Self-yew English longbow, 6 ft 6 in (2 m) long, 470 N (105 lbf) draw force.

The English longbow, also called the Welsh longbow, was a powerful type of medieval longbow (a tall bow for archery) about 6 ft 6 in (2.0 m) long used by the English, Scots and Welsh, both for hunting and as a weapon of war. The Welsh used it to some effect against the invading Normans who later adopted it for their own military campaigns. English use of longbows was effective against the French during the Hundred Years' War, particularly at the start of the war in the battles of Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356), and most famously at the Battle of Agincourt (1415). They were less successful after this, taking casualties at the Battle of Verneuil (1424), and being completely routed at the Battle of Patay (1429) when charged before they had set up their defensive position. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2180x560, 626 KB) English Yew longbow (105 lbf at 32 inches). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2180x560, 626 KB) English Yew longbow (105 lbf at 32 inches). ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The pound-force is a non-SI unit of force or weight (properly abbreviated lbf or lbf). The pound-force is equal to a mass of one pound multiplied by the standard acceleration due to gravity on Earth (which is defined as exactly 9. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Lemonwood, purpleheart and hickory longbow, 45 lbf draw force. ... This image depicts a typical bow, as made by the Huns, lying against a tree. ... Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... This article is about the hunting of prey by human society. ... For other uses, see Weapon (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see War (disambiguation). ... Combatants France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Crown of Aragon Brittany England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainaut Aquitaine Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire The Hundred Years War was a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ... The Battle of Cr cy took place on August 26, 1346, near Cr cy-en-Ponthieu, in the Somme d partement of northern France and was one of the defining combats of arms of the Hundred Years War. ... Several battles took place near Poitiers and are called Battle of Poitiers. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of France Commanders Henry V of England Charles dAlbret Strength About 6,000 (but see Modern re-assessment). ... The Battle of Verneuil (occasionally Vernuil) was a battle of the Hundred Years War, fought on 17 August 1423 near Verneuil in Normandy and was a significant English victory. ... Combatants Kingdom of France Kingdom of England Commanders La Hire Poton de Xaintrailles Sir John Fastolf Strength 1,500 cavalry 5,000 Casualties About 100 2,500 dead, wounded, or captured The Battle of Patay (18 June 1429) was a major battle in the Hundred Years War between the French...

Description

There are various descriptions of the medieval longbow The earliest longbow found in England is dated to 2665 BC, however there are no surviving medieval longbows definitely dated to the period when the longbow was dominant (c. 1250-1500 AD). This is probably because it was in the nature of bows to become weaker, break and be replaced, rather than be handed down through generations. [1] There are however more than 130 surviving bows from the Renaissance period (see Surviving bows). Descriptions range in length from 4 ft 1 in to 6 ft 11 in (1.2 to 2.11 m). They were made from yew in preference, although ash and other woods were also used. Estimates for the draw of these bows varies considerably. The original draw forces of examples from the Mary Rose were typically estimated at 706–804 N (160–180 lbf ).^[1] A modern longbow's draw is typically 265 N (60 lbf) or less. Historically, hunting bows usually had draw weights of 222-266N (50–60 lbf), which is enough for all but the very largest game, and which most reasonably fit adults can manage with practice. Today, there are few modern longbowmen capable of using 800N (180 lbf) bows accurately.^[2] This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Binomial name L. Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. ... Species See text European Ash in flower Narrow-leafed Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) shoot with leaves Closeup of European Ash seeds 19th century illustration of Manna Ash (Fraxinus ornus) An ash can be any of four different tree genera from four very distinct families (see end of page for disambiguation), but... Mary Rose depicted on the Anthony Roll, a survey of Henry VIIIs navy, completed in 1546 The Mary Rose was an English Tudor warship of the carrack type and one of the first to be able to fire a full broadside of cannons. ...

