The Legendary Bowmen of Wales & the Hobelars 

Cymry history and culture is so rich, i have deep respect for them. God bless Cymru! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇧🇷

I truly enjoy your content. I'm US born and raised, but I have a love for European history with a particular focus on England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. I appreciate all your hard work and research because you often share insights into history that are routinely glossed over by textbooks. Thank you for all that you do for us, your fans. 😁😁

I am an English longbowman and I have the most respect for the Welsh.

Diolch Kev your always very respectful while mentioning the Welsh in your videos and I loved how you covered how we would rebell constantly even when fighting for the English in the 100 years war amazing content as always 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇨🇦

The last bit about only understanding Welsh is only too true. My great-grandfather,born 1838, couldn't speak English at all. Through DNA tests I have found I'm forty percent Welsh and couldn't be more proud.

Respect to the welsh Bowmen&Hobelars!🏹👍

I can see Wales from my house - This means it's going to rain. I can't see Wales from house - It's already raining. Local joke from my village Porlock

There's a manga called Hawkwood that takes place during the 100 Years War, and the Welsh bowmen in it are depicted as these absolutely _massive_ titans because of how strong they were. It's amazing.

By the way, if you are a tourist in Wales it is customary when visiting Welsh castles to show the v sign with two fingers to anyone in uniform that is present, as a way of expressing appreciation of the service given by Welsh archers to The Crown.

I'm also a Lewis. my family is Welsh and came over to the US from Wales in the 1840's they were well off. the family had a woolen mills. and their father disowned them for leaving to join the LDS church. our family home from the 1700's is still standing. its name is "Tawny Paul" and sits right by a castle! I actually have a piece of the roof my dad brought back. The new owner let him take a tour of the house and told him "come on in, this is YOUR house!" i've always wanted to know more about the Welsh so this was very interesting!

I really enjoyed this, it’s nice to see someone so knowledgeable, especially on a typically obscure topic such as Wales! The note on the necessity of Welsh-speaking commanders is also really interesting, if I’m not mistaken I believe one of the ancestors of the Tudor family served in such a role, and the commanders as a whole made up a big chunk of the Welsh-speaking government in Edward I’s Principality

Great video Kevin. My grandfather was born in Pontypool, Wales. I can still remember his accent, even though he passed away when I was young. Stubborn as the day was long and ornery as hell. Still miss him. He work as a child in the coal mines before the first World War. Take care and love videos.

Great video Kevin! 👏 Food for thought: Whereas it took the Normans around 5 years to fully subjugate England, it took *216 years* to fully conquer Wales. Such incredible grit and defiance! *Cymru am byth* - *Ry'n ni Yma o hyd* ! ✊ 🏹⚔️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

The happiness and pride I feel finally seeing someone talking about this part of history, especially being a man of Gwent

Love this video about my country, I live about 5 minutes away from Caerphilly castle in South Wales which is breathtaking to see up close. Would love you to do a video on the battle of Crug Mawr between the Welsh and the Normans. I think it would be a great follow up to this video. Many thanks Kevin!

That was great , thank you for making the video . I'm from Gwent and , when I was a young man my local pub was called The Man of Gwent and the pub sign was a Bowman 😊😊. It's still there today .

I just discovered your channel. I love your passion. I have a huge affection for English, Welsh and Scots. I wish I could sit down in a proper pub and have a pint, or three, with you. Cheers, mate. schöne grüße aus Nordrhein/'Westfalen,

I knew a little about Hoblars from Cornwell, but this was great. Hard for us Americans to understand English-Welsh stuff, glad you fleshed that out as well.

I've been making bows from the "white woods" for almost 30 years. I've made several bows from elm and they're great. My everyday bow is 60lbs @ 29" and made of Elm. That passage from Geraldus has inspired me for years. Btw, in one of your other vids you mention your shooting glove to protect your bow-hand. I've had to do that too. I shoot mostly in solitude so it's nice to see someone else having to do the same. When I don't see others using a glove it makes me wonder if I'm doing something wrong!

Fascinating as always. It's interesting that you didn't mention the Welsh archers employed by the English at the battle of Bryn Glas in June 1402, who helped win the battle for Glyndwr's army. The English had a very steep hill to climb to get to the Welsh army camped near the top, so obviously the Welsh had better range and were inflicting heavy casualties. When the English army was part of the way up the hill, a hidden force of Welsh soldiers attacked from the side/rear causing even more casualties. At that point, whether it was pre-arranged or whether it just happened spontaneously, the Welsh archers among the English ranks opened fire on the English soldiers too. So they weren't *totally* loyal... 😉 I visited the site of the battle a couple of years ago. I wouldn't have liked to have been in the English ranks on that day. It's an incredibly steep hill to climb in full gear!

The Welsh seem like some hardened troops for sure. Being shot through the thigh might be one of the most painful things I can think of. Thanks for another great video Kevin.

Colonel Morgan Morgan (1688-1766) from Glamirganshire, Wales is s my 7th great grandfather on my Mother's side. I am not only Welsh but Scottish and Irish on my Dad's side.

