Gripping Beast unarmoured Dark Age warriors

[tomek917]

Finally I can finish my Wildlings and mountain clans for my Westerosi armies!

I was thinking Greyjoy raiders! 

The possibilities seems to be endless!

[charla51]

How do we know Dark Age Scots and Welsh didn't wear trousers?

[Hildred Castaigne]

How do we know Dark Age Scots and Welsh didn't wear trousers?

Just paint the trousers in tartan and hope nobody raises the question. 

[tomek917]

How do we know Dark Age Scots and Welsh didn't wear trousers?

Because if you had the choice between trousers and a socially accepted skirt, everyone would choose the skirt!

FREEEEEEEDOOOOOMMM!

 

[cram]

How do we know Dark Age Scots and Welsh didn't wear trousers?

Not much info exists on Welsh appearance its true. But everything I've ever read mentions the fact that they were bare legged. A couple of illustrations of Welsh warriors still exist, and Gerald of Wales gives some good descriptions of the Welsh. It appears to have been a cultural thing, with even the nobility and Royalty going bare legged. They generally seemed to go bare foot too, its been suggested that the bare feet was so they could get a good grip on the Welsh terrain, which is usually harsh. When I studied Welsh history and archaeology several years ago at Swansea uni, we were given this description of our ancestors too. A thin cloak, knee length tunic, bare legged and generally shoe-less with short hair seems to be the excepted description.

[charla51]

Not much info exists on Welsh appearance its true. But everything I've ever read mentions the fact that they were bare legged. A couple of illustrations of Welsh warriors still exist, and Gerald of Wales gives some good descriptions of the Welsh. It appears to have been a cultural thing, with even the nobility and Royalty going bare legged. They generally seemed to go bare foot too, its been suggested that the bare feet was so they could get a good grip on the Welsh terrain, which is usually harsh. When I studied Welsh history and archaeology several years ago at Swansea uni, we were given this description of our ancestors too. A thin cloak, knee length tunic, bare legged and generally shoe-less with short hair seems to be the excepted description.

What are the primary sources for this?

[Hildred Castaigne]

What are the primary sources for this?

Holiday pictures taken by the Saxons.

[Calimero]

Holiday pictures taken by the Saxons.

[cram]

"we were met near the side of a wood by Cyneuric son of Rhys, accompanied by a body of light-armed youths. This young man was of a fair complexion, with curled hair, tall and handsome; clothed only, according to the custom of his country, with a thin cloak and inner garment, his legs and feet, regardless of thorns and thistles were left bare; a man, not adorned by art, but nature; bearing in his presence an innate, not an acquired, dignity of manners" :Gerald of Wales

An example.

[charla51]

...A bit on this side of the Dark Ages, but close enough if you're not a button counter.

[Dewbakuk]

Can't possibly comment on how I know this given that no one has any sprues yet (I certainly don't ) but the Westwind arthurin heads will fit with very little effort. I only checked with the helmeted sprue as that's all I had but all you have to do is trim the neck sprue on the head and it will sit on the plastic neck perfectly fine. The scale of the heads is very similar.

[Volleyfire!]

"we were met near the side of a wood by Cyneuric son of Rhys, accompanied by a body of light-armed youths. This young man was of a fair complexion, with curled hair, tall and handsome; clothed only, according to the custom of his country, with a thin cloak and inner garment, his legs and feet, regardless of thorns and thistles were left bare; a man, not adorned by art, but nature; bearing in his presence an innate, not an acquired, dignity of manners" :Gerald of Wales

An example.

I tell you what, they must have been hard b*st*rds if the weather back then was anything like it is today. Thin cloak and undergarments and bare legs and feet, doesn't bear thinking about. Brrrrrrr.

[vonplutz]

I tell you what, they must have been hard b*st*rds if the weather back then was anything like it is today. Thin cloak and undergarments and bare legs and feet, doesn't bear thinking about. Brrrrrrr.

We need to keep in mind that Gerard had a political agenda of making the Welsh seem primitive thus justifying English involvement in the country.

[Garanhir]

I tell you what, they must have been hard b*st*rds if the weather back then was anything like it is today. Thin cloak and undergarments and bare legs and feet, doesn't bear thinking about. Brrrrrrr.

Well it was during the latter part of the "Medieval Warm Period", so temperatures were a bit higher than anyone but the youngest of us is used to. Only in the last twenty years have temperatures equalled those of that period.

They were a tough bunch, but consider your average Saturday night, even in winter, and you can see plenty of lasses out in the cold night air wearing less.

[valleyboy]

"we were met near the side of a wood by Cyneuric son of Rhys, accompanied by a body of light-armed youths. This young man was of a fair complexion, with curled hair, tall and handsome; clothed only, according to the custom of his country, with a thin cloak and inner garment, his legs and feet, regardless of thorns and thistles were left bare; a man, not adorned by art, but nature; bearing in his presence an innate, not an acquired, dignity of manners" :Gerald of Wales

An example.

Bugger me, I remember Gerald Davies playing on the wing for Wales because he was my hero when I was a schoolboy and he scored a good few tries against the Saxons, some of them at Twickenham even, but it never occured to me that he could have been that old