Medieval Longbow | The optimum distance to fell a knight in armour

[@clockmonkey]

I've a deal of respect for the two Knights who took part. It takes courage to do something like that, and a big heart to be civil about being hit in the groin afterwards.

[@ianb9028]

As the knight said to the physiotherapist “Don’t rub them just count them.”

[@soppdrake]

In an exeedingly sqeaky high voice: "Just a flesh wound!"

[@theotherelleth4023]

Not sure they knew what exactly they were going to do... it looks line it was an experiment for them. But great respect anyway.

[@thomasnuyts9725]

18 years of medieval archery reenactment taught me: - only shoot your blunts at completely full plated knights and in mutual consent - none of these full plated knights enjoyed being hit and hid behind their shield - never shoot any blunts at them when they are not expecting any arrows or are about to fall, unless they were called Dirk and had shot canon rounds at you before and were retreating and flagging their butt at you - long Bodkins like to penetrate helmets and brass ship bells, shot from the right angle - it is astonishing how much more precise you shoot at eyeslits of helmets ( empty and on a stake) compared to plain archery bulls eye targets Keep up the good work and do not stop astonishing us all! Many thanks from Flanders

[@thehistorysquad]

LOL, best comment of the day, thanks Thomas. 👍🏻

[@galvinstanley3235]

There are videos showing that arrows can't shoot through chain mail or the fabric underneath the mail, arrows are useless.

[@citizenhal]

@@galvinstanley3235 There are literally videos from Tod's Workshop where they shoot arrows straight through padded chainmail with a powerful longbow. Are you an idiot?

[@normalisoverrated]

Yet, what was the average earliest kill range bowman would begin firing? RIP Dirk.

[@akhasshativeritsol1950]

​@@galvinstanley3235 Yes, that's why arrows were never used on the battlefield. The notorious English Longbowmen is in fact a historical cryptid

[@hefaistoss1]

Kevin Hicks. Living legend is back. Got to hear your voice and passion for a longbow again! I love you man. Hope more videos will come.

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers Simon! Keep an eye out for a video on my arrowhead collection over the weekend - some more funny stories too. 👍🏻 Thanks for watching!

[@TheDungeonMinister]

This channel is amazing. Cheerful, friendly old bloke...who stone cold shot a guy in the groin at 30 paces. Bless him!

[@thehistorysquad]

🤣

[@blindarchershaunhenderson3769]

I always used to find it hilariously funny how the audience would react when I used to demonstrate how accurate a longbowman could be, in my demonstrations just shooting at wands and cups at 30 yards, for some reason the general public, even though they are interested in the subject, don't seem to realise that the longbow was an accurate weapons system, and you still see this surprise in comments sections of other videos about archery, they seem to think that accuracy with the bow is a modern concept. The other thing that always gets me is this obsession with trying to prove that arrows couldn't penetrated armour, when armour wasn't the problem for the knights, and men at arms, it was the areas, as you say, which were not armoured, such as the groin, the armpit, the face, and even the eye slits, but that just makes it more fun for The Archer to demonstrate his skill.

[@thehistorysquad]

Yes, for sure. Remember it only took one arrow to hit a king in the eye, and of course there was the young Prince Henry who caught one in the face. Do you know the story about the knight who raised his arm at the beginning of a battle but an arrow hit him in the elbow, locking his armour and he had to be removed from the battlefield, only to return with his armour fixed, but the battle was over? I'm trying to track the story down, it'd be a good one to tell. Thanks

[@blindarchershaunhenderson3769]

@@thehistorysquad the only story I know about damaged and jammed armour preventing somebody taking part in an event, was a young William Marshall taking part in a tournament at the end of which was declared winner, but nobody could find him to present his prize, he was found in a blacksmiths workshop with his head on an anvil with the blacksmith chiseling off rivets so the helmet could be removed from his head, but as far as I'm aware archery was not the cause of the damage, he had just been hit in the head alot. Sorry but if I come across the story I'll let you know.

[@thehistorysquad]

Ha, yes, I'm familiar with that story to, it's a good one. We'll keep looking - thanks!

[@blindarchershaunhenderson3769]

@@thehistorysquad I've asked a friend of mine who is currently running a re-enactment society here in the UK he's going to ask around and have a look as well because he has become intrigued also,

[@thehistorysquad]

Great, thanks!

