~ Medieval Weapons ~

-    Longbows  -

The highly effective longbow of the Medieval period was one of the most dominant battle weapons from its introduction in the 13th century until well beyond the end of the High Middle Ages. The use of the longbow led to the appearance of long slits in the walls of castles for the archers to shoot through.

The fact that it was easy and cheap to make, led to it being widely used by peasants, not to mention the English law requiring that any man with an income of over £2 own a bow. Becoming a master of the longbow took years of practice, but the English soon became a feared force in Medieval times because of the compulsory daily bow and arrow training that was rigorously undertaken from a very young age.

The English longbow weighed up to 180 pounds and it took so much strength to draw the bow that Medieval archers may now be easily identified by archaeologists by the over-developed bones in one side of their body.


The Longbow - continued