[Faction Research] Kingdom of France

[Wareg]

Glad to hear that pictures will be at least a bit useful

[Philippe-IV.]

superb site with all the flags and coa!

http://www.krigsspil.dk/download/download_3.html

Very useful page. I am fan to heraldy and medieval banners.

And also, great pictures Wareg!

[Giacomo Colonna]

Interesting, have you got more info about It? Were bows still common in nothern Italy or term ''archer'' refers to crossbowmen?
I've found somewhere that in Courtrai 1302 there was also contingent of mercenary javelinmen.

This info is from the Villani chronicles.
I don't think thats Villani confused the two vocables, because he written in the same text "Arciers" and "Arbalestriers". Arciers being the milaneses, and the Arbalestriers being the genoeses leads by Rainier of Grimaldi, who became Amiral of France and Lord of Cagne two years later.

[Yerevan]

You can present it in this thread and there's no rush really, when you will have free time and have nothing to do, you can give it a shot. For English names traduction, no worries, i can handle it however if there's unique names for soldiers, please let us know.

One unit France used was Les Enfants Perdus ; Probably in the 14-15th century, those guys were acting as Doppelsoldner, first ot charge the enemy but paid twice due to the very hardcore work.

Hum, I'm not sure about a total similarity with the Doppelsoldner . .The Doppelsoldner role was just a part of their specuiality. From what I recall, they were more also like skirmishers with very complete skills. Their missions could be quite diverse but mostly scouting/harassing the ennemy lines, bothering the ennemy's pre-battle manoeuvres and in the same time giving more time for the french troops to assemble in order. This is for the pre-melee part.
During the melee, they were indeed cting like Doppelsoldner, and were infiltrating in between lines, taking action on particular targets and then retreating behind lines again. I read somewhere that a french general didn't like to use them during the battle as he considered their retreat could be interpretated as a routing by other troops and have an affect on morale. Still they remained as a strong tradition in french armied and I remember sources mentionning them until the 17th century. Atthat time heir action was the same as tirailleurs.
This was quite risky as for the pre-battle part, they were quite vulnerable to the ennemy troops (the ennemy cavalery especially). So they were considered as burned heads (don't know if its the right expression for fearless...). This explain the primes. As for the name, it can have two meaning : one is closely associating to the cotemporean meaning of "perdu", the other being more associated to the
strong religious medieval connotations of "perdu".

[Polycarpe]

Hum, I'm not sure about a total similarity with the Doppelsoldner . .The Doppelsoldner role was just a part of their specuiality. From what I recall, they were more also like skirmishers with very complete skills. Their missions could be quite diverse but mostly scouting/harassing the ennemy lines, bothering the ennemy's pre-battle manoeuvres and in the same time giving more time for the french troops to assemble in order. This is for the pre-melee part.
During the melee, they were indeed cting like Doppelsoldner, and were infiltrating in between lines, taking action on particular targets and then retreating behind lines again. I read somewhere that a french general didn't like to use them during the battle as he considered their retreat could be interpretated as a routing by other troops and have an affect on morale. Still they remained as a strong tradition in french armied and I remember sources mentionning them until the 17th century. Atthat time heir action was the same as tirailleurs.
This was quite risky as for the pre-battle part, they were quite vulnerable to the ennemy troops (the ennemy cavalery especially). So they were considered as burned heads (don't know if its the right expression for fearless...). This explain the primes. As for the name, it can have two meaning : one is closely associating to the cotemporean meaning of "perdu", the other being more associated to the
strong religious medieval connotations of "perdu".

Imteresting, it adds more onto the use and description of those French soldiers, which also proves that I was not alone talking about them. +rep.

[Yerevan]

Imteresting, it adds more onto the use and description of those French soldiers, which also proves that I was not alone talking about them. +rep.

You're welcome :-)

No, you're definitely not the only one talking about it. There's something metaphorical in this terminology that will make any research on the web a bit complicate. But still, there are some ancient as well as contemporean sources on it. Most of the references are set in 15/16/17 th century. So, they might be some sources for the 14th century to, but I can't be categorical.

This was originaly more a speciality than a regiment's name. Any military corp would have his "enfants perdus". But later some regiments would use this terminology as a name.

Anyway, this would make a nice naming for a skirmisher troop and there is a nice medieval ring to it.

[Polycarpe]

You're welcome :-)

No, you're definitely not the only one talking about it. There's something metaphorical in this terminology that will make any research on the web a bit complicate. But still, there are some ancient as well as contemporean sources on it. Most of the references are set in 15/16/17 th century. So, they might be some sources for the 14th century to, but I can't be categorical.

This was originaly more a speciality than a regiment's name. Any military corp would have his "enfants perdus". But later some regiments would use this terminology as a name.

Anyway, this would make a nice naming for a skirmisher troop and there is a nice medieval ring to it.

Further more details, thank you sir and indeed, Les Enfants Perdus is an excellent skirmisher name for a unique unit.

[samsuffit39]

Arthur Tilley, Medieval France: A Companion to French Studies

http://xenophongroup.com/montjoie/tilley.htm


A lot of information on the french army during this period.

[druzhina345]

Histoire d'Outremer by William of Tyre, copy from Northern France, between 1232 and 1261, ms Yates Thompson 12

Histoire d'Outremer by William of Tyre, Military Images

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Godfrey of Bouillon
Siege of Nicea
Baldwin
Siege of Antioch
Battle outside Antioch & large image
Bishop Adhemar
Siege of Jerusalem
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey and Baldwin
Bohemund and Daimbert
Ebremars, Archbishop of Caesarea
Assault on Tyre
Coronation of Foulques & large image
Emperor John & large image
Death of Sanguius
Battle
Patriarch of Antioch
Nureddin, Sultan of Damascus
Amaury and Mary
Saladin ravaging the Holy Land
Siege

MIRROR SITE
Histoire d'Outremer by William of Tyre, copy from Northern France, between 1232 and 1261, ms Yates Thompson 12

druzhina345
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers