Dear GG

I have tried on a re enactor's Norman chain mail and it wasn't so heavy that it required two men and a pole. I could easily pick it up with one hand and put it on like a heavy knitted sweater.Folded up I could carry one on each shoulder so two men should be able to better four between them so these two are scrimshankers,idlers. Still the "creases" would fall out so the owner would look very smart. The chap top left should learn something about fulcrums and carry the spears properly or maybe he is about to drop them on the floor. The poses on the whole are very interesting and welcome. The battle of Hastings tends to overshadow the long pacification which involved much marching, building of forts* and fighting small scale battles with the usual murder and brutality regime change entails so these are great for for the marching bit. Next sets - Normans being very nasty and Normans building forts.

David

* and cathedrals as well

Dear Steve O

The helmets also had the funny little nasal bit which made a very jolly carrying handle. The three on the right are breaching the union rules and carrying two hauberks between them. Of course the Bayeux tapestry is highly stylised and they probably did carry at least four but try embroidering that without the benefit of perspective. Three full size hauberks* would be about a hundredweight so no different to carrying a cwt sack between two men.

David

*The one I tried on was the smaller version - hauburgeon see the box art.