We loved visiting Mary Arden’s Tudor Farm, visiting animals and some of the demonstrations they had available. This is the location where Shakespeare’s mother grew up. We could have spent much more time at this attraction and listened to all the staff demonstrating Medieval life and Tudor customs. Next time! We really enjoyed the archery demonstration and learned about Medieval archery practices.
ARCHERY
The Medieval Archer showed us how to shoot with a English Long bow.
It was required by law that every young lad, starting at the age of 6, practice archery on Sunday for one hour after church. Now that is a tradition I wish we still kept! By the age of 14, boys would need to be able to pull a 100 lbs bow. And, as required by law, men would have to be able to fire 12 arrows per minute. I was invited forward to time his shooting of 12 arrows in one minute (he was able to release 18 arrows but on a lower poundage bow).
English long bows were extremely hard to pull being 100 to 140 pounds in draw weight and were not designed for accuracy. Instead, many archers would “cloud” their arrows together. Meaning, they would aim at an angle towards the sky and fire from up to 200 yards away raining down hundreds of arrows on the enemy. Young boys were enlisted in war to go out and retrieve arrows from the battle field so they could restock their side.
Arrows had different tips for different purposes.
The traditional medieval point arrow could penetrate chain mail:
But thinner, longer and heavier point arrows were needed to penetrate armor plate:
Crescent shaped arrowheads were used as an anti-horse weapon, designed to cut the neck of the horse who would then tumble and throw the rider.
The larger swallow tail arrowhead was used as an antipersonnel weapon in closer quarters:
If it stuck into a person the only way to get it out was to push it all the way through the body, snap off the end and pull the shaft back out. Otherwise the long swallow tails would simply destroy the insides of the person who tried to pull it out.
But as archers ran out of arrows they would but their bow down and grab their axe — something every poor archer would have at home.
If they could afford it, they could have a blacksmith outfit the backside of their axe with a hammer or spike that they could use to either penetrate a knights armor or knock him out! Once he got his enemy on the ground he could finish him off with his axe or his dagger. The dagger could go through the eye/brain or even be placed over the heart and the hammer used to pound it home. Medieval war was a hands-on, bloody affair indeed.
Leave a Reply