All, I need help finding good information on Welsh arms and armor for (roughly) the period 1000 - 1200; basically the Norman period. I know sources are scarce but any and all help would be appreciated: books, websites, museum publications, re-enactment groups, anything really with good research behind it.

Hello,

I suggest reading Gerald of Wale's chronicle of the Welsh people. He wrote contemporaneously with your chosen dates and, if I remember correctly, has much to say about the Welsh methods of warfare.

The Great Warbow is a wonderful resource in general and includes detailed discussion of Welsh bows, IIRC. There's at least one contemporary image of a Welsh archer. I'm sorry to tell you that he not only doesn't wear armour, but has only one shoe and a unique hairstyle. Looks like he got on the wrong end of a dragon. The book "Celtic Warriors" includes a modern color illustration of a Welsh ambush of a Norman knight.

Frederick Suppe's book has a good treatment of warfare between the English and the Welsh, though it deals more with the institutional aspects than with individual equipment. Some downloadable excerpts are available from the De Re Militari site if you're interested. Paul Latimer's article also has some brief mentions of arms, armor, and tactics, though again probably not in as much detail as you'd like.

The Regia Angelorum site has some info on the Anglo-Danish period (10th and 11th centuries). I think they say that there wasn't much difference from contemporary arms in Britain, save that Wales was poorer and may have had more archers.

Thanks for all the info. I've hit most of these sites, and read most of the books, and realize there just isn't anything out there with substantial evidence, just tantalizing tidbits in some of the primary sources. No real archaeological evidence I guess either. Was hoping for some new finds or new works specifically targeting this era and place. I'll keep digging...