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ELB & Warbows

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duffontap:

--- Quote from: SimonUK on December 27, 2007, 08:29:09 pm ---Perhaps slightly unrelated, but one of the problems with the warbow was the time needed to prepare for battles. The bow needed to be strung, defensive stakes were hammered into the ground etc. So it was difficult to use at a moments notice. The French realised this towards the end of the Hundred Years War and had success with surprise attacks on the English.

--- End quote ---

I can string my 110# Mary Rose replica pretty fast.  I'll time it.........19 seconds to walk to the kitchen, pick up the bow, string it (without a stringer), unstring it, hang it back on the wall and walk back to my computer.  Pounding stakes into the ground would take me about two days though ;D.  I would bet that Medieval archers could grab their bows and have arrows in the air in 30 seconds without taking the time to set up defensive positions. 

There is a good point there though Simon.  Longbows worked best when they were employed perfectly using topography to the highest advantage. 

I wish I knew more about the crossbow--I'm a zero on that one. 

         J. D.

Joe M:
I just dug out 'The Crooked Stick'  A History Of The Longbow - by Hugh D.H. Soar.  I will need to read this as time permits.  Just thumbing through it there are references made to lighter Warbows and the employment of the termed longbows in the #70 range that were used for hunting and protection, and speculation of them being used in warfare.  (I thought it odd about the hunting, but this reference takes place before the 100 Years War I believe.  I'm not sure of the dates involved here.  Also, I wasn't aware that the peasantry was allowed to hunt the Kings game?)

I have several books on the subject of Warbows and Longbows, but just haven't had time to give them a good read.  It's been mostly just thumbing through them, but perhaps this winter I can get one or two read?  I'll just have to see where the speculation leads. :) 

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