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English Longbowman - Hundred Years War

16K views 26 replies 26 participants last post by  shovelchop81 
#1 ·
Below are my pictures of an English Longbow Archer from the Hundred Years War.

The equipment is a mixture of Ignite's Viking Archer, Crusader, and some odds 'n ends I've picked up at show. The uniform is custom. His helmet is a kit based 21C fireman's helmet. The base is inspired from drawings and pictures and uses egonzinc's techniques.













Short History of Longbow's from Wikipedia

Recognizable longbows dating as far back as the Mesolithic period have been found in many parts of Northern Europe[1]. The medieval English use of a powerful longbow as a decisive weapon of war was more of a social than a technical development. It required in particular the training, recruitment, and maintenance of a large number of men, their supply with yew wood by means of foreign trade, and their incorporation with other troop types into an effective tactical system. The first recorded use of the term 'longbow', as distinct from simply 'bow', occurs in a Paston Letter of the fifteenth century.

Archery does not appear to have been especially significant in pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon warfare and the first great English archery victory was the Battle of the Standard in 1138. During the Anglo-Norman invasions of Wales, Welsh bowmen took a heavy toll on the invaders, using short, rough elm bows technically distinct from classic English yew longbows. As soon as the Welsh campaign was successfully over, Welsh conscripts began to be incorporated into English armies. The lessons the English learned in Wales were later used with deadly effect by Welsh mercenaries on the battlefields of France and Scotland. Their skill was exercised under King Edward I of England (r. 1272-1307), who banned all sports but archery on Sundays, to make sure Englishmen practised with the longbow. As a result, the English during this period as a whole became very effective with the longbow.

The longbow decided many medieval battles fought by the English, the most significant of which were the Battle of Crécy (1346) and the Battle of Agincourt (1415), during the Hundred Years' War and followed earlier successes, notably at the Battle of Halidon Hill (1333) during the Scottish wars. The longbow corps saw particularly heavy casualties at the Battle of Patay and this loss contributed to England's eventual defeat in that war. Longbows remained in use until around the 16th century, when advances in firearms made gunpowder weapons a significant factor in warfare and such units as arquebusiers and grenadiers began appearing. Before the English Civil War, a pamphlet by William Neade entitled The Double-Armed Man advocated that soldiers be trained in both the longbow and pike; this advice was not followed in anything but a few town militias. The last recorded use of bows, in an English battle, seems to have been a skirmish at Bridgnorth, in October 1642, during the English Civil War[10]. Longbowmen remained a feature of the Royalist Army, but were not used by the Roundheads.

Although longbows were much faster and more accurate than any black powder weapons, longbowmen were always difficult to produce, because of the years of practice necessary before a war longbow could be used effectively (examples of longbows from the Mary Rose typically had draws greater than 637 N (143 lbf)). In an era in which warfare was usually seasonal and non-noble soldiers spent part of the year working at farms, the year-round training required for the effective use of the longbow was a challenge. A standing army was an expensive proposition to a medieval ruler. Mainland European armies seldom trained a significant longbow corps. Due to their specialized training, English longbowmen were sought as mercenaries in other European countries, most notably in the Italian city-states and in Spain. The White Company[11], containing men-at-arms and longbowmen and commanded by Sir John Hawkwood, is the best known English Free Company of the 14th Century.
 
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#20 ·
Nice Job! I like the buckler. And I love that base. The arrows stuck in the ground are a nice touch. From what I have read, that was standard procedure for English archers when shooting from a fixed position.
It is also common to see contemporary depictions of archers with arrows tucked under their belts, or in their boots. And sometimes they are shown carrying what are called 'arrow bags'.
Here's a link about those. http://cunnan.sca.org.au/wiki/Arrow_bag
 
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