A Day in the Life of a Medieval Archer

By: Ricky Bradt

The first thing a medieval archer does when he wakes up is he gets dressed. He

wore an undergarment made of linen and woolen clothing. The longer the jacket length

and better materials were for the more wealthy. After he got dressed, he would eat a

breakfast consisting of bread made from barley and rye, ales made from barley would

quench the thirst or water from the well sweetened by honey, little bit of protein from the

peas and beans they would throw in to the bread and pottage. Pottage was a favorite over

bread because it was a mixture of onions, cabbage, garlic, nuts, berries, leeks, spinach,

and parsley were all common ingredients to make thick soup in the cauldron or big pot

used for cooking.

After breakfast, the archer would begin his training for the day. Archers were

farmers known as yeomen, which were then soldiers, which made them higher in the

social system. He would train from three to eight hours a day practicing hid aim, drawing

speed, and maneuverability. Each archer would carry two shiefes or quivers of 24 arrows

each. An archer would be given a bow his height when a child and started training when

a child. This bow would be made of various woods. The string would be made of hemp,

which was very strong but vulnerable to moisture. An archer would have to take great

care in preserving it by soaking it in glue and they made their own strings, which were

fine threaded and very hard to break but also had to be careful of it drying out.

He would often use a bracer made of leather or horn to protect his bow arm from

accidental blows and to keep any loose clothing from catching the bowstring in flight.

He wears armor, which are pieces of metal that protect him in battle. He would

participate in tournaments, which are competitions for glory and prizes.

 On the way to battle, an archer would not carry hid arrows with him only his bow.

In fact, they would be carried by wagon and then distributed once at the battlefield. It

was said that the arrows were poisoned so that the wound would not by able to heal but

actually the archers would stick their arrows in their belt or stuck in the ground.

A medieval archer attends Sunday service on Sunday. Every one believed that the

Catholic Church was the only one true church of god. It was essential to do every thing

according to gods way or you could be excommunicated from the church witch is the act

of removing someone from the church for wrongful actions or beliefs.

An archer and his family would sleep in a one-room, damp house with a fire at the

center for heat and cooking. They would sleep on a mattress filled with straw and make

due with light bedclothes and human body heat for warmth.

Every year as Christmas rolled around people would get ready for the big holiday.

The most popular main food was goose, but other meats were served. Humble pie was

made of the “humbles” of a deer or the main organs. The Christmas pudding was a spicy

wheat based dessert. In the middle ages they would decorate the tree with apples on

“Adam and Eve Day” or Christmas eve even the tree stayed outside. For entertainment

there were plays, Christmas carols, and jesters to entertain the guests. Some people dress

up as a member of the opposite sex and acting out a funny skit known as pantomimes and

mumming.

The archers were the lowest paid and still lived like a peasant. The mighty archer

made big differences on the battlefield and turned the tide even when out numbered.

Even though it took a long time to train a archer, they were a spark to inspire more

powerful weapons.
 Bibliography

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1993