Quivers ᐉ Archery Accessories ᐉ Medieval Armoury

The quiver or quiver is a leather, wood, and/or cloth1 box or cylinder used by archers to transport arrows,2 arrows, darts, or javelins, allowing them to reach them readily and swiftly. Its use dates back to prehistory, with the oldest known example discovered adjacent to Tzi.

The quiver is usually worn on the back to allow the archer to move freely while still having access to projectiles, but it can alternatively be worn at the waist. Archer formations used to stick their arrows into the earth right in front of them during ancient conflicts to make access to the arrows even faster.

A flat or cylindrical container strung from the belt is the most frequent type of quiver. From North America to China, they can be found in a variety of cultures. There are numerous variations of this style, including leaning forwards or backwards and carrying on the dominant hand's side, the opposing side, or the small of the back. Some "pocket quivers" are nothing more than a small, stiff pouch that just covers the first few inches, while others surround practically the entire arrow. Most archers in medieval Europe utilized belt quivers, according to the Bayeux Tapestry.

Leather straps bind back quivers to the archer's back, with the nock ends projecting above the dominant hand's shoulder. The nock can be rapidly retrieved for arrows. Native peoples in North America and Africa employed this form of quiver, and it was frequently shown on bas-reliefs from ancient Assyria. They were also popular in ancient Greece, where they are frequently shown in sculptures of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. This form of quiver was rarely employed in medieval Europe, despite its popularity in 20th-century art and movies for depictions of medieval European characters (such as Robin Hood).

Quivers of many varieties and styles can be found in our catalog. The majority of them are designed for medieval re-enactments or larp events, for example back quivers are used for larp and waist quivers for medieval reenactment. But we also have a selection of tactical quivers for shooting practice. At medievalarmoury.com, you may purchase archery quivers right now.