As to the bow length, there is no agreement. In continental Europe it was generally seen as any bow longer than 1.2 m (4 ft). The Royal Antiquaries Society of Great Britain says it is of 5 or 6 feet (1.5-1.83 m) in length.^[3] Richard Bartelot, of the Royal Artillery Institution, said that the bow was of yew, 6 feet (1.83 m) long, with a 3 foot (914 mm) arrow.^[4] Gaston Phoebus, in 1388, wrote that a longbow should be "of yew or boxwood, seventy inches [1.78 m] between the points of attachment for the cord".^[5] Historian Jim Bradbury said they were an average of about 5 feet and 8 inches.^[6] Gaston III of Foix-Béarn, also Gaston Fébus or Gaston Phoebus (April 30, 1331 - 1391) was the 11th count of Foix, and viscount of Béarn (1343-1391). ... Events Beginning of prosecution of Lollards in England The Battle of Otterburn between England and Scotland A Chinese army under Xu Da sacks Karakorum Births September 14 - Claudius Claussön Swart, Danish geographer September 29 - Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence, second son of Henry IV of England (d. ... Jim Bradbury is a British historian specialising in the military history of the Middle Ages. ...

The range of the medieval weapon is unknown, with estimates from 165 to 228 m (180 to 249 yds). Modern longbows have a useful range up to 180 m (200 yd). A 667N(150 lbf) Mary Rose replica longbow was able to shoot a 53.6 g (1.9 oz) arrow 328.0 m (360 yd) and a 95.9 g (3.3 oz) a distance of 249.9 m (272 yd).^[7] This article is about the unit of measure known as the yard. ...

The longbow had a long range and high accuracy, but not both at the same time. Modern champion archers maintain that a hit cannot be guaranteed on an individual target at more than 75 m (80 yards) with any bow whatsoever. Most of the longer range shooting mentioned in stories was not marksmanship, but rather thousands of archers launching volleys of arrows at an entire army. Longbowmen armies would aim at an area and shoot a rain of arrows hitting indiscriminately at anyone in the area, a decidedly un-chivalrous but highly effective means of combat. In its day, it was considered amazingly accurate and, by the standards of the day, it was. Standards for accuracy have changed dramatically in the modern age. An archer could hit a person at 165 m (180 yards) "part of the time" and could always hit an army. Bors Dilemma - he chooses to save a maiden rather than his brother Lionel Chivalry[1] is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood. ...

A Welsh or English military archer during the 14th and 15th Century was expected to shoot at least ten "aimed shots" per minute. An experienced military longbowman was expected to shoot twenty aimed shots per minute. A typical military longbow archer would be provided with between 60 and 72 arrows at the time of battle, which would last the archer from three to six minutes, at full rate of shooting. Young boys were often employed to run additional arrows to longbow archers while in their positions on the battlefield.^[8] "The longbow was the machine gun of the Middle Ages: accurate, deadly, possessed of a long range and rapid rate of fire, the flight of its missiles was likened to a storm."^[9]. This rate was much higher than that of its Western European projectile rival on the battlefield, the crossbow. It was also much higher than early firearms (although the lower training requirements and greater penetration of firearms eventually led to the longbow falling into disuse in English armies in the 16th century). The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... This article is about the weapon. ...

The traditional construction of a longbow consists of drying the yew wood for 1 to 2 years, then slowly working the wood into shape, with the entire process taking up to four years. (This can be done far more quickly by working the wood down when wet, as a thinner piece of wood will dry much faster.) The bow stave is shaped into a D-section, from a half cross section of a tree or branch. The inner side of the bow stave consists of rounded heartwood and the outer of sapwood with a flat back. The heartwood resists compression and the outer sapwood performs better in tension. This combination forms a natural "laminate", similar in effect to the construction of a composite bow. Longbows will last a long time if protected with a water-resistant coating, traditionally of "wax, resin and fine tallow". Binomial name L. Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. ... For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ... Physical compression is the result of the subjection of a material to compressive stress, resulting in reduction of volume. ... Tension is a reaction force applied by a stretched string (rope or a similar object) on the objects which stretch it. ... A composite bow is a bow made from disparate materials laminated together, usually applied under tension. ...

Bow strings were made of hemp, flax or silk and attached to the wood via horn "nocks", which fit onto the end of the bow. Today strings may still be made in the traditional way or a modern synthetic material (usually a string twisted of Dacron) can be used. For a bowstring bridge, see tied arch bridge. ... U.S. Marihuana production permit. ... For other uses, see Flax (disambiguation). ... For other uses of this word, see Silk (disambiguation). ... Polyethylene terephthalate (aka PET, PETE or the obsolete PETP or PET-P) is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination with glass fiber. ...