[@richardllewellyn1080]

Great insight into the reality and subtleties of this type of warfare, so easily missed by non practicioners.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks Richard 👍🏻

[@abisalpha]

@@thehistorysquad Interesting that the blunt impact force from war arrows could cause that much trouble

[@kingmaker2865]

Good to see Kevin back, he was the warwick bowman when I was a child.. 15 years later , hes still going strong , and warwick Castle was my first battle reenactment 👌. Good to see him, legend 😎

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks Kingmaker! Glad you like the videos.

[@gfreeman9843]

​@@thehistorysquadreally interesting.I do traditional archery with recurve bows..great fun, meditation and at 69 years old I'm getting stronger rather than weaker l think..The Nubians had archers that were feared and called eye archers, because they aimed at the eyes, very accurate apparently. Love your work 😊😊 Archery is very popular globally it seems.Internet links us and we can share our interest Regards

[@nothyperbole4984]

Kevin the Bowman I love your videos. Around the world today in the 21st century I know their are uncounted people that still rely on archery equipment to defend their homes. Twice in the past 55 years I have repelled invaders from my home using a longbow. I never had to loose an arrow because when the burglar saw me at full draw with my longbow at a 45 degree angle, they shouted don't shoot and ran out of my house. 🎯 Pray for peace ✝️

[@thehistorysquad]

Well done 👍🏻. I love this story - absolutely awesome, thank you for sharing it!

[@stephanmenzel9457]

OMG.... Respect for your shooting skill, but much more for this two brave knights. Hat off.

[@thehistorysquad]

😜

[@alancoe1002]

That was very interesting, Kevin! Kudos to you and the two knights. It takes guts to risk injury for historical research. When I was an extra in a Civil War movie, the low intensity ground and air-burst charges gave me the merest taste of what our forebears had to deal with. It left me even more in awe of their bravery. Your vids have given me some real taste of the medieval life, the real people. Thanks.

[@thehistorysquad]

You're welcome

[@libertycowboy2495]

You single handedly have made archery interesting to me. Got a long bow (hickory because i couldn't find yew in the USA), and started shooting. Imagine my excitement as i go from hitting a large target at 10 paces to hitting a small target at 20! Thank you sir!

[@thehistorysquad]

Wow, that's fantastic, thanks for letting me know. We old archers have a saying which may come from the olden days, "Keep faith with God, keep faith with the man next to you, but put your faith in your bow" Keep shooting & most importantly enjoy it 👍🏻

[@davesheppard8797]

Hi! My Yew Longbow came from Ravenbeak natureworks in Canada and it's a real beauty! 52# @ 28". The Bowyer is Jamie mcDonald. I live in England by the way. I have 6 really nice laminated bows some are single growth ring Hickory backed Osage with Osage core, some lemonwood bellies, some Ipe. They are all Bickerstaffe and are lovely to shoot. There is something special about a Yew selfbow though. You could maybe give Ravenbeak a try? Best wishes, Dave.

[@twalsh29]

Among the Native Americans they say there is no better wood for a bow than Osage for its strength and flexibility. Most native bows here were made of Hickory or osage.

[@phsycosid83]

This is by far the best explanation of distance of effective archery in war you are going to get. Excellent keep it up my man.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks - will do.

[@chrisnurczyk8239]

Consider some real facts - at one point during the medieval period, all English villages were required to build target butts of sieved earth (so target arrows wouldn't be broken by hitting rocks) , and the commoners were required to practice regularly. They were not allowed to hit a mark at a distance of less than 100 yds. I figure they knew their business well, so these requirements should tell you something about longbow effectiveness.

[@MASmeinezeit]

I am always impressed how accurate medieval arcchery actually is. When i watched movies it was always that swarm of arrows shot blindly into the crowd of enemies, like "there are so many, we will hit somebody". But that description looks like it is so damn accurate. I really wish I could watch that live. Super interesting to me :)

[@gushlergushler]

This echoes what Mike Loads also said, wether or not the arrows actually penetrated was only a part but he is of the opinionn that the the blunt force dealt most of the damage. Seeing how the guy's head and helmet went backwards upon being struck reinforces that, especially if you think of doing the same with bows of upwards of 100 pounds where the kinetic energy is even higher.

