Medieval Bags & Pouches

Medieval bags in our assortment

Perfect for LARP as well as for everyday life are our medieval bags in their different designs. Of course, they do not originate from the Middle Ages, because only very few bags from that time have survived into modern times. Nevertheless, some illustrations from the early to late Middle Ages have survived. And so we have produced the bags in our mail-order shop in the medieval style. With our own leather workshop, we are real experts in the Middle Ages. We know how to produce bags, pouches and money-bags that are as true to the original as they are high-quality and sturdy. Our bags can hold all your important belongings and keep them safe at a medieval LARP. Because at such a LARP event there are not only thieves who play their role, but unfortunately also real thieves. The rustic design and the first-class materials such as the leather distinguish our bags for the medieval LARP. The leather comes in various shades of brown and black. Just as it was common in the Middle Ages, we also produce lighter variants made of fabric. Today, however, these variants are made of cotton for better durability and easier care. These bags are equipped with decorative details such as metal appliqués. They are modelled on those that have come down to us from the Middle Ages.

Compact leather bags and pouches

Artfully sewn bags as the belt bag or kidney bag came into use relatively late in the Middle Ages. Until then, Anglo Saxon tribes, Scots, Vikings or Celts usually travelled with a pouch made of leather or cloth. The most valuable possessions were then carried in a smaller pouch inside the larger pouch. Both were closed with a cord made of leather or linen. There are some old finds or rare illustrations of finely sewn pouches. These bags were reserved for the garments of the great lords. It was only with the development and spread of the art of tailoring that lower classes could also afford such an important accessory. A medieval belt bag required an equally high-quality leather belt. This was not cheap either. Pouches made of genuine leather and pouches with loops for fastening to the belt were suitable for valuable jewellery. In the Middle Ages, loop bags had decorative rivets in the Celtic or Viking style as well as a metal buckle. In this way the bags could be securely closed.

Cutpurses and swindlers

However, the loops in the Middle Ages made the bags vulnerable to robbers. To keep one's money safe, the belt pouch proved more suitable in the Middle Ages. When the belt was pulled through the tight loops, the bags sat firmly and relatively securely. Because of their shape, they became known as kidney pouches, which were worn on the belt and thus directly on the body. They were also easier to conceal because of their position. This also made them harder to steal for the many cutpurses of the time. As a term, the “cutpurse" describes very clearly which was the most popular method in the Middle Ages to get hold of the valuables of their victims. A kidney pouch usually was closed with a middle buckle. The buckle was either small and practical or expansive and richly ornamented, depending on the financial power. The kidney bag itself became more and more voluminous over time, as it was designed with great skill. Side pockets, slip pockets and secret compartments in the kidney bag came into use. These kidney bags remained in fashion until the 17th century.

Cotton and leather pouches - Middle Ages

If you need a little more space for your luggage at the LARP, you will find a solution among our shoulder bags: The pouches made of 100% cotton are decorated with chains and rivets made of metal and are comparatively light and compact for the LARP. We also offer shoulder bags made entirely of leather for LARP, which are extremely durable and hard-wearing due to their robust workmanship. Such bags made of cloth or leather have been known since ancient times. Pilgrims and travellers used them to store their belongings. These bags were made to be worn over the head and shoulders. If the owner took off such a pilgrim's bag and laid it on the ground, it could be opened wide. This made it easy to reach the many different things that were carried in them. However, this type of bag cannot be directly attributed to the Middle Ages, so we do not include it in our range for LARP.

Vikings without pouches

Special bags from the culture of the Vikings are hardly known. The Vikings as we know them today had their great time in the Middle Ages before the development of the belt bag and the kidney bag. In addition, the Vikings travelled in ships in the early Middle Ages, on which small pouches must have seemed more like useless ornaments.

The leather of the large leather pouches would hardly have survived such a Viking sea voyage in salt water without intensive care. In the later Middle Ages, the Vikings had mostly settled down or were hunted as pirates. They then also adopted the customs of the regional cultures with regard to the belt bag or leather pouch bags.

Barrel pouches, clasps and other special forms for the belt

In the Middle Ages, the beautifully crafted barrel pouches were particularly eye-catching. They could be attached to the belt with two loops. They were distinguished above all by their large capacity and were made of fine leather. Decorative ornaments and a large metal buckle adorned this unusual variant of medieval pouches, even if they did not exactly promote the mobility of the person. In general, the belt was more and more important in the Middle Ages. After all the belt had to carry more than just the belt bag. It also had to carry leather pouches and various weapons. The pocket knife, the testicle dagger or the kidney dagger had to be fastened to the belt with all kinds of tricks. A special form of bag was the alms bag, which was mostly a cloth bag. The alms bag contained the smallest coins. In the Middle Ages members of higher classes always had to have them ready. The alms bag as a drawstring pouch was easily and quickly accessible with a flick of the wrist, whereas the belt pouch was not so easy to open.

Money changer pouches and other rarities

Another development in the Middle Ages was the money changer pouch. This was a leather bag containing a wide variety of compartments and pouches for the different currencies. These pouches made of leather in black or brown were of course sewn quite sturdily. But such shapes and special forms are of little use to you on the LARP, so you will find them at most in old illustrations from the Middle Ages. These include the harness bags, which were very fashionable in the High Middle Ages and later years. Apart from the fine fittings, rivets and ornaments, it was especially the clasps that expressed value and wealth in the Middle Ages. If a belt bag or kidney pouch was equipped with a buckle or even a shackle to close it, the price for it rose dramatically. All such metalwork ultimately had to be done by the fine blacksmith, a highly paid professional at the time.

Medieval bags and leather pouches from LARP-fashion.co.u

As you can easily see on this page, we offer many articles and accessories in our mail-order shop. Although you can hardly call these articles simple accessories. They are custom-made for LARP, medieval markets or the real lovers of such garb. We are happy to make you happy with our mail-order shop.