The Armour Archive

Hi all,
I have been looking at my copy of Gaston Phebus's Le Livre de Chasse and I really like the the look of the huntsmen's clothes and gear. http://classes.bnf.fr/phebus/ http://www.encyclopedie-universelle.com ... -fol55.jpg I think I really want to model my soft kit after some specific pages in the book. No problem, I can do that, I can sew and work leather.

What about SCA armoured combat? I would assume that historicaly most huntsmen would follow thier lord to war as archers and arbalesters, since they have have had long practice with missile weapons in performing thier duties. While I plan to do up an arbalester kit for reenactment, I don't want to do CA in the SCA, as any of my posts on the subject would tell you. So what do I wear to SCA wars and tournements? The same gear as an arbalester, just fighting sword and buckler or with a voulge? Somewhat like these guys from various manuscripts? http://fearghusmacildubh.shutterfly.com/787
I'm looking at infantry and such, not the knightly classes, for which there are tons of great threads.

The timefame would be when Le Livre de Chasse was written and copied, at least the version I have. It was written between 1387 and 1389 and recopied in 1409.

You might want to post this in the "I wanna be" forum.. Matter of fact I would recommend searching the vast number of topics there to get your answers. Simply find a date closely approximating your desire and go from there.

Outside of some questionable assumptions you are mostly on the right track but you definitely need to look for some art of foot soldiers from the beginning of the 15th century.

Many of the people depicted are likely a part of the princes household and therefore would likely be part of his riding retinue. The principle dog keepers and what not may not have been though. This doesn't really change much for you but just a little clarification.

Angusm0628 wrote:You might want to post this in the "I wanna be" forum.. Matter of fact I would recommend searching the vast number of topics there to get your answers. Simply find a date closely approximating your desire and go from there.

Ah, but all the I wanna be posts, in regards to the late 14th and early 15th century focus on the knights and squires. I'm looking at the rung below on the military ladder.

Peder wrote:Outside of some questionable assumptions you are mostly on the right track but you definitely need to look for some art of foot soldiers from the beginning of the 15th century.

Many of the people depicted are likely a part of the princes household and therefore would likely be part of his riding retinue. The principle dog keepers and what not may not have been though. This doesn't really change much for you but just a little clarification.

Which assumptions are questionable? The huntsmen following the lord to war? I was thinking that was the case after i read my post. Is it an earlier period thing. By the late 14th century, it's more of the commision of array, maybe livery and maintenance?

Yes the huntsman following their lord to war. If their job is really as some sort of huntsman or game warden or keeper of the lords hunting dogs or what not then I'd guess against them going off to war with the lord.

Now a large number of the people in those depictions aren't really huntsmen but are members of the princes household. Most of them if the lord hunted would have known how to hunt.

Also when you are thinking about that time frame those images are circa 1400 not early so make sure you match up the other things you do with that.