[@wildrangeringreen]

the arrows also had to be heavier, to take the force of the bow. Increasing draw weight of bows does not drastically increase velocity, what it allows you to do ( and requires you to do) is cast a heavier arrow at the same speed. a 1.5 oz (656gr) medieval war arrow traveling at 140fps has 29 ft/lb of energy and .407 lb-ft/s momentum. A .69 musket ball (494gr) traveling at 1300fps has 1854 ft/lb of energy, and 91.70 lb-ft/s momentum. A .48 musket ball (166gr) (rather small for the early medieval period) traveling at 1600fps has 944ft/lb of energy and 37.88 lb-ft/s momentum. Most quality plate armor of the late medieval period was pistol proof, and was highly resistant to musket fire, except at incredibly short range (sub 30yd). If a Musket isn't going to pierce it, an arrow certainly won't lol. A man reacting to being hit with an arrow in the armor is not much to talk about, if you had thrown a baseball or stone at him, he would have reacted the same way... yet slingers went out of fashion in warfare in the early medieval period lol

[@abisalpha]

@@wildrangeringreen "Increasing draw weight of bows does not drastically increase velocity" / in a traditional sense, that's only the case with Selfbows like the English longbow due to heavy limbs / But with certain horn composite bows you can significantly increase the velocity of a lighter to medium weight arrow, also allowing it to travel huge distances, and that does not necessarily have to be a flight arrow, Shooting a hunting weight arrow beyond 500 Yards is totally possible with such bows With the Advantage that can combine light arrows for long range harassment and wounding horses along with Heavy close range arrows against armor & to cause kill shots

[@michaldante9797]

Do you even know what bodkin arrow head is ? Of course they couldn’t penetrate every kind of armor, but some of them could. Bodkins and chisel kinds of arrow heads are made for better penetration against some kind of protection.

[@wildrangeringreen]

@@michaldante9797 by the late medieval period, plate and coats-of-plates were common for all but the poorest of conscripts. Gone were the days of mass levies, the end of the European Medieval period marked the rise of the professional army. The bodkin was a solution for maille, and was a poor wounding design, when compared to broadheads; but wounding capability doesn't matter much if you gant get to the person. Once plates started to be worn more and more, the bow became less and less useful. Musket balls could go through almost every piece of armor on the field at the time they were introduced (they thickened the armor in response, but that made it heavier and expensive), and a sizable force of proficient musketeers could be trained in a month, rather than years. Even if a musket ball doesn't pierce the armor, from personal experience, getting hit with a bullet in armor hurts a lot worse than having a 2-4oz object traveling at 200fps or less.

[@robwright1286]

@@wildrangeringreen When have you been shot at by a musket ball while in armour? Sounds just a bit hazardous

[@Arelak]

Blunt trauma, a forgotten and nasty tidbit in warfare, armor can stop the round, but not the physics behind it. Usually results in cracked bones and other fun stuff. Great video!

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks!

[@Caffeine_And_Seawater]

Saw Kevin and clicked, I remember as an 11yr old (about 20 years ago) seeing him perform his show and demonstrate the Bollock knife along with the long bow. A memorable experience to say the least.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks for watching Lucas - Kevin.

[@LordoftheOzarks]

Im addicted to your videos, sir. What a great channel. Cheers from Missouri, US.

[@thehistorysquad]

Glad you like them! Cheers buddy 👍🏻

[@nagjrcjasonbower]

WOW! Oh, and OUCH! You are a brave, brave soul putting this up... So were the “knights” willing to take the punishment. They just didn’t know it yet!

[@thehistorysquad]

Haha, they were willing, but they paid the price. They just didn't believe at the time that a bowman could beat a knight in armour....hence the challenge.

[@nor0845]

Thank you Kevin. At last someone who actually knows what he is talking about! I get tired of the plethora of so called ‘experts’ 🙄 casting doubt on the efficacy of the longbow, despite historical accounts. I have no doubt medieval archers (and Kevin) could target weak points at even greater ranges. If the longbow wasn’t effective it would never have been used. A point which seems to escape the aforementioned ‘experts’. Thank you again.

[@thehistorysquad]

Spot on Nor 08 - for sure! 😉

[@johnjensen3258]

Brilliant! Those cloth yard shafts pack a punch! Would have been wonderful to have your battle with the two knights on video! But I suppose no volontiers will now come forward for a repeat after hearing the outcome!

[@thehistorysquad]

That would be cool! I wonder if I could rustle up some willing volunteers lol.

[@RichWoods23]

@@thehistorysquad Tragically, I'm not in Canada. Such a disappointment (to my goolies).

[@thehistorysquad]

@@RichWoods23 hahaha!

[@williammeek4078]

@@thehistorysquad I can think of a few people I would like to volunteer.