History

A period illustration of the Battle of Crécy. English longbowmen figure prominently in the foreground on the right, where they are driving away the French crossbowmen.

The earliest known bows, from Stellmoor in northern Germany, are dated to approximately 10,000 years ago. Arrow heads have been found in the Sahara and other places where dry sand is an excellent preservative. Recognizable longbows dating as far back as the Mesolithic period have been found in many parts of Northern Europe. The medieval English use of a powerful longbow as a decisive weapon of war was more of a social than a technical development. It required in particular the training, recruitment, and maintenance of a large number of men, their supply with yew wood by means of foreign trade, and their incorporation with other troop types into an effective tactical system. Image File history File links Battle_of_crecy_froissart. ... Image File history File links Battle_of_crecy_froissart. ... Combatants Kingdom of England, Allied knights from Germany and Denmark France, Genoese Mercenaries, the Kingdoms of Navarre, Bohemia and the Balearic Islands Commanders Edward III of England Edward, the Black Prince Philip VI of France Strength about 12,000 30,000 to 40,000 Casualties 150-1,000 killed and... This article is about the weapon. ... The Mesolithic (Greek mesos=middle and lithos=stone or the Middle Stone Age[1]) was a period in the development of human technology between the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods of the Stone Age. ...

During the Anglo-Norman invasions of Wales, Welsh bowmen took a heavy toll on the invaders. The English were quick to realise the impact that the longbow could produce on the battlefield. As soon as the Welsh campaign was successfully over, Welsh conscripts began to be incorporated into English armies. The lessons the English learned in Wales were later used with deadly effect by Welsh mercenaries on the battlefields of France and Scotland. Their skill was exercised under King Edward I of England (r. 1272–1307), who banned all sports but archery on Sundays, to make sure Englishmen practised with the longbow. As a result, the English during this period as a whole became very effective with the longbow. This article is about the country. ... Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), popularly known as Longshanks[1], also as Edward the Lawgiver or the English Justinian because of his legal reforms, and as Hammer of the Scots,[2] achieved fame as the monarch who conquered Wales and tried to do the same to Scotland. ...

The longbow decided many medieval battles fought by the English, the most significant of which were the Battle of Crécy (1346) and the Battle of Agincourt (1415), during the Hundred Years' War and followed earlier successes, notably at the Battle of Halidon Hill (1333) during the Scottish wars. The longbow corps saw particularly heavy casualties at the Battle of Patay and this loss contributed to England's eventual defeat in that war. Longbows remained in use until around the 16th century, when advances in firearms made gunpowder weapons a significant factor in warfare and such units as arquebusiers and grenadiers began appearing. Before the English Civil War, a pamphlet by William Neade entitled The Double-Armed Man advocated that soldiers be trained in both the longbow and pike; this advice was not followed in anything but a few town militias. The last recorded use of bows, in an English battle, seems to have been a skirmish at Bridgnorth, in October 1642, during the English Civil War^[10]. Longbowmen remained a feature of the Royalist Army, but were not used by the Roundheads. Combatants Kingdom of England, Allied knights from Germany and Denmark France, Genoese Mercenaries, the Kingdoms of Navarre, Bohemia and the Balearic Islands Commanders Edward III of England Edward, the Black Prince Philip VI of France Strength about 12,000 30,000 to 40,000 Casualties 150-1,000 killed and... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of France Commanders Henry V of England Charles dAlbret Strength About 6,000 (but see Modern re-assessment). ... Combatants France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Crown of Aragon Brittany England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainaut Aquitaine Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire The Hundred Years War was a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ... Combatants Scotland England Commanders Sir Archibald Douglas Edward III of England Strength 13,000 9,000 Casualties exact figure unknown, but very high exact figure unknown, but very low Battle of Halidon Hill (July 19, 1333) was fought during the second War of Scottish Independence. ... The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between Scotland and England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. ... Combatants Kingdom of France Kingdom of England Commanders La Hire Poton de Xaintrailles Sir John Fastolf Strength 1,500 cavalry 5,000 Casualties About 100 2,500 dead, wounded, or captured The Battle of Patay (18 June 1429) was a major battle in the Hundred Years War between the French... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... A firearm is a kinetic energy weapon that fires either a single or multiple projectiles propelled at high velocity by the gases produced by action of the rapid confined burning of a propellant. ... Japanese arquebus of the Edo era (teppō) Example of an arquebus The arquebus (sometimes spelled harquebus, harkbus[1] or hackbut; from Dutch haakbus, meaning hook gun[2]) was a primitive firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. ... A Grenadier (French for Grenademan) was originally a specialized assault soldier for siege operations, first established as a distinct role in the mid to late 17th century. ... A modern recreation of a mid-17th century company of pikemen. ... , Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... For other uses, see English Civil War (disambiguation). ... Prince Rupert an archetypical cavalier For other uses, see Cavalier (disambiguation). ... The Roundheads was the nickname given to supporters of the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War. ...

