© Companions of the Longbow

Quivers as we know them today are not found in medieval illustrations of archers at war. Usually when archers are shown carrying arrows, they have them tucked under their belts. Sometimes, however, an illustration shows something we call an arrow bag.

An arrow bag would be designed to carry a sheaf of 24 arrows. The ones we use are based on a functional arrangement drawn from practical experience, medieval illustrations, and Mary Rose recoveries. The illustrations tell us that the bag is a tube of cloth, probably linen canvas or some other tough bleached or natural cloth, perhaps lined with cloth of a contrasting color (though apparent linings in illustrations may simply be artistic license at play). The bags were closed by means of a drawstring at each end, allowing either end to be opened. Thus when the archer inserts the arrows (point first) or removes them (also point first), the arrows are always moving forward, reducing wear on the fletchings.

As can be seen on the right, the archer simply keeps his arrows tucked into his belt.

Of course the other popular way of keeping your arrows to hand is to stick them in the ground.

The replica arrow bag below is one supplied by Richard Head.

All Illustrations by Gerry Embleton.

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Arrow  Bags