Thirty years ago I walked into a shop on main street Mena, Arkansas called Uniforms of Antiquity. I was there to get my husband a American Civil War cap with his Army National Guard unit insignia on it for his birthday. The gentleman who owned the shop was Welsh and spoke Welsh. His wife translated. It was a fun afternoon.

I’m welsh myself. Thanks as always for an interesting and informative.❤

5k Bowmen? Can't imagine the carnage from arrow swaths raining down on the field. Scary.

I enjoy how you weave your personal family connections into the historical discussion, as well as mentioning the historical characters by name. It gives your presentations color and depth - it gives the historical events meaning and added context. History isn’t just a bunch of facts, it is the stories of the people and their actions in their time. Just like we are doing now. It’s important to remember that. You do it well.

You are one of my all-time favorites. Thank you for your wonderful work during an age of revisionist history.

Today, you made a Welsh man smile ❤. Your uncle comes from a beautiful place. I know it well being a Swansea man much surfing down Gower. Awesome videos, you are so passionate for our worlds history. Thank you for all the videos

Wow, someone who isn’t afraid to shy away from the fact that it was the Welsh Bowmen who inspired the use of such weapons later by England. This is often overlooked in favour of the blanket statement “English Longbowmen”.

Thanks Kevin, for the latest history tidbit. And thanks for the shout out as well. Cheers from Texas.

You have officially over taken Attenborough as my favorite English voice. Thank you for these stories my friend, cheers!

Great video, shared it with a Czech bowman friend of mine!

Thank you, Sir. I normally shoot a horsebow, as my ancestors are from Central Asia. However, this morning, you have inspired me to go out and practice with my Longbow.

Great work Kevin. I have read about the battle of Shrewsbury. Been to the site too. It is known as Battlefield. Don't know why. There is a small museum with daggers and arrowheads, and a model of Harry's injury. I went to college in Shrewsbury with a young lady called Jennifer Mottishead. Sadly she is no longer with us. Lovely girl. Mottishead is one of the nobles who fought in 1403.

My great grandfather came to America from Flintshire Wales. My grandfather passed on in 1956, I don't know much about family history. I have a long flatbow, I make my own arrows.

Was just on holiday in wales. Thanks for the extra history!

Your in wales boyo that’s my area , now your talking local,thank you Kevin just across the common from me and just across the marsh so varied terrain here and many rivers for them to cross in armour weapons etc so bowmen travel light if you think about it.

Great video, I have read a lot about the Welsh bowmen . Their abilities amaze me

Thanks for the lesson; I always look forward to your classes. All hail, thehistorysquad. 🏹

Thats just made me fill up. Everyday when i wake up, i thank the lord i am Welsh.

As ever, another great video. I'm part Welsh myself, my Grandad was from Tredegar, South Wales, survived the Cym mine disaster....

Some say, the strange English tradition of 'half-day-closing', was originally to allow enough mid-week bargaining space for everyone to change sides; good for business etc. Thanks Kevin, your stories always leave me thinking of how any ad hoc fighting group, then relies on the good teaching skills of it's survivors, - no Sergeants left? - poor new army?

Diolch i chi Kevin, da iawn ar y ynganiad! Iechyd da!

Yet another fascinating account Kevin. I, like you are of English (Father was from Darlington) and Welsh Descent, my mother being a Jones from Pontypool (Cant get more Welsh than that!) I live in Cwmbran which is in Gwent, formally Monmouthshire a county that seemed to go back and fore between England and Wales so this was especially interesting, ( A special shout out to your good lady who I believe is from Cwmbran too!)

Excellent again Kevin, especially interested as an Englishman living in Radnorshire who took up archery here!!

Always love Kevin's passion about the topic he is describing...😊

One of the pleasures of watching your videos is hearing your Lichfield accent. Born and raised in Nottingham, I lived in the West Midlands for 6 years - almost all my secondary school years - so it brings back memories. I never acquired the accent though. Much later, I learned that the accent difference can be traced back to the Watling Street divide between the Danelaw and English Mercia.

Yay it's Friday and a educational clip from Kevin 🎉❤thanks Kevin for another interesting story ❤❤❤

Diolch yn fawr brawd, sometimes it feels like our history is lost amongst wider British history. Great video and much appreciated!

As a child in Wales, I was told the same story concerning the Welsh long bow.

I have read that the reason that crossbows superseded the longbow was not because they were more effective, but because they didn't require a lifetime to master.

Your content is amazing. I’m from Iceland and have heard a lot of stories from the British occupation in ww2 witch has led me to take a bigger interest in English history as a whole, especially medieval history. Your channel has really expanded my interest in the subject

There's so much European history that I know incredibly little about. Channel is slowly trickle teaching me where to research. It's cool how the Hobelar is a spear man like the Hoplite in Greece antiquity. Sounds kinda similar too

Nice to see the Welsh Bowman given the credit they deserve

I see Kevin Hicks, I Kevin Click. It's just that simple.