Although longbows were much faster and more accurate than any black powder weapons, longbowmen were always difficult to produce, because of the years of practice necessary before a war longbow could be used effectively (examples of longbows from the Mary Rose typically had draws greater than 637 N (143 lbf)). In an era in which warfare was usually seasonal and non-noble soldiers spent part of the year working at farms, the year-round training required for the effective use of the longbow was a challenge. A standing army was an expensive proposition to a medieval ruler. Mainland European armies seldom trained a significant longbow corps. Due to their specialized training, English longbowmen were sought as mercenaries in other European countries, most notably in the Italian city-states and in Spain. The White Company^[11], containing men-at-arms and longbowmen and commanded by Sir John Hawkwood, is the best known English Free Company of the 14th Century. Black powder was the original gunpowder and practically the only known propellant and explosive until the middle of the 19th century. ... Mary Rose depicted on the Anthony Roll, a survey of Henry VIIIs navy, completed in 1546 The Mary Rose was an English Tudor warship of the carrack type and one of the first to be able to fire a full broadside of cannons. ... Mercenary (disambiguation). ... The White Company was a famous 14th Century Italian mercenary company, led by John Hawkwood. ... Sir John Hawkwood (1320-1394) was an English mercenary or condottiere in the 14th century Italy. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ...

The trade of yew wood to England for longbows was such that it depleted the stocks of yew over a huge area. The first documented import of yew bowstaves to England was in 1294. In 1350 there was a serious shortage, and Henry IV of England ordered his royal bowyer to enter private land and cut yew and other woods. In 1470 compulsory practice was renewed, and hazel, ash, and laburnum were specifically allowed for practice bows. Supplies still proved insufficient, until by the Statute of Westminster in 1472, every ship coming to an English port had to bring four bowstaves for every tun. Richard III of England increased this to ten for every tun. This stimulated a vast network of extraction and supply, which formed part of royal monopolies in southern Germany and Austria. In 1483, the price of bowstaves rose from two to eight pounds per hundred, and in 1510 the Venetians would only sell a hundred for sixteen pounds. In 1507 the Holy Roman Emperor asked the Duke of Bavaria to stop cutting yew, but the trade was profitable, and in 1532 the royal monopoly was granted for the usual quantity "if there are that many". In 1562, the Bavarian government sent a long plea to the Holy Roman Emperor asking him to stop the cutting of yew, and outlining the damage done to the forests by its selective extraction, which broke the canopy and allowed wind to destroy neighbouring trees. In 1568, despite a request from Saxony, no royal monopoly was granted because there was no yew to cut, and the next year Bavaria and Austria similarly failed to produce enough yew to justify a royal monopoly. Forestry records in this area in the 1600s do not mention yew, and it seems that no mature trees were to be had. The English tried to obtain supplies from the Baltic, but at this period bows were being replaced by guns in any case. ^[12]. For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... Events 29 August - An English fleet personally commanded by King Edward III defeats a Spanish fleet in the battle of Les Espagnols sur Mer. ... Henry IV (3 April 1367 – 20 March 1413) was the King of England and France and Lord of Ireland from 1399 to 1413. ... Events May 15 - Charles VIII of Sweden who had served three terms as King of Sweden dies. ... ... Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death. ... The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ... The following is a list of rulers during the history of Bavaria: // Around 548 the kings of the Franks placed the border region of Bavaria under the administration of a duke -- possibly Frankish or possibly chosen from amongst the local leading families -- who was supposed to act as a regional... Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ... Gunpowder warfare is associated with the start of the widespread use of gunpowder and the development of suitable weapons to use the explosive. ...