[@davesheppard8797]

Oooooh yes John! A cloth yard arrow 1/2" thick tapering to 3/8" at the nock with a hefty pile on and 7" fletchings. Coming down out of the sky onto you at around 100mph.....and not just one arrow but 1000's shot in a volley..........that would be terrifying!! 😲😲. Dave.

[@jshicke]

I have always thought that it wasn't the armor being penetrated that stopped an armored knight because that would be incredibly hard to do, but the impacts of the arrow on the armor essentially beating him up that did it. Shooting into the gaps also works as you proved.

[@babysealsareyummy]

I'm just imagining an arrow slipping through the gap in your gauntlet and embedding itself in your skin all the way up to the elbow. Makes me wince big time.

[@muskett4108]

I suspect a gang of archers would pick on any leading knight and plaster him with arrows until felled. Then switch fire onto the next. Bag a knight equalled riches so it was payday time for all the practice put in. Few could afford a full set of armour, and only the best was arrow proof for a while. The best armour still wouldn't stop a knight being beaten down by a hail of heavy arrows fired at close range. Archers more than able to hit the helmet at the closer ranges. Clubbed down by war arrows would do the trick. Horses had no chance which is why so much set fighting was done on foot. Good story.

[@mcgoose258]

thats hilarious becasue that what i do in every strategy game, i micromanage a mob of archers on one guy at a time

[@taha2010ification]

was taking notes for my next medieval combat

[@thehistorysquad]

😜

[@trentonjennings9105]

Your experience is an example of modern forensic historical research as opposed to academics theorizing from their offices. This is one of the things I admire of history writer Adrian Goldsworthy.

[@lucassmith4380]

Excellent video sir! The arrows with the rubber head you are referring to, in the states we call them a flu flu and they shock and kill small game with ease. Your story is great because It demonstrates how a "non lethal arrow" can disable even an armored opponent, nevermind an iron broadhead. Keep them coming, I thoroughly enjoy everything you put on here ! Cheers!

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers Lucas, we call them flu flus too 👍🏻

[@thomasjamison2050]

Awesome. Great test. I would like to see what he has to say about knights on horseback. My feeling is that the horses were often the primary target, but I wonder too but that a lot of knights got sold relatively shoddy armor. I am sure that most of the stuff that survived into the present was that of the best quality.

[@davesheppard8797]

Well.....a lot of the Horses leading the French at Agincourt got shot with arrows and a mass of the Horse and rider bodies in the soggy mud held up the men at arms behind allowing the English Bowman to continue to pour arrows into the melee. (Obviously I got this info from one of Kevin's other video's). I suppose that a Knight charging on Horseback would get hit with a hell of a jolt from not only the speed of the approaching arrow but he could be travelling at 30 mph towards the arrow making a greater impact speed!! Dave.

[@shuddupeyaface]

Love listing to guys who been there and done it. Great stuff - a new fan !

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks very much & welcome!

[@aussieaxedude154]

Awesomely informative video mate. I like the fact you mention henry the 5th and his deployment of longbow men to deadly effect at Agincourt, I think Henry learnt the deadliness of the longbow at the battle of Shrewsbury after coming up against Cheshire archers and taking a bodkin to the face just 12 years before. There is something very cool about the English longbow that has fascinated for years. Love history.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks. I love the medieval period & the longbow....I think you can tell. I did a film years back about the removal of the arrowhead from the young Henry kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWqbY2CYqsudnpo and also one on the battle of Agincourt you might like to take a look at kzbin.info/www/bejne/haDKXmmOi82Maq8

[@giftzwerg7345]

@@thehistorysquad so basic long bows, can injure, but rarly kill ( full plate)?

[@thehistorysquad]

@@giftzwerg7345 I'd say that's pretty much right, but we'll never know for absolute sure.

[@cargosquid]

@@giftzwerg7345 Remember, though, injuries were MUCH more likely to kill and incapacitate then, since they did not have modern surgery or medicine.

[@RobofMarr]

@@giftzwerg7345 plus an injury in the chaos of battle could likely mean death anyway. Not only to the stricken , but also consider the disruption to the injured mans comrades as he breaks ranks and may well need assistance in getting back out of harms way.

[@Daylon91]

Awesome thank u I hope one day to have as much archery experience to look back on as you. Cheers from Alberta

[@thehistorysquad]

You're welcome!

