Medieval Short Bow and Arrow
The History of Medieval Bow and Arrow
The History of the Bow and Arrow dates back to antiquity. There are paintings, depicting
archers, on the caves of Stone Age men. The Medieval Short Bow and arrow was the most
common of all weapons - they were cheap to make. Medieval Short Bow Archers were
viewed as the lowest of all fighting men. The medieval Knight was the most powerful and
effective warrior and said to be worth 100 foot soldiers, who were regarded with the lowest
esteem and considered expendable. The early medieval archer was perceived as an
untrained peasant. The events at the Battle of Hastings changed the face of English
Medieval warfare forever although the stature of English archers did not improve until the
Longbow was introduced.
The Role the Bow and Arrow played at the Battle of Hastings in 1066
The Bow and arrow played an important role in this famous and historic battle. The Battle
of Hastings and Duke William of Normandy had the disadvantage of attacking up-hill. He
changed his strategy and the battle was documented by a Medieval Chronicler:
"Then the Normans determined to shoot their arrows upward into the air, so that they
might fall on their enemies' heads and strike their faces. The archers adopted this scheme
and shot up into the air toward the English; and the arrows, in falling, struck their heads
and faces and put out the eyes of many; and all feared to open their eyes or leave their faces
unguarded. King Harold has been shot with an arrow just above his eye which has put it
out and many other English soldiers have suffered a similar fate due to the strategy of the
Norman archers."
Duke William won the battle and conquered the English - this was mainly due to the
Norman's use of the Bow and arrow
Medieval Bow and Arrow - The Archery Law 1363
The importance of the archers and their bow and arrow grew in importance. The whole of
the English population was involved in Medieval Warfare. In 1252 the 'Assize of Arms' was
passed which decreed that every man between the age of 15 to 60 years old were ordered to
equip themselves with a bow and arrows. The Plantagenet King Edward III took this
further and decreed the Archery Law in 1363 which commanded the obligatory practice of
archery on Sundays and holidays! The Archery Law "forbade, on pain of death, all sport
that took up time better spent on war training especially archery practise". Henry I later
proclaimed that an archer would be absolved of murder, if he killed a man during archery
practise!
Description of the Medieval Short Bow and Arrow
The bow was constructed in two parts. A strip of flexible material, such as wood, was
linked at the two ends with a cord, or string, to form a tension from which is propelled the
arrow. Most bows were made from yew but ash, hazel and elm were also used. The string
of the bow was made from hemp as it was the strongest and least elastic fibre available. The
string was then soaked in glue as some protection against moisture. The arrow was a
straight shaft with a sharp point on one end and with feathers attached to the other end.
The first arrows were broadhead arrows. But the the large arrow head, after which the
broadhead was named, would distribute the impact over a large area and just bounce off or
break against armor. Bodkin point arrows were invented to address this issue. Long
bodkins were used for piercing mail. Short bodkins were used for piercing armor plate.
The range of the new bodkin arrow reached 275 yards. A maker of bows, arrows, and
other archery goods was called an Artillator.
Medieval Bow and Arrow - The Crossbow and the Longbow
The Bow and Arrow was apparently supplanted by the crossbow and then the longbow.
The crossbow range was 350 – 400 yards but could only be shot at a rate of 2 bolts per
minute. The crossbow was easy to use, requiring minimal training and required little
strength to operate. But it shot too few bolts! The longbow launched arrows faster than any
previous bows. A skilled longbowman could release between 10 - 12 arrows per minute but required considerable training.
Medieval Archers
Medieval Archers and foot soldiers were peasants. They wore ordinary clothes which were
reinforced with leather patches, strips of metal or quilted cloth. The bow and arrow was a
good weapon to shoot from a distance but as the battle drew closer the archers would enter
the fray with any weapons they could muster. A dagger at best, a farm implement or home
made weapon at worst.