Use

Longbows were difficult to master because the force required to draw the bow was very high by modern standards. Although the draw weight of a typical English longbow is disputed, it was at least 360 N (80 lbf) and possibly more than 650 N(143 lbf) with some high-end estimates at 900N. Considerable practice was required to produce the swift and effective combat shooting required. Skeletons of longbow archers are recognizably deformed, with enlarged left arms and often bone spurs on left wrists, left shoulders and right fingers. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bone spurs, also known as osteophytes, are bony projections that form along joints. ...

It was the difficulty in using the longbow which led various monarchs of England to issue instructions encouraging their ownership and practice, including the Assize of Arms of 1252 and Edward III's declaration of 1363: "Whereas the people of our realm, rich and poor alike, were accustomed formerly in their games to practise archery - whence by God's help, it is well known that high honour and profit came to our realm, and no small advantage to ourselves in our warlike enterprises... that every man in the same country, if he be able-bodied, shall, upon holidays, make use, in his games, of bows and arrows... and so learn and practise archery." If the people practised archery, it would be that much easier for the King to recruit the proficient longbowmen he needed for his wars. Along with the greater ability of gunfire to penetrate plate armour, it was the amount of time needed to train longbowmen which eventually led to their being replaced by musketmen.

To penetrate chain mail armour, many war arrows had 'chisel' (or 'bodkin') heads and were quite massive. Bodkin arrows have tips like elongated pyramids, which result in a very sharp and very narrow point. With their bodkin points these massive war arrows probably weighed around 65 to 100 grams (1000 to 1500 grains, grain being a unit of measure often used for arrows and bullets). This is 2 or 3 times the weight of the wooden or aluminum arrows that are used today and 4 to 5 times the weight of modern carbon fiber arrows or pre 20th century 'flight arrows', used in distance shooting contests. In peacetime, in some regions, carrying chisel points was a hanging offence, because it was thought to threaten noblemen or they were taken as evidence that one was a highwayman. Specialist war-arrows were designed to tackle the problem of different types of armour. For example, arrows with thin and sharply slanted heads were used to pierce chain mail suits, breaking one ring and consequently 'popping' a huge hole in the armour as the force of the impact knocked the other rings out of place. Many war-arrows had heads that were only attached with a small blob of wax, so that if they were to be removed conventionally only the shaft would come out, leaving the head lodged in the victim which would almost certainly cause an infected wound. The effects of a longbow are illustrated by this 12th century account by Gerald of Wales: An arrow is a pointed projectile that is shot with a bow. ... Bodkin point arrows were invented in the Middle Ages, as an improvement of the earlier broadhead arrow. ... Bodkin point arrows were invented in the Middle Ages, as an improvement of the earlier broadhead arrow. ... A grain is a unit of mass equal to 0. ... Folk image of a mounted highwayman Highwayman was a term used particularly in Britain during the 17th and 18th centuries to describe robbers who targeted people traveling by stagecoach and other modes of transport along public highways. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Giraldus Cambrensis (c. ...

Bodkin arrows were much less effective against plate armour. The latest research is that even very heavy draw longbows armed with bodkin arrows have trouble penetrating well made, tough steel plate armour, which was used increasingly after 1400. However, not all plate armour was well made or well looked after, and there were also weak points in the joints where arrows could still penetrate. Full plate armour of the highest quality was also extremely expensive, only used by the most elite (and rich) soldiers, such as knights; the vast majority of soldiers were not armoured in plate from head-to-toe. Even for knights, in practice their horses tended to be less well protected than they were themselves. As late as 1415, the hail of arrows created by massed ranks of thousands of longbowmen helped to win the battle against plate armoured French knights at Agincourt. English longbowmen often carried short swords or mauls (massive leaden hammers) and longbowmen taking advantage of wet, muddy terrain could outfight dismounted armored knights whose horses had been killed by arrows. Gothic armour Plate armour is personal armour made from large metal plates, worn on the chest and sometimes the entire body. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of France Commanders Henry V of England Charles dAlbret Strength About 6,000 (but see Modern re-assessment). ... Woodsplitting maul A splitting maul (or mall) is a heavy, long-handled hammer used for splitting a piece of wood along its grain. ...

