Irish Kern

[Stuart]

3 units of Irish Kern are done, here’s the accompanying write up;

https://stuartsworkbench.blogspot.com/2021/11/irish-kern.html?m=1

[Romark]

Lovely additions to the collection Stuart,enjoyed the blog entry too 👍

[Stuart]

Cheers Keith, I shall get you a nice new yellow shirt for Christmas

[Hu Rhu]

Wonderful painting on those Kern. 

[HappyChappy439]

Excellent work on these! And thanks for the Saffron recipe on the blog post too, that's really helpful!

You've definitely convinced me to pick up a few sets of Kern!

[Atheling]

Cracking Stuart 

[levied troop]

Excellent painting and a fascinating blog post.

[RedRowan]

A fantastic looking unit.

Steve

[Pan Marek]

They are, indeed, beautiful.   But I must ask the question I always wonder when I see Dark Age/Medieval Irish, Scots or
Welsh:   Why did so many go barefoot?   Ireland, Wales and Scotland are not warm, balmy places, and are also frequently rocky.
Its always seemed odd to me that men going into battle would do so barefoot (imagine all the pointy battle debris!).

Anyone have a good answer to this issue?  I find it hard to believe that it was about shoes being too expensive (heck, to me sandals would be better than nothing).

[OB]

Lovely work Stuart.

Pan Marek the bare legs and feet was a statement by the Irish nobility and their soldiers of their personal indifference to physical hardship.  It was part of an elite military fashion that sought to emulate the deeds of the ancient Fianna.  As you surmised it had nothing to do with the affordability of foot wear.

[Shahbahraz]

They are, indeed, beautiful.   But I must ask the question I always wonder when I see Dark Age/Medieval Irish, Scots or
Welsh:   Why did so many go barefoot?   Ireland, Wales and Scotland are not warm, balmy places, and are also frequently rocky.
Its always seemed odd to me that men going into battle would do so barefoot (imagine all the pointy battle debris!).

Anyone have a good answer to this issue?  I find it hard to believe that it was about shoes being too expensive (heck, to me sandals would be better than nothing).

Bare feet were supposed to give you better grip. When slipping might literally be the difference between life and death...

[painterman]

Lovely looking figures Stuart - did they win today?
Simon

[Stuart]

Indeed they did, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat

[Pan Marek]

OB-
Thanks.  Do you know of any sources where I can read more about this?

[OB]

You're welcome.  There is a good treatment of it in Gaelic Ulster in the Middle Ages by Katherine Sims.