mention of the old Greenwood & Ball figures also made me think, and slightly off-topic, of one of my favourite blogs to check, here, written by someone who until fairly recently was still producing to special order figures from some of the old Garrison/G&B range moulds. I like the blog, partly because it often covers ancient period miniatures the author's been (appallingly prolifically!) painting. Plus the older castings are commonly preferred there, for which I too have a nostalgic fondness. Partly though, it's because the painting style is often simple, with bold, clear colour schemes that help remind people there are other wargame-figure painting styles than those typically espoused by the newsstand wargaming glossies.