THE TRADITIONAL ENGLISH LONGBOW
A powerful weapon that proved decisive on the mediaeval battlefield, most famously at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the longbow is traditionally fashioned from a single piece of yew. There are no surviving longbows from this period, but estimates suggest that they were up to two metres in length and had draw weights - the force needed to pull back the string - of over 100 lbs. That’s about the weight of 20 bricks or a newborn foal!
Since the middle ages, improvements in design have largely left the longbow behind. But they retain a dedicated following among history buffs, DIY archers and reenactors. Modern versions of the bow generally have draw weights of around 60 - 70 lbs, a testament to the prowess of the archers of yore.
THE MECHANICAL CROSSBOW
To shoot a longbow, an archer must be strong enough to hold the bow at full draw while aiming, a feat which requires training and skill. Crossbows are an option for unskilled archers. The first step in firing one of these bows is to draw back the string, then the weapon can be held comfortably against the shoulder, like a rifle or shotgun, to aim. The arrow - bolt when it’s a crossbow - is released at the pull of a trigger.
Crossbows originated in China over two thousand years ago, but they had spread to Europe by the time of the Ancient Greeks. In fact, the longbowmen of the English were a thing of the past in most of the continent by the time of the Agincourt. In the modern world, crossbows are used by hunters and for fun - you can have a go yourself at an archery range in North Yorkshire and other locations around the UK.
RECURVE BOWS
Nowadays, the most typical bow used recreationally and competitively is the recurve bow. This design has a middle section which curves inwards, while the ends point away from the archer when unstrung, and more or less vertically, or perpendicular to the arrow, when under tension. That flick, or recurve, packs a lot of power into a shorter space with no compromises on accuracy. Most modern recurve bows are composed of three pieces: the riser, the part you hold, and two limbs, the extremities. The draw weight of the bow can be changed by substituting one set of limbs for another.
Apart from these three basic elements, a great deal of accessories - sights, stabilisers, etc. - can be added to the bow, usually attached to the riser. If there are no accessories on the bow, it’s called a barebow. Recurve bows are the weapon of choice for almost all activities around the country. You can have a go by booking an archery experience in London, for example.
Archery Tag or Combat Archery
There’s a new trend in archery which injects the dynamism and competitiveness of combat sports like paintball into the ancient tradition. It’s known as Archery Tag, Battle Archery or Combat Archery, and involves using low-draw weight recurve bows and safety arrows to hit your opponents! It’s becoming popular around the country, especially in the big cities. Why not have a go in the land of Robin Hood by booking an archery experience in Nottinghamshire.
MODERN COMPOUND BOWS
Compound bows look pretty strange to the untrained eye. Squat, complex bows, multiple strings and pulleys are just some of the things that seem out of place. But the reality is that these bows, pioneered in the 1970s, have many advantages over traditional designs. The pulleys, cams and cables are part of a lever system and allow a greater force to be built up in the bow without extra effort on the part of the archer. They are more energy efficient, accurate and resistant to changes in temperature and humidity that recurve and longbows.
You might have seen compound bows in the Paralympic Games or other specialised competitions. However, in their native USA, they are most popular among hunters.
INTERNATIONAL BOWS
Horse Bows
On the Eurasian Steppe the horse played an important role in ceremony, daily life and warfare. A longbow of the English style would be impossible to use from a horse, so the feared horse archers of the Mongols and other steppe peoples used bows designed to be used on horseback. They had been short, and compensated for this by employing an exaggerated W shape. The materials - usually a composite of bone, horn and wood - also gave them a high power-to-length ratio.
Yumi
The yumi is one of the bows associated with the Japanese martial art of archery, Kyūdō. They are instantly recognisable by their size - over 2 metres in length - asymmetric design and handle position. Unlike in any other archery discipline, the archer shoots from a point below the centre of the bow. The practice of Kyūdō originated in the Samurai period and places an emphasis on contemplation and beauty.
