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Archery: For many
centuries, bows and arrows were used to kill and to make war. Two of the better
known historical characters associated with the art of archery are Robin Hood and
William Tell. In 15th-century England and France, the skill had
developed to such a point it was almost considered a religious ritual. Archers use a weapon consisting of
two parts; the bow is made of a strip of flexible material, such as wood, with a
cord linking the two ends of the strip to form a tension from which is propelled
the arrow; the arrow is a straight shaft with a sharp point on one end and
usually with feathers attached to the other end. The use of the bow and arrow
for hunting and for war dates back to the Paleolithic period in Africa, Asia,
and Europe. Arrowheads were first made of burnt wood, then stone or bone, and
then metal. Various woods and bones were used for the bow itself. However, it
was not a powerful weapon until the invention of the composite bow. A composite
bow is made of various
materials (wood, horn, sinew) glued together so as to increase their natural
strength and elasticity.
A crossbow is a bow set on a stock. It fires missiles propelled by
mechanical energy and released by a trigger. It could be more powerful than the
ordinary bow and could fire arrows, darts, or stones. It was, however, slower to
fire than the longbow and almost as difficult to wield; even the arbalest, a
later crossbow, was clumsy and slow. By the end of the 13th cent. use of the
crossbow had declined. At the battle of Crécy (1346) English longbowmen, firing
from fixed positions, proved far more efficient than Genoese crossbowmen
fighting for the French.
The English were the most skilled with the bow and arrow; and
in fact the use of the longbow survived there long after the introduction of
gunpowder. The long bow favoured by the English was a powerful weapon, but
it took great strength to pull and years of practice to master.
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Recommended Reading: |
How to make your own primitive bow and arrow
A good bow is the result of many hours of work. You can construct a suitable short-term bow fairly easily. When it loses its spring or breaks, you can replace it. Select a hardwood stick about one meter long that is free of knots or limbs. Carefully scrape the large end down until it has the same pull as the small end. Careful examination will show the natural curve of the stick. Always scrape from the side that faces you, or the bow will break the first time you pull it. Dead, dry wood is preferable to green wood. To increase the pull, lash a second bow to the first, front to front, forming an "X" when viewed from the side. Attach the tips of the bows with cordage and only use a bowstring on one bow.
Select arrows from the straightest dry sticks available. The arrows should be about half as long as the bow. Scrape each shaft smooth all around. You will probably have to straighten the shaft. You can bend an arrow straight by heating the shaft over hot coals. Do not allow the shaft to scorch or bum. Hold the shaft straight until it cools.
You can make arrowheads from bone, glass, metal, or pieces of rock. You can also sharpen and fire harden the end of the shaft. To fire harden wood, hold it over hot coals, being careful not to bum or scorch the wood.
You must notch the ends of the arrows for the bowstring. Cut or file the notch; do not split it. Fletching (adding feathers to the notched end of an arrow) improves the arrow's flight characteristics, but is not necessary on a field-expedient arrow.
Archery Links:
Make your own traditional bow and arrows
How to shoot arrows accurately
