What was it like to be a MEDIEVAL ARCHER?
Modern History TV・11 minutes read
The English longbow was a key weapon in the Middle Ages, with a range of 240 yards, used to disrupt cavalry formations and create a wall of steel with arrows. Historical longbows had draw weights of 120 to 160 pounds, with training starting at a young age and a focus on volume rather than accuracy in military archery.
Insights
- Archers in medieval times started training at a young age, around 8 or 9 years old, dedicating 3 hours per week to honing their skills with the longbow, emphasizing the importance of early and consistent practice for mastery.
- Military archery prioritized volume over precision, aiming to create a formidable barrage of arrows to disrupt enemy formations, showcasing the strategic significance of sheer numbers in battle rather than individual accuracy.
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Recent questions
What was the English longbow used for?
Warfare
How heavy were historical longbows?
120-160 pounds
At what age did archers start training in medieval times?
8 or 9 years old
What was the focus of military archery in medieval times?
Volume over accuracy
What was the impact of war arrows on targets?
Significant
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Summary
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English longbow: Medieval weapon of mass destruction
- The English longbow was a crucial weapon in the Middle Ages, known as the English bow, bow, or war bow, with a range of around 240 yards.
- Knights used mounted horsemanship to close the gap with their lances, while archers aimed to disrupt cavalry formations by shooting many arrows into the mass.
- Archers in battle shot until they ran out of arrows, with no accurate record of the exact number of arrows used.
- Historical longbows had draw weights of 120 to 160 pounds, with the minimum for a war bow being over 75 pounds.
- A modern bow used in the demonstration had a draw weight of 75 pounds, with instructions on how to shoot it accurately.
- Archers in medieval times started training at around 8 or 9 years old, practicing for 3 hours weekly to master the skill.
- Military archery focused on volume rather than accuracy, with the goal of putting up a wall of steel with arrows.
- The impact of war arrows on targets was significant, prompting a suggestion to test them against medieval armor in the future.
