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Norse Shooting Technique
bow-toxo:
Apart from northern Scandinavia we have no evidence for two-wood bows in Europe before the backed bows of post-Tudor times. The Maciejowski Bible bowws are however strikingly similar to Asian composites and two-wood bows. I think the jury is still out on those. I have made up bows and arrows from the clearly described Le Livre de Chasse recipe and they match the original illustrations from the first printing. Why would you bring up two-wood bows, a northern Asian idea in an area known for self bows ? Your "type b" is certainly the Finn bow type. What is the one in the middle ?
It is apparently a flatbow. What is its origin ?
Kviljo:
I see, so they are clearly not crossbows then? What's the general description of the bow? I'll have to get myself a copy of that document!
I wouldn't call the two-wood bows asian. They might have their origin there, but the technology was adapted and developed into the type A which has only been found in Norway. There are 57 fragments in total, mainly from Bergen, Oslo and Trondheim, which have been dated to between 1100 and 1500. It's a longbow made with two-wood technology, birch and compression pine. I wrote about them and made some reconstructions in connection with my masters thesis that I finished this spring. They haven't been studied fully before, so I'm hoping to publish at least some english articles concerning them, if not the complete thesis. I'll just have to translate it first, hehe...
http://kviljo.no/bue/nydam2/1.jpg
http://kviljo.no/bue/nydam2/7.jpg
bow-toxo:
Le Livre de Chasse specifies an arrow of 8 'poignees' [fists] from nock to barbs of a broadhead 4 fingers eide by 5 fingers long. The bow is to be 20 'poulcees' [ thumbs, tip to second joint] between nocks, and to be braced at a palm's width of height. I think you can find the contemporary illustrations on the web.
I am very interested in your Norse two-wood bows, which I have not previously known about. I assume this is a new discovery. I have a Norwegian book on ancient archery that does not mention it. How can I get information?
Kviljo:
Ahh, way cool! :) Is it these illustrations you were thinking of?
http://classes.bnf.fr/phebus/images/3/c80_616.jpg
http://classes.bnf.fr/phebus/images/3/c76_616.jpg
http://classes.bnf.fr/phebus/images/3/c73_616.jpg
http://classes.bnf.fr/phebus/images/3/c71_616.jpg
The type A two-wood bow has been known since 1972 in Oddmunn Farbregds "Pilefunn fra Oppdalsfjella", but they haven't been studied closely until now. So I guess you'll have to wait till I get the time to print my masters thesis. I can resereve a copy for you if you want, but it is written in Norwegian. :-\ Hoping to write some smaller english articles on them though.
bow-toxo:
--- Quote from: kviljo on July 30, 2008, 07:07:24 pm ---Ahh, way cool! :) Is it these illustrations you were thinking of?
The type A two-wood bow has been known since 1972 in Oddmunn Farbregds "Pilefunn fra Oppdalsfjella", but they haven't been studied closely until now. So I guess you'll have to wait till I get the time to print my masters thesis. I can resereve a copy for you if you want, but it is written in Norwegian. :-\ Hoping to write some smaller english articles on them though.
--- End quote ---
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Yes, those are the ones, especially the last one. Please reserve me a copy, I worked in Norway and Sweden for over a year and could once read a book in Norsk. Maybe I still can.
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