On the battlefield, English archers stabbed their arrows upright into the ground at their feet, reducing the time it took to notch, draw and loose (as drawing from a quiver is slower). An additional effect of this practice was that the point of an arrow would be more likely to cause infection. An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ...

Cloth-yard shafts (used in longbows, their length being 31" or one yard of cloth) recovered from the Mary Rose show that some arrowheads were attached using a copper-based glue. Copper is slightly toxic but there is no evidence that it was used because of this, or indeed that it could enter the bloodstream through a wound at all.

The only way to remove such an arrow cleanly would be to tie a piece of cloth, soaked in boiling water or another sterilising substance, to the end of it and push it through the victim's wound and out of the other side — this was extremely painful. There were specialised tools used in the medieval period to extract arrows if in places where bone prevented the arrow being pushed through. Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... This article is about the skeletal organs. ...

Prince Hal (later Henry V) was wounded in the face by an arrow at the Battle of Shrewsbury (1403). The royal physician John Bradmore had a tool made, which consisted of a pair of smooth tongs. Once carefully inserted into the rear of the arrowhead wound, the tongs screwed apart till they gripped its walls and allowed the head to be extracted from the wound. Prior to the extraction, the hole made by the arrow shaft had been widened by inserting larger and larger dowels of wood down the entry wound. The dowels were soaked in honey, which contains natural antibiotics. The wound was dressed with a poultice of barley and honey mixed in turpentine. After 20 days the wound was free of infection.

Henry V of England (16 September 1387 – 31 August 1422) was one of the great warrior kings of the Middle Ages. ... The Battle of Shrewsbury was fought on July 21, 1403. ... Events July 21 - Battle of Shrewsbury. ... For other uses, see Honey (disambiguation). ... An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria. ... A poultice is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. ... For other uses, see Barley (disambiguation). ... For the band, see Turpentine (band). ...

Tactics

Although bowmen were still deadly at close range, they were light skirmishers unsuited to prolonged hand-to-hand combat and were understandably vulnerable to a committed attack by cavalry. Consequently they were often deployed behind physical barricades, such as stakes and poles driven into the ground. A longbow corps was vulnerable to ambush until its defensive barricade was complete. This practice discouraged offensive battle tactics because the longbow was most effective when an opposing army charged. Not to be confused with Golgotha, which was called Calvary. ...

A common battle formation:

• Light Infantry (such as swordsmen) in the centre forward, in rank formation.
• Heavy Infantry (often armed with poleaxes or pole weapons, with bill hooks being the preferred English weapon) in the centre middle, in rank or square formation.
• Traditional Archers and Crossbowmen in the centre back, in rank formation.
• Cavalry either on the flanks (to protect against attacks), or in the centre in reserve, to be deployed as needed (for example, to counter any breakthroughs).
• Longbowmen were usually on the side, in an enfilade formation, rather like this: ___ /, with the middle being occupied by melee troops.

Longbows, although capable of hitting a much more far-off target than traditional bows, were not very accurate at extreme distances, forcing generals to mass longbowmen in order to create a 'cloud of arrows.' A skillful general would alternate flights of arrows with cavalry charges, sometimes alternating flank attacks to induce shock and fear in the enemy. The arrows were used in volleys and not aimed at specific targets until the enemy was quite close. The English used longbowmen in unprecedented numbers in the Hundred Years War, as the dominant part of their armies, with approximately 7,000 archers in an army of 9,000 at the Battle of Agincourt. The psychological effect on the enemy of the famous 'cloud of arrows' from the concentrated shots of so many thousands of archers should not be underestimated.^{[citation needed]} A bardiche or long poleaxe is a type of polearm that was used during times of war in medieval Europe. ... A reenactor troupe armed with a variety of polearm known as a halberd. ... The bill (also bill hook or bill-guisarme) was, in the 15th and 16th Centuries the main close combat weapon of English infantry. ... Enfilade and defilade are military tactical concepts used to describe a fighting units exposure to enemy fire. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of France Commanders Henry V of England Charles dAlbret Strength About 6,000 (but see Modern re-assessment). ...

