06-11-2009, 11:22 AM
It it possible to assess the actual cost of keeping an armoured (mail jerkin) cavalryman?
I have done some musing using http://www.keesn.nl/price/en2_sources.htm to give a very rough idea based on price by cow :|
Sword & Scabbard 7
Helmet 6
Mail Coat 12
Shield & lance 2
Horse 3
30 cows would get you the full kit and 18 all but a mail shirt. No saddlery is mentioned????
The population of GB at AD400 was approx 3 million ... at say one cow per 10 persons will buy you 10,000 fully armed nutters on horseback.
I don't know what the iron age ratio of cattle per person was but the Zulus manged to accrue 12,000 hide shields at the time of Rourkes Drift. If the ratio was more cattle than people then Riothamus may well have been able to arm 12,000 men with at least shield spear and sword and take them on holiday to Gaul to fight the Goths :roll:
So given a few decades I don't see why the armies of Arthurian Briton (made up of a few hundred at a time?) would not be fully kitted out as mail/scale armed cavalry. If this was not the case then I would suggest that cost was not the major factor.
I have done some musing using http://www.keesn.nl/price/en2_sources.htm to give a very rough idea based on price by cow :|
Sword & Scabbard 7
Helmet 6
Mail Coat 12
Shield & lance 2
Horse 3
30 cows would get you the full kit and 18 all but a mail shirt. No saddlery is mentioned????
The population of GB at AD400 was approx 3 million ... at say one cow per 10 persons will buy you 10,000 fully armed nutters on horseback.
I don't know what the iron age ratio of cattle per person was but the Zulus manged to accrue 12,000 hide shields at the time of Rourkes Drift. If the ratio was more cattle than people then Riothamus may well have been able to arm 12,000 men with at least shield spear and sword and take them on holiday to Gaul to fight the Goths :roll:
So given a few decades I don't see why the armies of Arthurian Briton (made up of a few hundred at a time?) would not be fully kitted out as mail/scale armed cavalry. If this was not the case then I would suggest that cost was not the major factor.
Conal Moran
Do or do not, there is no try!
Yoda
Do or do not, there is no try!
Yoda
