Hello people.
I have seen many movies showing archers wielding their arrows in that cilindrical package (In spanish it is carcaj, please, someone tell me its English name) in their back... but, Was it historically accurate?
I have seen some longbow archers carring their arrows in that bag, but tied to their belts, slunging just like a sword. How common this was?

Thanks

P.D.
Still when longbows saw action and how long their arrows used to be?

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My understanding is that English archers did not use quivers in battle until the early 16th century. Previously the arrows were carried in large bags while on the march, in battle the archer would usually thrust the arrows in the earth in front of him or just stuff them through his belt.

AFAIK the English first started using "longbows" in large numbers in the late 13th century and continued using them until the mid-16th century.

during the war of the roses i believe most paintings show arrows in bags. sometimes put thru the waist belt. i know of no quivers on teh backs. now there are cross bow bolt quivers that hang of fthe waist as well. some are made of cat skins ;)

Did they skined cats while alive?!







Is possible to use a longbow from horseback? Like Samurai?

yes, i do believe during teh WOR they had mounted archers. its been a lil while but i'll check my osprey on longbowman or my Great warbow books etc jsut to be sure/.

Many of the english archers in the HYW were mounted, but used as mounted infantry, so they never shot from horseback (at least we don't have any evidences to support that)

The japanese long bow has one obvious difference, in that it is held closer to the bottom of the bow, not in the middle. My understanding is that this makes it less awkward to handle when riding.

Sincerely i didn´t liked archers, but having seen how many force they needed to shot thos bows, i have to admit that they were more powerful that they looked like.
I have forgotten the different proportion of the magnificent Yummi.
Another question, How common was for the longbow archer to carry a sword?

Anyway, maybe i´m asking too much, but if anyone have any ilustration or woodcut of longbow archers of the 15 or 16 century (Better 16 century), i would be very grateful if you share them.
Mostly to see their shooting position, and how the bag/ quiver hangs from the hip belt. (Thanks Hisham for the ¨quiver¨ ;) )

Thank you very much.

I don't think I have any pictures of 16th century archers, but I do have pictures of late 15th century archers:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Nephtys...wsbury.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Nephtys...fantry.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Nephtys..._01_BW.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Nephtys...Colour.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Nephtys...men_03.jpg

correct me if I am wrong but is a quiver not just a long bag for arrows?

I have heard of some bags having frames of wicker used for the WOTR;s

RPM

A question about quivers...
Where do you think it is best to carry the quivers? In the back, or in the hip´s belt?
How the hip belts for quivers were?
I ask because ilustrtions usually show both ways, and i really i have some doubts about that.

Here is an period example (Bayeux Tapestry) showing both a back quiver and a hip quiver. So they were both certainly used. I know this is alittle earlier than you asked, but it shows they were both in use atleast as early as the 11th C.

[ Linked Image ]

Hisham,

I do not think that entirely true. You could easily take the quiver off your belt and set it on the ground if you wished. You could likely do the same with one at your shoulder or saddle as well. My view is it has become much more seperate as a term in our time than theirs. a quiver is still a bag or container full of arrows or bolts or something of that nature. The definition by merriam-webster:

Main Entry: 1quiv·er
Pronunciation: 'kwi-v&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French quivre, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English cocer quiver, Old High German kohhari
1 : a case for carrying or holding arrows
2 : the arrows in a quiver

So the use of it is completely linked to what is in it not any other aspect. If it has arrows in it, it is a quiver. If the arrows are inside a bag it is a quiver, of arrows. The word itself comes from anglo-norman or old english so likely is of some antiquity or it would not be derived from those languages but a more modern version.

Glennan is that from this weekend?

Cheers!

RPM

Hello Glennan,

Your bow looks very nice and it is refreshing to hear/see a bow with a more correct draw weight when compared to the vast majority of bows that pull from 30-50 ibs.

Did you make that bow yourself if not where did you get it?

Thanks,
Jeremy

The bow was made by Pip Bickerstaffe about 3 years ago. It's a laminate of Osage, Satinwood and Hickory.

I like my hip quiver but the back quiver would have the advantage of holding more arrows at one given time.. just don't bend over :D