[@schlepedits7486]

If I had not seen your unedited precision in other videos, I would say this is a tall tale. Professional Bowmen of the time were likely even more skilled. Fascinating look into historical warfare. I would have never guessed one could be so accurate at 30 or 40 paces. I just started to learn how to throw 14th century throwing axes. It's amazing what you can learn when you start doing it in real life vs academic conjecture.

[@thehistorysquad]

Absolutely - have fun with the axes 👍🏻

[@MrRetroUK]

Oh my word, I've met you at Warwick castle many years ago, and I watched you shoot an arrow at the polystyrene head from across the river! All these years I've been watching your videos and only now discover I have sat and listened to you in person. Small world!

[@thehistorysquad]

😂 it certainly is. 👍

[@kymvalleygardensdesign5350]

This helps me to understand how a bowman could sort out a heavily armoured knight. I have a 60lb longbow and can group well over 10 paces but my aim past that is not so good. But I can see how a heavy arrow with a warhead shot from a heavy warbow could easily knock a man over or leave them open to being picked off. I had previously imagined it was just down to the sheer number of arrows shot. I would struggle to hit a man on the chest at 200 paces with my bow as the PoA is way up in the air. Thank you for another super video.

[@b1laxson]

2 Knights: We got this 1 Archer, 2 words: Groin shots

[@PSDuck216]

A good guide , I stress that word, for a pace is about 2 feet. Great show as usual, Kevin. Cheers from the Pacific Northwest!

[@williamkz]

Succinct. Pertinent. This sort of presentation really brings history to life. First class.

[@thehistorysquad]

👍🏻 Thank you!

[@10toMidnight]

Greetings from Alberta, Canada. Such an enjoyable story teller. A gift. Many thanks.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks for listening

[@matthewdaniel6045]

This man is a monster. The hero we all need.

[@AuthenticDarren]

Brief video yet most informative.

[@The_Gallowglass]

I'd like to see Tod Cutler and Toby Capwell have a chat with Hicks about this.

[@typhoon2827]

That's good to know as I often hit the gap between the bottom of the boss and the grass.

[@thehistorysquad]

LOL 😂

[@MrEnaric]

'Nydd hyder ond bwa.' 'There is no dependency but on the bow'. - Medieval Welsh proverb -

[@thehistorysquad]

Love it!

[@NormanLedoyen]

Great listening and I do hope you produce more for us to enjoy.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks Norman. That's the plan!

[@rickbear7249]

Great video. I've only just discovered this channel, and I'm looking forward to many hours of quality viewing. Thank you. With regard to how effective was the English Longbow. I'm actually a qualified National Instructor "in" the English Longbow, shooting in the medieval style as vs the more often seen and practiced Victorian style. I actually get quite irate watching self-defined "expurts" supposedly testing and disproving the martial effectiveness of the English Longbow. So it has been a real pleasure to watch these videos. A key aspect, in my opinion, is the "hedgehog" formation of our archers. This would position the bowmen such that they wouldn't be engaging an enemy head-on, but rather, shooting into their flanks, where armour was thinner and gaps more likely to appear. I'd also suggest that our medieval forefathers knew the greater value of injuring an enemy - inflicting painful debilitating wounds in a day when medical treatment was less effective (although they actually knew more than they're even giving credit for, even using antibiotics*) - as, just as armies post-WW2 realised, wounding enemies is far more effective a destroying morale than a straight kill. *interesting, only in the last decade, the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine have discovered that Spagnum Moss (as widely used for wound packing in WW1) actually contains relatively high levels of antibiotic. So, Penicillin wasn't the first military wonder drug. Keep up the good work, Rick

[@thehistorysquad]

Wow, thanks for that info Rick, esp the sphagnum moss, most interesting 👍🏻 PS, it's great to have an ally with regard to shooting the longbow

[@bobbyricigliano2799]

Delightful video, thank you. The effect of the blunted arrows on the armored men remind me of the terrible psychological effect a storm of arrows would have in a medieval battle. The pinging of metal on metal would create chaos as men begin to flinch and duck. I would think concentrated arrow fire could break up an advance even if many of them were glancing off or causing non-lethal wounds. Just the thought of advancing over open ground under such an attack is quite terrifying.

[@BoerChris]

Blimey, what an experience! I felt sorry for those guys, but I had a big grin across my face from the archer's point of view.

[@thehistorysquad]

😜

[@johnmooney9444]

Wow, it's like an Achilles heal. Thanks for sharing.

