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Medieval Butts reconstructions / images - help

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bow-toxo:

--- Quote from: Dane on November 18, 2008, 07:49:35 pm ---Thanks, guys. Andy, cool article (I owe you an email, mate). I take it that they were basically cicular mounds about 3 feet to 9 feet high, and flattish on top, and six to sixteen feet in diameter, grass covered. Targets were placed on top? Like tripods and round FITA type targets, with the little flags? Grass covered, of course.

Steve, that guy is only shooting from about 6 feet away. :)

Do any of you know of a medieval butt that has been reconstructed? I am curious too about what kinds of targets they used, or they did flight shooting to hit the mound, much like clout and roving shooting today, and try to get in the center of the target.

Gratefully yours,
Dane


--- End quote ---

Butts were set up for level shooting, usually near a church, in pairs facing north and south to avoid sun glare. A 15 th century pair were “ thirteen tailors [3’] yards” apart. In Roberts’ time they were 9’ deep, 7’high, 4’wide at the base, 16” wide at the top. They were made with turf, preferably from a heath common, wedge shaped and tapered toward the summit, and with support of nailed posts. The mark shot at was a white disc of cloth about 6” wide, later cardboard, with a black spot in the center This was attached to the butt with a wooden pin at the height of a man’s heart. Archers shot two or three arrows at an “end”, went to retrieve their arrows, then shot back at the facing butt. The Luttrell Psalter image is probably the best one available.

 

Rod:
There are the remains of two butts a couple of miles south of here (Sleaford, Lincolnshire) at the eastern edge of the bottom end of what was the Folk Moot ground at Silk Willoughby.
The two low mounds in the hedgerow are pretty much consistent in size with the slumped remains of a pair of butts similar to those shown the Lutrell Psalter.
The opposite edge of the Folk Moot ground facing these butts is some 330 yards distant.

I'll see if there is any documentation in the County Archive or elsewhere.

Interesting detail in the psalter image, what is appears to be a renewable clay face, specialised shafts and a rope coit in place of the more informal wand shooting garland to provide a mark.

Rod.

Marc St Louis:
Yes but I feel sorry for the guy with the arrow sticking out of his butt, but then he should have known better than to walk out in front of all those archers while they were shooting  :)

triton:
The Turks head or Saracens head shoot you mention is where some English pubs get their name from.  Returning crusaders brought home the heads of their enemies pickled, then brought them out on holidays and other celebrations for fun shoots  >:D
I got our kids making some during the school holiday

kids party baloons covered with paper mash, filled with expanding foam, then painted

Dane:
Everyone, thanks for the info. As for that Turk's Head, very cool. It would be easy enough to put together a mock head with a turban on a pike.

I am still a bit hazy...the targets were place on top of the mound, or in front of it as you faced it?  Sorry if these are ignorant questions, but will help me get an authentic butt up and running here in New England. That will be very cool especially for long bow shooters.

Dane

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