Changes
Bows
,/* Archery in warfare */
{{Stars2|Category = Missiles}}
{{Archery}}
==Self-bows==
=== Re=Stringing nocks and string keepers====Some bows have either a secondary set of nocks at one end of the bow-curved stave (ReflexedDublin, Waterford) Selfor alternatively a hole has been drilled through the terminal (Adare Castle) [Halpin 2008: p.59-60].The secondary set of nocks, known as ‘stringing nocks’ helped in stringing the bow ===. <><>''The hole drilled through the terminal was probably a ‘string keeper‘. A re-curve self-loop of twine or leather thong was passed through the hole and the bow is where string with the stave intention of stopping the bow is deliberately curved away string from slipping down the stringbow-stave when unstrung.''<br><!--{| classgallery mode="wikitable"|+ alignPacked heights="top" 250px style="captionPadding-sideleft: top30px; text-align: left;" | Recreation Guide>|Archery -| 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>* Ballinderry, Ireland, late C10thString keeper (Stuttgart Psalter f. [HALPIN 2008: p21r).184-185] 1 Complete bow.* Hedeby, Denmark, [PAULSEN 1999] '''Discussion'''jpg|String keeper<br>Many of the Hedeby bows are shaped this way, along with the Ballinderry bow from Ireland(Stuttgart Psalter f. Paulsen [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>21r)<br/gallery>
== Bow Strings =Deflexed and reflexed terminals==='''Archaeology'''<br>* Wincott Heckett has suggested 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 a tablet-woven tubular silk cordbend towards the shooter, dated to mid C12thotherwise known as ‘deflexed’, from Waterford may are considered to be a bowstringdiagnostic characteristic of a ‘Viking’ bow. These bent terminals were purely decorative and did not affect the ability of the bow in any way [HALPIN Halpin 2008: p.61???] Halpin then quotes Soar who suggests . <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 most common material for bow strings was hempshooter (deflexed).<br>(Pierpoint-Morgan Lib. M. 736 fol.14, AD 1130)* YorkLondon, EnglandBritish Library MS Cotton Claudius B IV fol. A lump of beeswax 41v.jpg|Bow with a groove caused by rubbing against a thread or stringterminals that point away from the shooter (reflexed). Walton<br>(Brit. Lib. Cott. Clau. B IV, AD 1040) </gallery>Almost all of the Anglo-Rogers comments 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 beeswax was often used on are bent towards the archer (deflexed), along with the Ballinderry bow strings from Ireland. Paulsen [WALTON ROGERS 1997Paulsen 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.178561]'''Discussion'''<br>-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>
== See Also = Bow 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. [Catalogue 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. ===Archery in 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 findsused 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’ [[ArcheryManley 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]. <brgallery 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 />