10TH C. NORMAN ARCHER

My first major experience in reenacting another time period, beyond that of the SCA, was in 2005 when I began to make my archer kit for a proposed trip to Battle, England as a participant in a reenactment on the site of the Battle of Hastings. This was to the be 940th anniversary reenactment of the famous battle, in 1066.

Suggested by my friend and fellow reenactor, Henrik Olsgaard, we (myself, Rick Mantegani, Brian Agron and Henrik) began to make arrows for use with an English longbow, belts, pouches and quivers for said arrows. We had purchased spangenhelm helmets (Norman nasal helms) and had talked Stacey Jenkins into sewing complete outfits, based on designs from the Bayeux Tapestry for Rick, Brian and myself. Henrik had been to a previous reenactment in the year 2000 and already had his kit as a part of the Norman conroi or calvary.

I’m glad we started a year earlier, as it turns out that these things actually take time to make. Four dozen arrows, each; two belts with handcrafted brass fittings (one to be used on the quiver), and did I mention we also made leather turnshoes for each of us.