Longbow
A longbow is a type of tall bow that makes a fairly long draw possible. A longbow is not significantly recurved. Its limbs are relatively narrow and are circular or D-shaped in cross section. Flatbows can be just as long, but in cross-section, a flatbow has limbs that are approximately rectangular.
Longbows for hunting and warfare have been made from many different woods in many cultures; in Europe they date from the Paleolithic era and, since the Bronze Age, were made mainly from yew, or from wych elm if yew was unavailable. The historical longbow was a self bow made of a single piece of wood, but modern longbows may also be made from modern materials or by gluing different timbers together.
History
Europe
Prehistory
A longbow was found in 1991 in the
Middle Ages
In the
Sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
In 1588, the
The Battle of Tippermuir (1644), in Scotland, may have been the last battle in the British Isles to involve the longbow in significant numbers.[8] It has also been claimed that longbows may have been used as late as 1654 at the Battle of Tullich in northeast Scotland.[9]
Early literature
The earliest known book on European longbow archery is the anonymous L'Art D'Archerie, produced in France in the late 15th or early 16th century.
Modern recreational and hunting use
Although
Organisations that run archery competitions have set out formal definitions for various classes of bow; many definitions of the longbow would exclude some medieval examples, materials, and techniques of use.[11][12] Some archery clubs in the United States classify longbows simply as bows with strings that do not come in contact with their limbs. According to the British Longbow Society, the English longbow is made so that its thickness is at least 5⁄8 (62.5%) of its width, as in Victorian longbows, and is widest at the grip.[13] A similar, more inclusive, definition was created by the International Longbow Archers Association (ILAA) which defined the bow as fitting within a rectangular template of the proportions 1:0.625.[14]
Design and construction
Because the longbow can be made from a single piece of wood, it can be crafted relatively easily and quickly. Amateur bowyers today can make a longbow in about ten to twenty hours.[15]
One of the simpler longbow designs is known as the
Longbows, because of their narrow limbs and rounded cross-section (which does not spread out stress within the wood as evenly as a
Wooden laminated longbows can be made by gluing together two or more different pieces of wood. Usually this is done to take advantage of the inherent properties of different woods: some woods can better withstand compression while others are better at withstanding tension. Examples include hickory and lemonwood, or bamboo and yew longbows: hickory or bamboo is used on the back of the bow (the part facing away from the archer when shooting) and so is in tension, while the belly (the part facing the archer when shooting) is made of lemonwood or yew and undergoes compression (see bending for a further explanation of stresses in a bending beam). Traditionally made Japanese yumi are also laminated longbows, made from strips of wood: the core of the bow is bamboo, the back and belly are bamboo or hardwood, and hardwood strips are laminated to the bow's sides to prevent twisting. Any wooden bow must have gentle treatment and be protected from excessive damp or dryness. Wooden bows may shoot as well as fiberglass, but they are more easily dented or broken by abuse. Bows made of modern materials can be left strung for longer than wood bows, which may take a large amount of set if not unstrung immediately after use.
Legacy
The longbow and its historical significance, arising from its adoption by the Welsh fighting alongside the English during the Hundred Years' War, have created a lasting legacy for the longbow, which has given its name to modern military equipment, including:
- The AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire, an air-to-ground missile; and
- The Dakota Longbow T-76, a sniper rifle.
See also
- Bow shape
- Cable-backed bow
- Composite bow
- Crossbow
- Horse archer
- Welsh bow
References
- Notes
- ^ Scottish Archaeological Research Framework: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Neolithic: Alison Sheridan & Kenny Brophy (editors). ScARF National Framework Neolithic 5. Material culture and use of resources 5.3 Organics 5.3.2 Wood and other plant material https://scarf.scot/national/scarf-neolithic-panel-report/5-material-culture-and-use-of-resources/5-3-organics/5-3-2-wood-and-other-plant-material/
- ISBN 978-1-7820-0085-3(p. 7)
- ^ "The History of the English Longbow". Historic UK. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ "The Efficacy of the Medieval Longbow: A Reply to Kelly DeVries," Archived 2016-01-23 at the Wayback Machine War in History 5, no. 2 (1998): 233–242; idem, "The Battle of Agincourt", The Hundred Years War (Part II): Different Vistas, ed. L. J. Andrew Villalon and Donald J. Kagay (Leiden: Brill, 2008): 37–132.
- ISBN 0-313-33734-9(pp. 546–547)
- ISBN 978-0821204498– via Google Books.
- ISBN 978-1-7802-2088-8(pp. 65–66)
- ^ "The History of the English Longbow". historic-uk.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ "Braemar History". Braemar Tourism Group. 19 July 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-716-44395-4.
- ^ "The (UK) National Field Archery Association's definition of a longbow". Archived from the original on February 9, 2007.
- ^ "The International Field Archery's definition". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
- ^ "British Longbow Society Definition". Sylvan Archery. 2009. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
- ^ Cornhill, R. E. "Longbow definition". International Longbow Archers Association. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
- ^ "Traditional Archery". Clay Hayes.
- ISBN 978-0-7509-4597-4.
Further reading
- The Traditional Bowyers Bible Volume 1. 1992. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-085-3.
- The Traditional Bowyers Bible Volume 2. 1992. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-086-1.
- The Traditional Bowyers Bible Volume 3. 1994. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-087-X.
- The Traditional Bowyers Bible Volume 4. 2008. The Lyons Press. ISBN 978-0-9645741-6-8.
- Bryant, Arthur (1963). The Age of Chivalry.
- Gray, David (2002). Bows of the World. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-478-6.
- The Great Warbow: From Hastings to the Mary Rose, by Dr. Matthew Strickland Department of History – Dr Matthew Strickland and Robert Hardy, Pub Sutton, 2005, ISBN 0-7509-3167-1.
- Longbow: A Social and Military History, by ISBN 0-7509-4391-2.
- Jenkins, Simon 2018 A Short History of England pp. 72–73 Profile Books Ltd. ISBN 978 1 78816 089 6