[@anthonywilson7304]

Is it true, the English used Yew for their longbow. Before the battle of Argincourt the French promised to cut the middle finger off the English bowman making it very difficult to manipulated the bow string. The act of drawing the bow was called ' plucking the yew' or pluck yew for short. After the English victory the bowman waved their middle finger to the French and called out ' See, we can still pluck yew. The rest is history, bloody funny story.

[@thehistorysquad]

Hi Anthony, Italian and Spanish yew was treasured by bowmen of the time, but yes English yew was also used as of course it would have been more accessible. Thanks for watching!

[@VincentComet-l8e]

Not sure that the English bowman waved their 'middle' finger to the French. It was their two leading fingers - hence the famous 'V' sign of the British...

[@anthonywilson7304]

@@VincentComet-l8e Thanks mate, it was worth mentioning and your story sounds pretty relevant. History can be fascinating and in many cases, manipulated too. Cheers and keep plucking away.

[@garychynne1377]

that was useful.thank yew. have good night.

[@Rangeleyj]

Thankyou so much for this video. Now it makes sense how it worked on the battlefield!

[@thehistorysquad]

You're welcome 👍🏻

[@graemem111]

Thank you for this. As a fellow former toxophilite I see exactly what you are explaining. Lovely stuff.

[@bulletproofpepper2]

Thanks for sharing. Padding or not a shot to nuts or the inner thigh will be a stopper.

[@doomguy9049]

Lmao you sniped them both in the nards? Brutal yet cunning, and effective too! 😰😱😭🍒🔫

[@thehistorysquad]

Haha - You know it ;-)

[@paulspice4717]

Great stuff as usual Kevin. This puts to rest all the questions "do arrows penetrate plate armour?" because they do not need to. As you said aim at the voids. But I'd still want a good suit of armour if British bowmen were shooting at me!

[@andylyon3867]

That is very funny, I bet in the day archers where laughing while taking those shots at the high and mighty! No wonder they tortured and killed all captured archers.

[@Stephen-gp8yi]

So glad I found your channel it’s top notch.you go into detail regarding different aspects of medieval warfare!✌️

[@thehistorysquad]

Glad you enjoy it! Thanks for watching 👍🏻

[@hound3000]

This video reminds of a video series by Todd's Workshop about the effectiveness of arrows against armour. Their reference point was on King Henry V's campaign in France and they test different arrowheads on armour. Those videos were informative.

[@jakebaker4066]

Love that old long bow film of yours at Bolsover Castle. “Look him in the eye… *shoots arrow* take him down” You would have been a very intimidating opponent in battle my friend. Cheers.

[@brunomunemassa8266]

I felt the pain from here with just your description, that groin shot must've been brutal (brutally realistic too hahahaha). Super interesting information, thank you very much for sharing it.

[@thehistorysquad]

😜

[@delcat8168]

Another excellent video which answers some of the vids showing that arrows don't seem to penetrate decent armour.

[@schiz0phren1c]

"And I actually hit him in the groin"...OOOOOF! I winced and folded up in my chair at the thought of that!, awesome skills Sir Hicks!

[@ryancormack6934]

Fascinating story and info, thanks for sharing.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks, you're welcome!

[@BoomWithSmalley]

Wish I could've seen you letting arrows fly at those guys. Bet it was awesome!

[@MyMy-tv7fd]

amazing story, this should be known and related on Tod Cutler's channel and Shadiversity at the very least (mostly because it would go out to a very large audience). If you are anywhere near Skallagrim in Canada you could even link up in real life

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks. Feel free to share it with them 😉

[@samrodian919]

It's fascinating watching these

[@NinePillar]

Good lord, it's good to see you slinging knowledge again.

[@thehistorysquad]

LOL, thanks Odeng, it's good to be shooting again..... arrows and films :-)

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

Very few wealthy men were fully armoured during the battles, and they would end up with minor injuries. If they received a fatal shot, that was 1 in 100,000 chance. So forget that. But most of the army forces were not fully armoured. The use of arrows in warfare did not aim to neutralise those few who are armoured, but to inflict, from a safe distance, as much damage as possible to the rest. Even a scrape or a light wound counts then, because it slows the enemy down. Multiply by several scrapes or light wounds that could be received one after another … you get the picture.

