It was exactly 600 years ago, in July of 1423, late in the Hundred Years' War. We take a look at the clothing and armor of Llywelyn, a Welsh archer in the English army. The English are on their way to the Burgundian city of Cravant to help their allies against a French-Scottish invasion.

As a child, the adventurous Llywelyn was inspired by the adventures of Robin Hood, which were performed by traveling actors from England. He has trained with a bow all his life, from Sunday target practice to secretly hunting in his lord's forest. Before he was an archer, Llywelyn worked as a journeyman for a master of the blacksmith's guild in his city. His rebellious personality led to a major feud with his guild master, causing him to sign up to fight in France.

Basic clothing

This is Llywelyn's basic clothing, which he wears at home in Wales or in his spare time. His outfit consists of a tunic, a belt, trousers, a hood and a pair of punts.

Tunic

The tunic was the basic garment for men throughout the Middle Ages. They were worn all year round and came in many styles. In the fifteenth century, European tunics were mainly made of wool and linen, depending on the weather. Cotton did not grow in Northern Europe, but was available through trade with contemporary Italy and Spain.

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Belt

The belt ensured that long, flowing garments (such as tunics and dresses) fit better to the body for both men and women. Belts were also a way to show your status, not only through beautiful fittings and decorations, but also through the length of the part of the belt that hung loose; that signaled how much money you had left to spend on extra leather!

When he became a journeyman in the blacksmith's guild, Llywelyn received a beautifully decorated belt. It is not only a reminder of home for him, but also his tool belt. To this he attaches everything he needs in his daily life, from his cutlery and money bag to his war hammer and buckler.

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Leggings

Leggings (Chausses) were a popular garment for men in the late Middle Ages. They were a kind of long socks that were attached to the underpants (Braies) with laces. The nobility and wealthy citizens often wore their beautifully decorated bones in different colors (mi parti). Our Llewelyn isn't rich enough for that trendy fashion, so he wears a pair of plain red leggings.

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Chaperon

The chaperon was an important garment throughout the Middle Ages that kept the heads clean and dry of all social classes. The nobility, merchants and other wealthy burghers wore the chaperon "inside out", like a kind of turban.

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Punters

Turning shoes with long points (very creatively called punts) were a symbol of prosperity in Llywelyn's time. To emphasize this shoe shape, the toe of the shoe was often even stuffed with moss or animal hair!

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Armor

Llywelyn's full equipment consists of an aketon, a sallet with bevor, a chain mail collar and a pair of half gloves. This means his upper body and head are well protected, but his arms have enough freedom of movement to be able to archery effectively. His weapons are a longbow, a war hammer and a buckler.

Depending on the role (and budget) of a soldier, he will have had different armor and weapon equipment.

Aketon / doublet

The doublet was the basis of the armor of every medieval soldier, from recruit to knight. It could be used on its own for protection, but was also worn under coats of mail and armor. 

A variant of the doublet, the so-called arming doublet, had special laces to attach plate armor. Although it was a military garment, ordinary citizens in parts of Europe (especially Italy) also wore this garment, because it suggested fighting experience and chivalry.

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Chain mail collar

Llywelyn wears a chain mail collar that protects his neck, shoulders and chest. He couldn't afford a full coat of mail, and it would only hinder his archery.

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Sallet and Bevor

The sallet was a helmet worn by both common soldiers and knights during the mid to late 15th century, with or without a visor. The visor often did not reach the chin, which had the advantage that the wearer could breathe better.

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The sallet was often worn in combination with the bevor, a steel neck protector that reached well above the chin. This meant that the entire head was protected.

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Half gauntlets

Half gauntlets or “demi-gauntlets” were a popular form of steel hand protection in the 15th century. They were a lot easier and cheaper to make than full armor gloves and allowed more freedom of movement for the fingers.

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Longbow

Llywelyn's main weapon is the longbow, the characteristic weapon of the English and Welsh archers during the Hundred Years' War. These bows had a length of 60 to 60 inches and a draw weight of around 100 lbs or higher. This made the longbow powerful enough to shoot arrows through chain mail with ease, while allowing the weapon to fire shots much faster than a crossbow.

Please note: are you purchasing a bow for re-enactment or LARP? Then check whether the pulling weight is not too high! Many organizations do not allow draw weights over 28 lbs.

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Warhammer

The warhammer was a weapon of war that was effective against both unarmored and heavily armored enemies. The weapon had two different tips for striking, a blunt hammer and a long claw called a crow's beak. Some war hammers also had a point on top for stabbing.

Llywelyn hopes that the enemy will keep a nice distance from his bow, so that he does not have to fight with hand weapons. It has happened to him once that he had to use his warhammer during an ambush

.

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Buckler

The buckler was the shield for both civilians and light (or poor) soldiers. It was small and cheap, could be easily put together and was easy to take with you in everyday life. In a skilled hand, the buckler could protect the entire body in combination with a weapon.

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Accessories

As a soldier, Llywelyn has to carry a lot of his own supplies. He always keeps his water bottle, cup and kidney purse with him.

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The Battle of Cravant

The Hundred Years' War was a long conflict between England and France over the French crown. With temporary breaks in between, the war lasted 116 years. After the English had succeeded in conquering large parts of France, the war had temporarily calmed down again. The French Dauphin (crown prince) was even forced to give up his claim to the French throne in 1420. But when the English king suddenly died, the Dauphin saw the opportunity to take back his land.

The French and Scots prepared for an invasion of the English ally Burgundy, while the English queen at home hurriedly tried to raise an army. She eventually managed to send a force of only 2,500 men to France to help the town of Cravant against a siege by more than 8,000 French and Scots.

When the English arrived at Cravant, it was clear that they were vastly outnumbered. Even with a large number of Burgundian auxiliaries picked up along the way, the Franco-Scottish army was three times as large. It had stationed itself at a small bridge over a river between the English and the city. Since both sides did not dare to cross the bridge, they ordered their archers to fire on the enemy riverbank. The English gained the upper hand in this long-range battle, causing their opponents' defenses to begin to fall apart.

Under cover of the longbow gunners, the English took their chance by crossing the river. At the same time, the besieged Burgundians went to battle from the city, right behind the enemy lines. The French panicked and ran away, leaving their Scottish allies stunned on the shore. The Scots themselves were now outnumbered and stood little chance against the English and Burgundians, who had won against everyone's expectations.