Brilliant video. I love Welsh history. One of my ancestors Rhys Fawr ap Maredudd was present at the Battle of Bosworth.

As always Kevin your passion you bring to these stories is beyond reproach. Brilliant

Love seeing my country get representation, thank you!

Thanks for the tribute. I was born here in South Wales and taught in Welsh schools. There are half a dozen ancient castles and ruins in my home town alone and I'm only an hour or so from Caerphilly Castle, Cardiff castle or Manobier. All totally enchanting places. Were surrounded by history. I love hearing about our history in warfare especially 👍

Very interesting episode. Wouldn’t want to meet a mediaeval Welsh bowman in a dark alley.

Thanks for this show!

At the end of the day Kevin I don’t think I’d like to be at the pointy end of either a Welsh or English bowman. In those times they were both formidable both as hard as each other and both with a skill set to be proud of.

Fascinating yet again❤️

Another great video!

Another great episode! Thank you again!

great video once again kevin. very informative as always.

Reminds me of the medieval town of Chillingbourne.

Thanks Kevin for some more great stories.

Good stuff!! Another great episode!!

Welsh is strong through my family. I spent many an afternoon sat on my grandmothers floor watching Welsh rugby. I have read discussions about the origins of the longbow and it is thought it was introduced to these isles by German auxiliaries during the Roman era. Possibly but, you're right in that it was adopted in Wales on a huge scale. I've seen an early illustration of an archer said to be Welsh with only one shoe and a very nobbly longbow which seems to match your description. I understand that the Irish were known to wear one shoe for better purchase on wet ground. I forget which king made practicing the longbow compulsory and outlawed the crossbow but Edward I "Longshanks" made good use of them against the Scots. A bloody but brilliant general way ahead of his time I think.

Great stories, thank you for sharing Mr Hicks sir!

Excellent video Kevin!

What a gifted storyteller regardless of timeframe. Thanks. May GOD bless

I love all your videos x

Thank you as always Kevin (you legend)

Brilliant as always Kevin! 👌

Love the way this guy narrates

Thanks again for your "Welsh" of knowledge!

I love archery I always look forward to your historical accounts

Great way of storytelling and so much information, I'm happy that I found this channel!

Very happy I found your channel! The content is top notch and interesting. Keep up the great work! Thanks for sharing!

Awesome video, very informative

You make nice videos with very interesting content. Thanks

Absolutely brilliant blog. DIOLCH 👍

Hi Kevin! I love your videos. Could we possibly get a detailed look at your archers belt pouch? How its constructed and what an archer might have kept in it? Thanks a lot for the great content!

Great history and great telling…

Cheers Kevin, History with Heart And And a Brilliant Knowledge of His Subject YOUR THE MAN MR HICKS, THANKS, ALL THE BEST.....WILL AND ELAINE. 🇮🇲👍🇮🇲

Excellent as always kev

Hi Mr Hicks, I wanted to know if you were ever going to make a video about the DEFEAT of the English archers in the Hundred Years War? For example, the battle of Patay (1429)?

I grew up playing D&D and even though that is fantasy this sort of content is still fun for me. Also, super educational. Thanks.

A fascinating account of the Welsh Bowmen, Kevin - thanks ever so much for the info. I am proud of the support the Bowmen gave us. I have family links to Wales, which makes me twice as proud! I do like your final comments about the Bowmen only obeying commands in Welsh, perfectly reasonable when one thinks about it. At least English Gurkha officers have to reach a certain standard in the Nepali language, so I suppose we learned the lesson eventually!

We need more high-quality videos like this and fewer rubbish videos spoken by a computer voice, whose words are done by people who cannot speak well and do not know their subject matter one half as well as this fine gentleman! Bravo!!

Hello Sir, thank you for the wonderful content! :) I’ve been shooting the longbow for about 1 year now, here in Ottawa. I was wondering if you could please provide us with some info (or hopefully make a video) on making home repairs on longbows? For example: what to do if there is a twist in your bow; or if your horn nocks are at a bit of a diagonal from the rest of the bow; or how to bind a split or splinter in the back of your longbow; etc.? Thanks again for your great videos! I always look forward to your next one! :)

I’m back got a lot of videos to catch up on from you. I hope you’re doing good bro. Love to see the stuff keep it up.

Love the content here.

Nice to hear the correct pronunciation of Owain ( my son's name ). Thanks for the video.

Diolch am yr fideo yma wedi bod yn ffeithiol iawn ag wedi ei fwynhau, diolchwn eto i chi. Thank you for this video it has been very factual and enjoyed it, I thank you again.

Makes me proud to be welsh and from gwent! Great vid as always kev

HA Ha I waa at the Gower every school holiday. My nan lived back from the Mumbles at the Mayals Pobbles and Three Cliffs bays were our favorites Chepstow castle is a good castle, I used to go to it 🙂

I love this channel. Thanks for all of your hard work! I'm happy to be a new subscriber.