[@thehistorysquad]

Absolutely bang on! This is something I'll be talking about in future videos. Thanks for watching 👍🏻

[@johnharris3335]

Great point, arrows would be unleashed in the hundreds and it’s a numbers game. By the time the enemy got close they would batters by arrow fire and much softer for the infantry to destroy. Bowmen were crucial in medieval warfare.

[@zoichikanoe6242]

Full suit of armor was so damn expensive indeed, most soldiers just had an helmet (half type), gambeson, bracers, knee armor, chainmail, maybe a neck protection like a padded collar with some plates or gorget. With a closed helmet and full suit of armor (with chestplate, brigantine is meh against missile weapons, trust me in that), a good padded armor (upper body, legs) plus riveted chainmail (long hauberk, camail/collar), being killed was very hard but surely the melee getting more confusing, also not an hot august's day thing. Also the gauntlets with hourglass shaping near wrist are extremely great. Practically a sweaty tank. But don't forget that a full suit of armor often had, to favor some visual, half helmet and gorget with bevor (which i use when falchions or heavier stuffs aren't around), is fantastic indeed (you can control the cover/visual by moving the head toward the front), as long as somebody doesn't grab you, then the face stabbing takes place extremely easily and fast in a real killing situation.

[@peejeevermeiren2314]

Really nice video! Didn't know the accuracy was so good! I always thought they would aim at the horses. A lot of horse weren't armoured. I would expect cavalry to be quite scared...

[@Specter_1125]

Those very few men could still number well into the several thousands.

[@TheItalianPepe]

Could you do a follow up story on this? I'm curious to know what those two men thought of that challenge afterwards. Especially the one who had his jewels bruised lol!

[@davesheppard8797]

Er....yes Badda, I was thinking that. A blunt arrow shot from Kevin's 90# ish longbow into your meat and two veg is a scary thought. What would he say at the Hospital? "Yeah well I got shot in the nuts by a guy with a big longbow and a sense of humour........but I asked him to shoot at me!!!" 🤔🤔🤔😂😂😂. Dave. Or....The Doctors reaction!! "Let me get this straight sir........you asked this man to shoot you???? Maybe better off in the psychiatric ward Sir!!!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣.

[@wattyler9806]

Brilliant story.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks Wat!

[@johnroscoe2406]

My God just thinking about that poor guy taking a blunted arrow at however fast they travel to the groin is painful.

[@mistac5050]

Another classic video. Fantastic.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks for watching 👍🏻

[@moptopbaku6022]

Another great video and I am learning something every time. Keep up the good work.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks, will do!

[@JohnWood-tk1ge]

Good aim absolutely,but bouncing a couple of them helps too get them to open up! I’ve always leaned towards swords in combat,until it was pointed out to me it doesn’t matter what you do to the armor,if you can hurt the soft squishy parts under it you win. Now I lean towards axes,maces and war hammers. May not make a hole in the armor but the soft squishy parts underneath won’t hold up well.

[@davecarter1047]

What a great story, very interesting thanks for the video

[@easterncypruscricketclub36]

100% seen you at Warwick castle some years ago! Remember the voice! Great videos! Enjoy life in Canada 🇨🇦

[@thehistorysquad]

Thank you! Will do!

[@montypythonish]

Love the vid. And I'm sure I saw you at Warwick, many years ago, giving a talk & demo about 'The Battle of Agincourt'. You were very passionate about he ability of the English bowmen and the conditions they suffered. I haven't looked yet, but if you haven't done a video on Agincourt, please do.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks and yes, it would have been me at Warwick. Here's a video I shot in the autumn for the anniversary of Agincourt. I'll be covering that battle in the Hundred Years War series I'm working on now too. kzbin.info/www/bejne/haDKXmmOi82Maq8 I appreciate you watching 👍🏻

[@derekambler]

I had an ancestor, a Laurence Ambler,who fought in the service of Lord Clifford, a Yorkshire nobleman, as a Bowman, Man at Arms at the Battle of Flodden in1513 against the Scots where King James the Fourth of Scotland was killed. This was the last major battle where Longbowmen were used as frontline trooops.

[@thehistorysquad]

Wow, great! Flodden will become a video topic later down the line as it was major battle which I feel is often understated in history. Thanks for sharing.

[@derekambler]

'Fatal Rivalry -Flodden 1513' by George Goodwin is an excellent reference for details of the whole 'Incident'

[@rijkguitar4233]

I went ti Warwick Castle and saw you popping balloons from accross the river. Great day. You are a legend

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks Rick - glad you had a great day. Thanks for watching.

