Longbows were used by early civilizations as hunting tools and weapons, although in medieval England the longbow was one of the most remarkable weapons of the time. It can be made from a single piece of wood and be easily and quickly crafted.
They are shaped like the letter “D”. The longbow wood was protected with a rub of wax, resin, and fine tallow, and the arrow was a straight shaft with a sharp point on one end measuring about 3 feet long.
Notable difference between longbow and crossbow
The Crossbow range was 350-400 yards but could shoot 2 bows per minute while the longbow could shoot 10-12 arrows a minute.
It required minimal effort to acquire the skills in using crossbows, but it was quite difficult to master the longbow usage technique.
Types of Longbow
Wood Flat Bows, war bows, and Victorian bows are the most notable form of variations of longbows. Wood flat bows differ from other longbows in shape, and were used most commonly as hunting weapons rather than war weapons because they took more time to construct than any other longbows.
Longbow Training
Unlike the crossbow, the longbow was not easy to operate. It required a great deal of expertise, experience, and training. Therefore, it was regarded as a specialty weapon of particular regions of Europe, most notably the Welsh Marches.
Isolated places were assigned for the archery training called the Butts, where archers were shown pulling the string back to the chest while later the bow was pulled back to the side of the face.
Longbow History and Uses
The origins of the English longbow are doubtful. The longbow was used in many medieval battles, such as the Battle of Crecy (1346), the Battle of Agincourt, the Battle of Hallidon Hill, and the Battle of Patay where English was defeated by the French. A longbow is a kind of bow that is roughly equal to the height of the person who uses it. It is known for the powerful force behind its shots.
The English longbow also called the Welsh longbow, is a powerful type of medieval longbow measuring about 6 ft long and used by the English and Welsh for hunting and as a lethal weapon in Middle Age warfare. Alongside English and Welsh, Native American tribes, some African tribes, and some Europeans from the Mesolithic time period used longbows as a major war weapon.
Medieval Weapons - Facts and Information
Longbow is one of the type of weapons that was used by feudal armies during the Middle Ages. All men in The Middle Ages were expected to know how to fight. They were expected to be readily available when called to fight for the king. Their lives were organized and structured to have military training incorporated in their daily lives.
Expertise in the use of medieval weapon such as Longbow and understanding the strategy of Middle Age warfare was crucial and played an important part in Medieval Life. Longbow training include practicing new moves, accuracy, defending, and managing battles including close contact fights using Longbow .