It is 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 town of Cravant to help their allies against a Franco-Scottish invasion.

The adventurous Llywelyn was inspired as a child by the adventures of Robin Hood, which were performed by traveling actors from England. He trained with a bow his entire life, from Sunday shooting practice to secretly hunting in the forest of his lord. Before becoming an archer, Llywelyn worked as an apprentice for a master of the blacksmith guild in his town. His rebellious personality led to a major dispute with his guild master, prompting him to enlist to fight in France.

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

The French and the Scots prepared for an invasion of the English ally Burgundy, while the English queen at home hastily tried to raise an army. She eventually managed to send a force of only 2500 men to France, who were to assist the town of Cravant against a siege of more than 8000 French and Scots.

When the English arrived at Cravant, it was clear they were vastly outnumbered. Even with a large number of Burgundian reinforcements they had picked up along the way, the Franco-Scottish army was three times as large. It had positioned itself at a small bridge over a river between the English and the town. Because neither side dared to cross the bridge, they ordered their archers to shoot at the enemy riverbank. The English gained the upper hand in this ranged battle, causing their opponents' defenses to start falling apart.

Under cover of the longbow-archers, the English seized their chance by crossing the river. At the same time, the besieged Burgundians marched out from the city into battle, right behind the enemy lines. The French panicked and ran away, while their Scottish allies remained bewildered on the shore. The Scots were now outnumbered themselves and stood little chance against the English and Burgundians, who had won against everyone's expectations.

This is the basic clothing of Llywelyn, which he wears at home in Wales or in his free time. His outfit consists of a tunic, a belt, chausses, a chaperon and a pair of pointed shoes.

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 modern-day Italy and Spain.

The belt  ensured that long, flowing garments (such as tunics and dresses) fit better on 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 by the length of the piece of the belt that hung loose; this signaled how much money you had left to spend on extra leather!

When he became an apprentice of the blacksmith guild, Llywelyn received a beautifully decorated belt. For him, it is not only a reminder of home but also his tool belt. He attaches everything he needs for his daily life, from his cutlery and money pouch to his war hammer and buckler.

Chausses (Chausses) were a popular garment for men in the late Middle Ages. They were a type of long stockings fastened with laces to the underpants (Braies). The nobility and wealthy citizens often wore their beautifully decorated chausses in different colors (mi parti). Our Llewelyn is not wealthy enough for that trendy fashion, so he wears a pair of plain red chausses.

The chaperon was an important garment throughout the Middle Ages that kept the head clean and dry across all social classes. Among the nobility, merchants, and other wealthy citizens, the chaperon was worn "inside out," resembling a type of turban.

Turn shoes with long points (very creatively called “poulaines”) were a symbol of prosperity in the time of Llywelyn. To emphasize this shoe shape, the tip of the shoe was often even stuffed with moss or animal hair!

The complete equipment of Llywelyn consists of an aketon, a sallet with bevor, a chain mail aventail, and a pair of half gauntlets. This provides good protection for his upper body and head, while allowing his arms enough freedom of movement to effectively archery. As a weapons, he has a longbow, a war hammer, and a buckler. 

Depending on the role (and budget) of a soldier, they would have had different armor and weaponry. 

The gambeson was the basic of the armor of every medieval soldier, from recruit to knight. It could be used on its own as protection, but was also worn under mail and plate armor. 

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

Llywelyn wears a chain mail aventail that protects his neck, shoulders, and chest. He could not afford a full chainmail shirt, and it would only hinder him in the archery.

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

The Sallet was often worn in combination with the bevor, a steel neck protector that extended far above the chin. This ensured the entire head was protected. 

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

The main weapon of Llywelyn is the longbow, the characteristic weapon of the English and Welsh archers during the Hundred Years' War. These bows had a length of 150 to 180 cm and a draw weight of around 100 lbs or higher. This made the longbow powerful enough to shoot arrows through mail armor with ease, while with the weapon shots could be fired much faster than with a crossbow.

Note: are you buying a bow for reenactment or LARP? Then check if the draw weight is not too high! Many organizations do not allow a draw weight above 28 lbs.

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

Llywelyn hopes the enemy stays nicely at a distance for his bow, so he doesn't have to fight with hand weapons. It has happened to him once that he had to use his war hammer during an ambush.

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

As a soldier, Llywelyn must carry many of his own items. He always keeps his canteen, cup, and kidney pouch with him.