Medieval Archers

Before the Battle of Hastings in 1066, medieval archers were viewed with reviled eyes. Many people of the time revered the horseback knights as superior warriors and thought that a hundred medieval archers would be needed to replace just one knight. Of course, the medieval archer of the time used short bows which were not as powerful as the longbows used later.

Battling uphill, the Normans in the Battle of Hastings were at a disadvantage. However, with the medieval archers shooting upward toward the enemy, their rain of arrows killed and injured many of the enemy with arrows struck their heads. Afterward, archers of medieval times enjoyed more notoriety, especially after they started using the more powerful longbow on the battlefield.

Life of the medieval archer was tough at first before their reputation on the battlefield grew. With a longbow, medieval archers could fire ten to twelve per minute. And while the crossbow could pierce armor, only two or three shots could be taken per minute. That is why life as a medieval archer was rough. While the crossbow took no time to master, the longbow required greater accuracy so that those ten to twelve shot arrows per minute would count as injuries or death to the enemy.

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In the beginning, the clothes of a medieval archer were similar to peasants. They really had not defensive armor or protection. However, as their prowess became more recognized, they wore knee length tunics with leather belts to hold their swords and archery equipment. They were also given armor helmets and chain mail for their face and limbs.

The armor for the medieval archer did not always help in the battlefield though when they fought on foot. Once some of the medieval archers started riding on horseback, their mobility stood them in good stead. In addition, the role of the medieval archer was more suited for protecting strongholds as well as laying siege rather than an open battlefield, unless the number of archers outnumbered the other soldiers by a wide margin, as was the case for many open battles.

No one could fault the necessity of medieval archers. In fact, they could attack and shoot in places that the knights had no hope of maneuvering in. Without the expertise of medieval archers, there would have been many castles whose defenses would never have been penetrated.

Today, you will find re-enactments of battles all around the world with archers playing a big role. You can even dress up as one with simple medieval archer costumes you can find through costume shops or even plans to make your own through the internet.