[@FelixstoweFoamForge]

I flinch at the though of a "bodkin in the ballocks",, An often forgotten part of "how effective was.." videos is the psychology. (i.e. Fear). Very informative Sir.

[@ryans756]

Ouch. Arrow to the knackers. That's going to ruin anyone's morning. Great shooting, sir!

[@mickusable]

Really interesting and amusing video Kevin 🤘🏹

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks Mick, glad you enjoyed it

[@mickusable]

@@thehistorysquad I enjoy all your videos Kevin, you know how to entertain a crowd 🤘

[@ENIGMAXII2112]

Of course this was helpful Sir.! And thank you again.

[@thehistorysquad]

Most welcome!

[@johngolombek61]

Sir I found you a few days ago watched all your videos now yes I binged . Cheers sir from the states . The first video saw was Mary queen of scots.

[@thehistorysquad]

Awesome, thank you, and welcome aboard! Mary Queen of Scots would have been a good start 😜, stay tuned, there'll be lots more coming down the line.

[@leman7277]

Totally onboard, if they got no shields, and are not running/doing maneuvers, or something to cause trouble in aiming, shooting down an armourdoll walking at you is far from impossible, even repeatably doable given practice. We do Larps with 40 pounds, and even with a 40 pound bow, you really feel the punch unless you are properly armoured. We usually don't allow people without additional groin protectors on field though. Groin shots are faaaar more real then you'd think.

[@thehistorysquad]

For sure!

[@goldenshoes3]

This man does not shy away from low blows! Dropped both men with an arrow to the sack lol

[@rezlogan4787]

The Groinhunter prevails!

[@duggiebader1798]

Love to have seen the look on the Nurse's face when, in A&E, the bloke replied to the inquiry of the groin injury as... "I got shot by a longbow" But then, they'd probably have guessed when he came in looking like a knight from the round table that had been kicked in the nuts.

[@thehistorysquad]

LOL - At Warwick Hospital, they became quite used to the knights and medieval folk turning up for various wounds.

[@greydaddie]

Thank you, shields are Wonderful things.

[@thehistorysquad]

👍🏻Yes they are!

[@nealtauss1715]

... helpful indeed.....

[@udowillkomm1173]

What a great story, and wonderful told, lol….now i know, how to prepare myself, if i ever meet you.

[@thehistorysquad]

😜

[@morelanmn]

Thanks, I can use this lesson.

[@kelly-annejenner486]

I think I found that funnier than I should have 😂 but hey they were the ones to ask you and knew what they were getting involved in! Also shows (although we know this already) how important the bowmen were to have up front and get the job going.

[@thehistorysquad]

Yes, thanks for clarifying that for me 👍🏻

[@thomasnikolaou8331]

You have to penetrate the vitals to kill but I guess not only in 30 paces but in 200 paces if you were hit by a warbow arrow, you were definitely neutralised if not dead. Most knights were suffering beneath their armour from swelling and internal bleeding. Horrible!!!

[@thehistorysquad]

Absolutely👍🏻

[@natepace2173]

That is the coolest story ever. Like you know in real life you could win 600 years ago vs 2 knights

[@nickliu688]

between his legs ？😮and groin？ Oh dear god ! I feel so sorry for this two knights, thank you and them for providing us this amazing history research 😂

[@aaronsanborn4291]

You can be very accurate with a bow. I used to shoot a U.S. quarter ( 1 inch across) off the top of our archery target at 30 yards with my recurve and long bow every single shot as a 10 year old kid...

[@daneofarrell9460]

I love all these little fun facts because I just spontaneously unload them on people

[@thehistorysquad]

😜

[@remlenomis]

In a way, your story replicates the arrogance of the French men-at-arms at Crecy, when they had little experience of what an English and Welsh war bow could do. No excuse for the same arrogance at Agincourt 70 years later, still less in the 20th Century. Good to know the yeoman's weapon is still a great leveller, but I feel for the knight re-enactors and their injured bollocks. Anyone who has ever shot a bow would think twice before marching into one, no matter how well-armoured. A bit like going out to face Malcolm Marshall without your box. Great video, Kevin.

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@samrodian919]

Or Joel Garner!

[@2bingtim]

The French did learn the lesson eventually. Later in the HYW(The bit where we English lost!+we never hear about at school) they used a large number of their own archers & built a large cannon train so they could mow our archers down out of bowshot.

[@oliverclothesoff5397]

You're a legend sir!