Surviving bows

More than 3,500 arrows and 137 whole longbows were recovered from the Mary Rose, a ship of Henry VIII's navy that was sunk at Portsmouth in 1545. It is an important source for the history of the longbow, as the bows, archery implements and the skeletons of archers have been preserved. The bows range in length from 1.87 to 2.11 m (6 ft 1 in to 6 ft 11 in) with an average length of 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in).^[13] Mary Rose depicted on the Anthony Roll, a survey of Henry VIIIs navy, completed in 1546 The Mary Rose was an English Tudor warship of the carrack type and one of the first to be able to fire a full broadside of cannons. ... “Henry VIII” redirects here. ... For other places with the same name, see Portsmouth (disambiguation). ... Events February 27 - Battle of Ancrum Moor - Scots victory over superior English forces December 13 - Official opening of the Council of Trent (closed 1563) Battle of Kawagoe - between two branches of Uesugi families and the late Hojo clan in Japan. ...

The longbows on the Mary Rose were in excellent finished condition. There were enough bows to test some to destruction which resulted in draw forces of 450 N (100 lbf) on average. However, analysis of the wood indicated that they had degraded significantly in the seawater and mud, which had weakened their draw forces. Replicas were made and when tested had draw forces of 680 to 900 N (150 to 200 lbf).^[14]

In 1980, Robert E. Kaiser published a paper^[9] prior to the recovery of the Mary Rose, stating that there were five known surviving longbows: Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

• The first bow comes from the Battle of Hedgeley Moor in 1464, during the War of the Roses. A family who lived at the castle since the battle had preserved it to modern times. It is 1.66 m (65.5 in) and a 270 N ( 60 lbf) draw force.^[15]
• The second dates to the Battle of Flodden a landmark in the history of archery, as the last battle on English soil to be fought with the longbow as the principal weapon...^[16] in 1513. It hung in the rafters at the headquarters of the Royal Scottish Archers in Edinburgh, Scotland.^[9] It has a draw force of 360 to 410 N (80 to 90 lbf).
• The third and fourth were recovered in 1836 by John Deane from the Mary Rose. Both weapons are in the Tower of London Armoury and Horace Ford writing in 1887 estimated them to have a draw force of 280 to 320 N (65 to 70 lbf).^[17] A modern replica made in the early 1970s of these bows has a draw force of 460 N (102 lbf).^[18]
• The fifth surviving longbow comes from the armoury of the church in the village of Mendlesham in Suffolk, England and is believed to date either from the period of Henry VIII or Queen Elizabeth I. The Mendlesham Bow is broken but has an estimated length of 1.73 to 1.75 m (68 to 69 inches) and draw force of 350 N (80 lbf).^[19]

The Battle of Hedgeley Moor, 25 April 1464, was a battle of the Wars of the Roses. ... Events February - Christian I of Denmark and Norway who was also serving as King of Sweden is declared deposed from the later throne. ... The War or Wars of the Roses may refer to, or have been referred to by: The historical Wars of the Roses, the civil war that took place in Mediæval Britain between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. ... The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field was fought in northern England on September 9, 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by Thomas Howard. ... For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... Year 1836 (MDCCCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Map sources for Mendlesham at grid reference TM104658 Mendlesham Suffolk is a small village 8 km north east of Stowmarket. ... Suffolk (pronounced ) is a large historic and modern non-metropolitan county in East Anglia, England. ... This article is about Elizabeth I of England. ...

Social importance

The importance of the longbow in medieval English culture can be seen in the legends of Robin Hood, who was increasingly depicted as a master archer and in the "Song of the Bow," a poem from The White Company^[20] by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. For other uses, see Robin Hood (disambiguation). ... Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859–7 July 1930) was a Scottish author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger. ...

The Assize of Arms of 1252 stated that all "citizens, burgesses, free tenants, villeins and others from 15 to 60 years of age" should be armed. The poorest of them were expected to at least have a bow. This made it easier for the King to raise an army, but also meant that the bow was a commonly used weapon by rebels during the Peasants' Revolt. From the time that the yeoman class of England became proficient with the longbow, the nobility in England had to be careful not to push them into open rebellion. This was a check on the power of the nobility of England which did not exist on the European continent. The end of the revolt: Wat Tyler killed by Walworth while Richard II watches, and a second image of Richard addressing the crowd The Peasants Revolt, Tyler’s Rebellion, or the Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a... Yeoman is a word with several modern and historical meanings. ...

