Ride of the Moon Riders:
This begins on the Aegean coast of Turkey within sight of the island of Lesbos. Turn North and skirt Mount Ida (what is the modern name?) and cross the River Scamander (what is the modern name?) to ride near to Hisarlik (ancient Troy). Then ride North-East across the country to the river Termes (Thermodon) and follow to its mouth, to Themyscira (modern name is?) and the so-called “Amazon Island” nearby. Then ride East through the mountains to the Caucasus, and either cross the Caucasus through the Daryal Pass, or take the West side along the coast of the Black Sea.
Then ride North along the coast (or at least fairly near to it) to the Kerch Straits, or almost, and North around the Sea of Azov and down onto the Crimea to finish by the shore near Sebastopol.
This ride may be continued by crossing the Kerch Straits and continuing down through the Caucasus, through Anatolia, and West to Hisarlik, and South past Mount Ida to finish at the beginning opposite Lesbos once more.
Another way that it may be continued is to ride North from the Crimea, and ride West, going South- West across the Donau/Danube, and through Romania and Bulgaria into Thrace, across the Bosporus, and South around the Sea of Marmara, past Hisarlik, and over the Scamander, and past Mount Ida to finish once more opposite Lesbos on the Aegean coast.
If continuing the ride, it would likely end in winter, having been begun in spring and ridden at a gentle pace all the way.
Costumes:
Crescent moon medallion/pendant.
Bright, colourful, patterned tunics (long sleeves, to thighs) with the same patterns as the Scythian Ride (see Scythian Ride) costumes, in linen, wool, leather. The tunics may be cross-over, and with fairly high neckline.
Trousers likewise (colourful and patterned), fitted or baggy, and may extend into a “stirrup” covering the heel, ankle-bone and instep (for barefoot riding).
Sashes (linen, cotton, silk) in bright colours, with or in place of Scythian warrior belts. Phrygian felt/leather hats in bright colours with appliquéd designs, and ties.
Possibly baldrics and belts of patterned leather in the Scythian and “Amazon” styles (plain and decorated; the baldrics depicted on Greek vase paintings of “Amazons” and of Artemis).
Tall boots (moccasin style sole) in bright, colourful leather possibly with appliqué of animal designs; knee or calf-high.
Cloaks and coats of felt, thick wool, and sheepskin if riding in winter, and boots the same.
Ride of the Scythians:
This ride is from just outside of the plateau/valley where Pazyryk is, West of Lake Teletskoy, or even just West of Gorno-Altaysk and the River Katum in the Altai Mountains of Southern Siberia. To ride West along the steppe (mostly in Southern Siberia) and to cross the Southern Urals and the Ural River, the continue West, crossing the Volga, then the Don, and South then to Gelendzhik and the sea, either for an end-point or as a pause to continue on South through the Caucasus through the Daryal Pass into Anatolia, then North to the Black Sea and up the Black Sea coast to the Kerch Strait, and cross into Crimea, then West across the Ukraine, North around the Carpathians and onto the Plain and across to Austria, to finish where the mountains begin, near Klagenfurt.
Or to go around the Sea of Azov, and West through Ukraine and South-West over the Donau/ Danube into Romania, and over the Carpathians and into Hungary, to finish in Austria where the Alps begin, or even at Salzburg, near to where the Celtic Ride ends.
Could possibly bring wagons along for storage, sleeping, cooking, etc; wide wagons with felt tents with solid wooden structures to hold them up, colourful and strong. See wagon notes.
To be done from Springtime to Autumn, although it may end in winter if riding the finishing option to the Alps.
Costume:
Bright and colourful with patterns of zigzags, wavy lines, cross-hatching, checks, dots, stars, circles, geometric designs, animals (in the style known as the Animal Style of Scythian art) for tunics (cross-over, as are coats, tunics to mid-thigh, coats to mid-calf) and trousers/leggings, and colourful wide skirts also, all of wool, (possibly linen and wild silk also) and also some (not skirts!) of leather, appliqué design of animals, etc.
Tall boots (to knee) and wide belts, all decorated with animals, etc. Belt buckles in the ancient Scythian style; animals, Mistress-of-Animals, Tree of Life, etc.
Appliqué of designs, especially animal designs to clothes, boots, belts, hats.
Felt stockings (for at least the cold months when riding.)
Winter tunics and winter boots felt-lined or wool lined or silk-lined, or sheepskin lined, or sheepskin with a wool layer beneath.
Felt and leather and sheepskin hats, in both the Phrygian style (tall and conical) and more close- fitting, with ear-flaps, and both styles bright and colourful and decorated with appliqué.
Ride of the Celts:
To ride from just East of the Southern Urals along the steppe, to cross the Ural River, then the Volga, then the Don, then West around the Sea of Azov and through the Ukraine, to cross the Dnieper into Galicia/Halicia, and pause there a short time (season-dependant). Then South-West through the Carpathians, though Hungary, into Austria, and West and a little North into the Alps to Hallein and Hallstatt. This can be the end of this ride, or it can be continued, via La Tene in Switzerland, and across France in a North-West direction to Brittany, finishing on the North Breton coast by the sea.
With this to have wide wagons in which to sleep, same style as the possible Scythian ones, only with more Celtic designs than Scythian ones decorating them, and solidly built; enough to take adult weight on the roofs. See wagon notes.
Costume:
Clothes in wool twill plaid in bright colours, and “Celtic” knotwork and designs to decorate.
Tunics and trousers, mostly in bright plaid twill (or colourful linen in summer) of two or three colours, some with more. Tunics are thigh- or knee-length, don’t cross over, have necks with a fairly high round opening, or a notched opening with a brooch fastening, and slit sides or front and back for easy mounting.
Trousers tight, mostly, although some may be baggy, with the same “stirrup” as Moon Riders and Scythians, and in plaid or checked design.
Coats (thick wool, sheepskin for winter) cross-over at the front, fastened with a leather belt (with a Celtic buckle design) over, and possibly a sash.
Hats closer to beanies and tam-o’-shanters than Phrygian hats, and wool twill or felt or leather like clothes. (some may need to be sheepskin for winter).
Boots tall leather, and ankle-boots for summer (or ride barefoot!), plain leather, and coloured or natural, moccasin-style sole.
Cloaks and mantles (like a poncho, coat, and cloak combined) of many-coloured plaid, fastened with Celtic-design brooches.
Possibly leather trousers and tunics, if needed.
Distances and time:
It has been said (in one of the books about Scythians) that nomad people could cover 1,000 miles in 35 days, implied to be at a fairly easy pace, and this is through mountainous terrain of the Caucasus and modern Northern Iran. So if it is 1,000 miles per 35 days, it is therefore 6,000 miles in 210 days, 4,000 miles in 140 days, 3,000 miles in 105 days, 2,000 in 70 days. Roughly. For those unused to riding, of course, it would probably take longer until the body was used to it, when the pace could be upped to make up time. One can, of course, ride faster and further all summer than in winter, and with the Scythian ride, I would personally prefer to be at least past the Urals when autumn comes, and certainly close to the Carpathians when winter comes, preferably across them and in Hungary and beyond.
Scythians: Between 6,000 and 4,000 miles distance (9,000 kilometres, and 7,000 kilometres). At 50 miles per day maximum, average 30, it would take 120 days at 50 miles a day, and 200 days at 30 miles a day for 6,000 miles/9,000 kilometres. It would take 80 days at 50 miles a day, and 135 days at 30 miles for day for 4,000 miles/7,000 kilometres.
This is assuming, of course, a steady pace and not an overly fast one. The Mongols used to say that a dispatch rider could go from their capital in Mongolia to Hungary in a month, but that was at breakneck pace, by the sound of things, swapping horses every few days. At a gentle pace, the same distance can be accomplished in a year. At a relatively swift pace, within a season or two. So to begin the journey in spring, even taking the lesser daily distance, would be at least two seasons, so finishing in the autumn in Europe. With an additional distance added, in winter, which might suit some people, of course. This ride could take two seasons bordering on three at a brisk pace, to four at a slower pace (the pace accommodating wagons and new riders).
Moon-Riders: A very rough guess puts this at no more than about 1,000 miles/ 4,000 kilometres distance. So at 50 miles a day maximum, and 25 average, this could be accomplished in 20 days for 50 miles a day, or 40 days for 25 miles a day. An even gentler pace, dawdling, this would take of course longer, and this calculation does not take into account mountains (of which there are very many in Turkey) or seasonal changes. So if begun in springtime, the ride could be over by the end of summer, or continued until autumn, or even winter with the extension that loops the Black Sea. If accommodating new riders and mountains passes, two seasons. Three or more if doing the complete Black Sea Loop.
