Changes
Bows
,/* Archery in warfare */
{{Stars2|Category = Missiles}}{{Archery}}
==Self-bows==
=== Re-curved (Reflexed) Self-bow =Stringing nocks and string keepers====''A re-curve self-bow is where the stave Some bows have either a secondary set of nocks at one end of the bow is deliberately curved away from the string.''<!--{| class="wikitable"|+ align="top" style="caption-side: top; text-align: left;" | Recreation Guide|-| scope="col" width="80" style="text-align: center;"| [[Recreation Guide|800-899]]| scope="col" width="80" style="text-align: center;"| [[Recreation Guide|900-979]]| scope="col" width="80" style="text-align: center;"| [[Recreation Guide|980-1040]]| scope="col" width="80" style="text-align: center;"| [[Recreation Guide|1041-1100]]|-| colspan="4" style="text-align: center;"| [[Recreation Guide|Allowable]]|} -->'''Archaeology'''<br>* Ballinderrystave (Dublin, Ireland, late C10th. Waterford) or alternatively a hole has been drilled through the terminal (Adare Castle) [HALPIN Halpin 2008: p.18459-18560] 1 Complete bow.* HedebyThe secondary set of nocks, Denmark, [PAULSEN 1999] '''Discussion'''known as ‘stringing nocks’ helped in stringing the bow. <><br>Many The hole drilled through the terminal was probably a ‘string keeper‘. A loop of twine or leather thong was passed through the Hedeby bows are shaped this way, along with hole and the Ballinderry bow from Ireland. Paulsen [PAULSEN 1999] makes string with the case that this is “caused by shrinkage intention of stopping the soft sapwood in the front”, a theory that is rejected by Halpin [HALPIN 2008: p.61] who cites a number of authors including Hardy who makes the comment that the bows bow string from slipping down the Mary Rose were also rebow-curved and “that no process during the lifetime of the bows, or after deposition, are convincing explanations for this feature”stave when unstrung.<br><br>gallery mode=Packed heights= Bow Strings 250px style=='''Archaeology'''<br"Padding-left:30px; text-align:left;">* Wincott Heckett has suggested that a tabletArchery -woven tubular silk cord, dated to mid C12th, from Waterford may be a bowstringString keeper (Stuttgart Psalter f. [HALPIN 2008: p21r).61] Halpin then quotes Soar who suggests that the most common material for bow strings was hemp.* York, England. A lump of beeswax with a groove caused by rubbing against a thread or string. Walton-Rogers comments that beeswax was often used on bow strings [WALTON ROGERS 1997: p.1785]'''Discussion'''jpg|String keeper<br>(Stuttgart Psalter f.21r)--<br/gallery>
== See Also =Deflexed and reflexed terminals===We also have evidence for some bows having deliberately bent terminals after the nock points. These bent terminals either pointed towards the shooter (Dublin, Hedeby) or pointed away from the shooter (various manuscripts). Bows with terminals that bend towards the shooter, otherwise known as ‘deflexed’, are considered to be a diagnostic characteristic of a ‘Viking’ bow. These bent terminals were purely decorative and did not affect the ability of the bow in any way [Halpin 2008: p.???]. <br><gallery mode=Packed heights=250px style="Padding-left:30px; text-align:left;">Archery - Nock Deflexed (Pierpoint-Morgan Lib. M. 736 f.14).jpg|Bow with terminals that point towards the shooter (deflexed).<br>(Pierpoint-Morgan Lib. M. 736 fol.14, AD 1130)London, British Library MS Cotton Claudius B IV fol.41v.jpg|Bow with terminals that point away from the shooter (reflexed).<br>(Brit. Lib. Cott. Clau. B IV, AD 1040) </gallery>Almost all of the Anglo-Saxon manuscripts show bows with nocks bent away from the archer (reflexed), the complete reverse of the deflexed nocks found in archaeology.<br>Many of the bows found in Hedeby have the 'Viking' style of nock that are bent towards the archer (deflexed), along with the Ballinderry bow from Ireland. Paulsen [Catalogue Paulsen 1999] makes the case that this is “caused by shrinkage of the soft sapwood in the front”, a theory that is rejected by Halpin [Halpin 2008: p.61] who cites a number of authors including Hardy who makes the comment that the bows from the Mary Rose were also re-curved and “that no process during the lifetime of the bows, or after deposition, are convincing explanations for this feature”.<br> === Bow finds]Strings ===These were probably made from hemp, linen or silk. The evidence seems to point at hemp being the most commonly used material (Halpin 2008, p.61). Bow strings were usually 3 to 4mm thick and made from 3 ply twine (Altdorf, Switzerland [Hoernig 2005: p.110])<br>Wincott Heckett has suggested that a tablet-woven tubular silk cord, dated to mid C12th, from Waterford may be a bowstring. [Halpin 2008: p.61] Halpin then quotes Soar who suggests that the most common material for bow strings was hemp. In York, England, a lump of beeswax was found with a groove possibly caused by rubbing against a thread or string. Walton-Rogers comments that beeswax was often used on bow strings [Walton Rogers 1997: p.1785] ==Using the Bow=====Loosing arrows===During the Viking Age there were two methods employed for loosing arrows. The ‘Mediterranean loose’, which went on to dominate during the Middle Ages and the ‘Primary loose’, which w<><>. Arrows seem to have been drawn to the chest and not to the chin as is traditionally taught in modern longbow shooting. ===Archeryin warfare===Using archery in warfare appears to have been common in mainland Europe but probably not in Britain or Scandinavia. Why this was so is difficult to understand. Bows were used to both attack and defend fortifications but not apparently in direct combat. <br>In Charlemagne’s armies it became an essential weapon: ‘lanceam, scutum et arcum cum duas cordas, sagittas duodecim’ Capitulary of Aachen of 802/3, c 9. This instruction is most likely the result of the Carolingian wars against the Avars who we know from grave finds used composite bows with bone lathes [Manley 1985: p.226]]. <br>We have evidence from manuscripts that in battle archery was often performed by two men working together, one firing while the other supplied arrows.<gallery mode=Packed heights=250px style="Padding-left:30px; text-align:left;">Archery - Paired (Harley Psalter f.6r).jpg|Archery in pairs (Harley Psalter f.6r)Archery - Paired (Harley Psalter f.7r).jpg|Archery in pairs (Harley Psalter f.7r)</gallery> ===Poison===Battle of Maldon ‘poisoned point’ & ‘bows were busy’ [Manley 1985: p.225] ===Horse Archery===It appears that archery was not performed in Britain from horseback but it might have been done in France and the rest of mainland Europe. Byzantium warriors were known to ride backwards while shooting [Nicolle 1984]. <gallery mode=Packed heights=250px style="Padding-left:30px; text-align:left;">Archery - Horse (Stuttgart Psalter f.7v).jpg|Horse archers riding backwards<br>(Stuttgart Psalter f.7v)Archery - Horse (Harley Psalter f.25r).jpg|(Harley Psalter f.25r)</gallery>
== References ==
<HarvardReferences />