There is a village in Wales called Pont-y-Bodkin ("The Bodkin Bridge"). It lies in the valley below an ancient Welsh palace (Plas-ym-Mhowys = Palace in Powys). From the probable site of the barracks to the bridge is about 700 m, although the bridge is about 100 m lower in elevation. The village predates Christianity. Maybe it was renamed in honour of its main product, or how far a champion archer could reach from the palace's barracks.

Popular myth

It has long been told that the "two-fingers salute" or "V sign" derives from the gestures of English archers, who used the English longbow, fighting at the Battle of Agincourt, during the Hundred Years' War. The myth claims that the French cut off the two shooting fingers on the right hand of captured archers, and that the gesture was a sign of defiance by those who were not mutilated. The V sign is a hand gesture in which the first and second fingers are raised and parted, whilst the remaining fingers are clenched. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Archers in Competition Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of France Commanders Henry V of England Charles dAlbret Strength About 6,000 (but see Modern re-assessment). ... Combatants France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Crown of Aragon Brittany England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainaut Aquitaine Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire The Hundred Years War was a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ... The V sign is a hand gesture in which the first and second fingers are raised and parted, whilst the remaining fingers are clenched. ...

This is, however, almost certainly untrue, as the first definitive known reference to the "V-sign" is in the works of Rabelais, the French satirist of the 1500s[2]. Additionally, archers were typically commoners, who were usually executed when captured. François Rabelais (ca. ...

See also

• Medieval warfare
• Battle of Agincourt
• Bow (weapon)

Medieval warfare is the warfare of the Middle Ages. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of France Commanders Henry V of England Charles dAlbret Strength About 6,000 (but see Modern re-assessment). ... This image depicts a typical bow, as made by the Huns, lying against a tree. ...

Notes

This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Juliet Barker is a British historian, specialising in the Middle Ages and literary biography. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see 5th October (Serbia). ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive and distribute cultural works. ... Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859–7 July 1930) was a Scottish author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive and distribute cultural works. ...

References

Books

• Matthew Strickland^[21] and Robert Hardy. The Great Warbow: From Hastings to the Mary Rose (Hardcover). Matthew Strickland. Sutton Publishing 2005. ISBN-10: 0750931671, ISBN-13: 978-0750931670

Journals

• Robert E. Kaiser The Medieval English Longbow, Journal of the Society of Archer-Antiquaries, volume 23, 1980.

Robert Hardy as Cornelius Fudge in the film Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE (born October 29, 1925) is one of Britains best-known and most popular actors, and also an acknowledged expert on the longbow. ...

Further reading

Books

• Robert Hardy. Longbow: A Social and Military History, Pub Patrick Stephens, (1992), ISBN 1-85260-412-3
• Hugh David Hewitt Soar. The Crooked Stick: A History of the Longbow (Weapons in History S.), Pub Westholme U.S, (2004), ISBN 1-59416-002-3
  • A review by Bernard Cornwell in The Times

Journals

• Thomas Esper The Replacement of the Longbow by Firearms in the English Army, Technology and Culture, Vol. VI, No. 3, 1965.
• B.W. Kooi C.A Bergman. PDF:An Approach to the Study of Ancient Archery using Mathematical Modelling, Antiquity 71:(271) 124-134 (1979)

Other

• Rulon l. Hancock. PDF: United States National Archery Association Flight committee modern longbow flight rules, U.S. National Archery Association. September 2002.
• Paul Lalonde. A Bundle of Tudor War Arrows, An article about the arrows found on the Mary Rose.
• Liesl Wilhelmstochter. Ealdormere Archery Handbook: Section 11: Towards a more medieval archer
• Staff. Mary Rose historical ship, The Mary Rose Trust - {note: BACK of bow faces enemy.}
• The Great Northwood Bowmen Medieval Longbow Archery and re-enactment Society, re-enacting the 15th century, based in London.

Robert Hardy as Cornelius Fudge in the film Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE (born October 29, 1925) is one of Britains best-known and most popular actors, and also an acknowledged expert on the longbow. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ...