'The _Nakkárah_ or _Naqárah_ was a great kettle-drum, formed like a brazen
cauldron, tapering to the bottom, and covered with buffalo-hide, often 3½
or 4 feet in diameter.... The crusades naturalised the word in some form or
other in most European languages, but in our own apparently with a transfer
of meaning. Wright defines _naker_ as "a cornet or horn of brass," and
Chaucer's use seems to countenance this.'--Marco [89] Polo, ed. Yule, i.
303-4; where more is added. But Wright's explanation is a mere guess, and
should be rejected. There is no reason for assigning to the word _naker_
any other sense than 'kettle-drum.' Minot (Songs, iv. 80) is explicit:--
'The princes, that war riche on raw,
Gert _nakers_ strike, and trumpes blaw.'
Hence a _naker_ had to be struck, not blown. See also _Naker_ in
Halliwell's Dictionary. Boccaccio has the pl. _nacchere_; see above.
2520. _Sparth_, battle-axe; Icel. _sparða_. See Rom. Rose, 5978; Wars of
Alexander, ed. Skeat, 1403, 2458; Gawain and Grene Knight, 209; Prompt.
Parv. In Trevisa's tr. of Higden, bk. i. ch. 33, we are told that the
Norwegians first brought sparths into Ireland. Higden has 'usum securium,
qui Anglicè _sparth_ dicitur.'
2537. As to the regulations for tournaments, see Strutt's Sports and
Pastimes, bk. iii. c. 1. §§ 16-24; the passages are far too long for
quotation. We may, however, compare the following extract, given by Strutt,
from MS. Harl. 326. 'All these things donne, thei were embatailed eche
ageynste the othir, and the corde drawen before eche partie; and whan the
tyme was, the cordes were cutt, and the trumpettes blew up for every man to
do his devoir [_duty_]. And for to assertayne the more of the tourney,
there was on eche side a stake; and at eche stake two kyngs of armes, with
penne, and inke, and paper, to write the names of all them that were
yolden, for they shold no more tournay.' And, from MS. Harl. 69, he quotes
that--'no one shall bear a sword, pointed knife, mace, or other weapon,
except the sword for the tournament.'
2543-93. Cf. the Teseide, vii. 12, 131-2, 12, 14, 100-2, 113-4, 118, 19. In
2544, _shot_ means arrow or crossbow-bolt.