Socialising with fellow townsmen, participating in tournaments, improving their aim, etc.: that's what men in the archers’ and swordsmen’s guilds get up to. That’s still an absolute necessity in the Middle Ages because men must be capable of defending their city.

But from the 17th century, armies are organised more centrally and their weapons become more technical and difficult to operate. The guilds endure but are reduced to social clubs. They are a good place to spend time and network, and poor members can count on financial help if they get sick, or even a pension or a place to live.

A highlight of guild life is the Archery King Contest. Whoever shoots the bird from its perch may call himself king for a year and wear a richly decorated chain: the Sire’s Chain. Some of these chains and other artworks in this room feature the guild’s patron saints: St. Sebastian and St. George for the archers, St. Michael for the swordsmen.

At the end of the 18th century, the French Administration close down the guilds but they are revived during the 19th century, and still exist today.

How did men relax in the 17th and 18th centuries? This room is devoted to one of their leisure activities. Many citizens are members of one of the Bruges archers' guilds: in the St. Sebastian and St. George guilds they shoot with bows and arrows, and in the St. Barbara guild with firearms, so-called 'culverins', a type of handgun. In the St. Michael's guild, they use swords.

In the Middle Ages these armed guilds had a military function, as urban militias. They were part of the defence of the city. But, in the 17th century, the ancient guilds became social clubs, where gentlemen members could relax and network. The guilds also organise shooting tournaments. In some case, these still exist. The Sire's Chain that we have here, which we discuss in the next number (38), an exceptional piece from the museum collection, tells such a story.

The guilds’ traditions produced some wonderful heritage. You can distinguish which guild used which object from the saints depicted on them. For example, St. Sebastian is the saint tied to a tree, pierced with arrows. St. George and St. Michael are both dragon slayers. St. Barbara was locked in a tower by her father.

In the central display case in this room is a unique chain, the Sire's Chain. Every year, this 16th-century showpiece leaves the museum for a week. During this period, the chain is worn by a king or sire for a day. Hence the name: Sire's Chain. This king is the king of the guild: he successfully shot the bird off its perch during the Archery King Contest of the Mijnheere Sint-Sebastiaen guild in Sint-Kruis, near Bruges. The bird, a parrot, can be seen in the middle, below the velvet collar.

De Vrye Archiers is an archers' guild. Sebastian is their patron saint and the bow is their weapon. It was founded in 1472, by none other than the Burgundian Duke, Charles the Bold. The guild is now around 550 years old. Like other guilds, it evolved from being an urban militia into a social club. Nowadays, women and children are also welcome to join.

Let's get back to the Sire's Chain. It consists of a velvet collar decorated with elements in precious metal. Underneath, in between the two lions, you can see the Habsburg coat of arms, with a two-headed eagle. This family was in power when the Sire's Chain was used for the first time. Small chains with shields and medals hang around the collar, along with the bird. The shields and medals feature the names of successive kings or sires, and commemorate events from the guild’s rich history.

One such illustrious event in Bruges’ history is commemorated in the painting of the young man in full armour in this room. It is none other than Henry Stuart, the third son of the English King Charles I. On 11 July 1656, Henry was made a member of the Bruges St. George guild, together with his brother, King Charles II. The brothers were temporarily in exile in Bruges. This was no coincidence: the city had close ties with Great Britain for centuries. The painting's frame features various motifs of the St. George guild, such as shields with the red St George's cross and the crossbow. This guild’s members shoot with the crossbow.

This was the first small room adjacent to room 10. To go to the next room, exit this small room. Room 12 is the other small room next to room 10 on the left.