Ancient history

Last minute gifts for Christmas

It's hard to believe, but there are only a few days left until Christmas and time tends to run twice as fast in this last part of the year. There is also a lot to do for us at Battle-Merchant during this time. On the one hand, of course, we send packages up to the last moment so that the gift arrives in time for the festival. On the other hand, there are other fun things in the program, such as the aftermath of the annual inventory.

Nevertheless, we love this time and pack packages up to the last minute. If your delivery address is in Germany and you order (and paid) by December 19th, 2019, your delivery will probably arrive before Christmas. We cannot promise that, because the delivery also depends on the shipping service providers, but they are usually working at full speed at this time to ensure that everything arrives on time.

After we have handed over the package to the delivery service, you will receive your tracking number from the delivery service by e-mail. There you can then check where your order is currently located.

Last minute gift ideas

We recently revealed a few gift ideas for sword lovers. But not every medieval enthusiast has their own sword or wants to buy one. That's why we're giving you a few more general last-minute gift tips here.

Gift set for the medieval herb garden

Our first medieval gift tip is also a small excursion into nature. The power of the plant world was already being used well before the Middle Ages. Knowledge of herbs was a valuable asset and was passed on through many generations. In addition to being used for food, herbs were also valued for their healing powers or used for coloring. In our useful herb booklet, the recipient will learn everything about the use of herbs. Where to find them and how to use them is also explained here.

Our hand-forged sickle goes well with this. It is modeled on the sickles used by farmers, herbalists and healers in the Middle Ages. It is suitable both for the local herb garden and as a prop in the medieval camp. However, before use, it must be sharpened, as we only slightly sharpen the cutting edge.

Suitable for:

  • Healers, druids, cooks, witches and shamans in LARP (NOT as a weapon, only as a commodity or decoration)
  • Herbalists, healers and cooks in representations of the Middle Ages, Living History (the book of course only for acquiring knowledge)
  • Plant enthusiasts and nature lovers

Cost:

Book and sickle for a total of €20.90

Tip:

In the hardware store there are often beautiful herb boxes for the windowsill. You can of course also make these yourself. If you add a few bags of herbs to the gift, the gift is perfect. But beware:Not every herb is equally suitable for the windowsill.

Do it yourself gift sets

Many of our customers love to make things themselves. So it's a good thing that we have many DIY books in our range that, in combination with the right utensils, make great small gift sets.

For example, our book about making our own mead is very popular. Not only does it tell you in great detail how the mead is made, you also get useful tips:how to avoid mistakes, which honey is best to use, and legal regulations.

So that the recipient can get started right away, you should also get some ingredients for the basic recipe:

  • Honey (about 300 g for 1 l of mead)
  • Pure cultured yeast for wine
  • Yeast nutrient
  • naturally cloudy apple juice

You should also add a glass fermenting balloon or plastic fermenting vessel to the gift set, as most don't have one. If you now think something is missing here, then you are right. The set is really complete when you add a drinking horn to the stand so that the mead can be tasted in style afterwards.

Voilá, the medieval gift set for making your own mead is complete.

Suitable for:

  • Mead and/or honey lovers
  • People who like to experiment with food
  • Friends of the Germanic way of life

Cost

This can vary greatly depending on what ingredients and props you acquire. You can get glass fermentation balloons quite cheaply at flea markets, but you might still want to buy them new because it's a gift.

Book on mead making:€16.95
Drinking horn:between €7.95 (150 ml) and €52.96 (1.5 l)
Drinking horn stand:around €10
Clay shot cup:€2.95 per cup

Our tip:

Don't skimp on the quality of the honey. A regional organic honey is best suited, as there are no residues of insecticides or insecticides
Pesticides are included. Incidentally, in our medieval shop in Wacken you can get natural, cold-spun honey from the Krempermarsch.

Of course you can also buy the mead from us in ready-to-eat form.

More gift ideas

There are gifts for friends of the Middle Ages that are always well received. This includes, for example, everything in the area of ​​storage requirements. Be it a nice new clay mug or a set of medieval cutlery; things like that are always useful. It is particularly nice if you personalize your gift, for example by carving a small dedication into the new wooden mug. You get quite a lot for the narrow dollar in our storage needs category. Have a look around!

Jewelry is something you can never have enough of. Pendants, rings, robe clasps or hair beads are popular. Depending on which era and which style the recipient prefers, you can choose from different styles. From the Roman fibula to Thor's hammer from the Viking Age to Gothic ornaments, you'll find a rich selection.