Celts: Between 4,000 and 3,000 miles distance (7,000 and 6,000 kilometres). At 50 miles a day, average 30, it would take 80 days at 50 miles a day, and 100 days at 30 miles a day. Without, of course, taking into account seasons, mountains, wagons, etc. A more accurate calculation would be for two to three seasons to make this ride, spring to late summer or autumn, or if started a little later, wintertime to complete. The extension to the ride takes it through winter into Spring, to likely finish in summertime on the coast.
Wagons and saddles and equipment:
Wide wagons, each to sleep a minimum of ten people (for Celtic and Scythian rides). Each 4m wide minimum, 6m wide maximum, and about 10m to 15m long, with three or four pairs of spoked large wheels, and set fairly high off the ground to enable fording rivers. Solid wooden structure supporting a double-layered felt roof and waterproof hemp canvas, possibly decorated with bright designs in authentic styles. Each wagon for storage and sleeping; each has a wood/dung burning stove for warmth and cooking (possibly one with an oven, and a fire-bowl for outdoor cooking). One wagon more for storage (food, water, clothes, equipment, horse fodder, etc) and one more for sleeping/living. Those who aren’t fit to ride can travel in the wagons, which are drawn by four large (or six) horses, draft horses, led by riders. Smaller, simpler wagons for Moon Riders, and possibly just a road vehicle carrying stuff, etc.
Clothing stored in large canvas “trunks”, one for cold-weather gear (very large), one for warm- weather gear (smaller), with the name of the owner appliquéd on the outside in a contrasting colour. Gear to be kept to a minimum, except for cold-weather gear, and minimum “extras” to be brought (as in, minimum everyday clothes, jewellery, makeup, toiletries, personal items like devices and books, although plenty of menstrual products are a very good idea; cloth pads, cups, sponges, favourite underpants). Extra boots a good idea, and a spare riding helmet and spare riding gloves. Cutlery and crockery to be as close to authentic as feasible; eg. wood and horn, and leather waterskins. But there’s no need to go too far; modern insulated containers and modern stainless steel cooking pots are a good idea.
For Scythian Ride (and possibly Moon-Riders, depending on circumstances) — saddles authentic (or at least close; buckles instead of ties for girth, breaststrap, crupper) replicas of Pazyryk finds (colourful, no stirrups, etc.) in the riding-blanket style as well as the padded-saddle style. Possibly with leather stirrups as an experiment? Alternate with modern treeless endurance saddles with sheepskin seats, dressage girths, and toe-caged stirrups. Celt ride similar, only saddles simpler and leather rather than felt, embossed with Celtic knotwork, etc, and possibly with removable leather stirrups also. Alternate as with Scythian.
Bridles bitless, and colourful, and in Pazyryk style for Scythian, simpler and Celtic for Celt. Possibly just add a hackamore to the authentic replica, and see how it works.
Food:
Bring supplies of basic things: dried vegetables (including mushrooms, a good source of protein!), dried fruits, herbs, seaweed, salts, pulses, grains, seeds, nuts, oils, sweeteners (maple syrup, carob syrup, date syrup), honey. Supplement with fresh things bought en route. Bring a manual grain- grinder and flaker; buy complete grain, as in groats, rye seed/berry, and make into flour fresh; flour will not keep on a journey. Mostly simple soups and breads and stews, and also possibly sprouted grains, sprouted pulses, sprouted seeds as well as fresh raw vegetables and fruit. Dairy produce and eggs possibility, buying fresh en route, or not if doing a vegan ride.
For Moon-Riders, the diet will be a lot of vegetables, grains (as bread and probably as porridge), olives, fruit, and Turkish sweets (like halva) for part of the ride, and similar, only without Turkish sweets and olives for the rest, and a lot of dairy produce available.
For Scythian Ride, the diet will primarily be what one brings, plus foraged wild food, and whatever fresh things can be obtained along the way, and meals will probably be breakfast, snacks while riding, and dinner after a camping-spot for the night is decided, on the steppe, that is. Near the end, more like the later section of Moon-Riders and more like Celtic.
For Celtic Ride, it will be the same as Scythian, only with more fresh fruit and vegetables available, and greater possibly of buying foods, and traditional Ukrainian and Central European sweets, especially towards the end of the ride.
For health reasons, alcohol, modern wheat, stimulants, and cane sugar will be avoided as much as possible on these rides, and a full herbal kit (dried herbs and preparations) will come, alongside a full homeopathy kit.
The Angelic Crystal Lady 