English longbow

The English longbow, also called the Welsh longbow, was a powerful type of bow about 2.0 m (6 ft 6 in) long used by the English and Welsh during the Middle Ages both for hunting and as a weapon of war. Longbows were most devastatingly put to use during the Hundred Years War against the French.

Description

There are various descriptions of the medieval longbow. There are no surviving longbows prior to the 15th century and more than 130 from the Renaissance period (see Surviving bows). They range in length from 1.87 to 2.11 m (6 ft 1 in to 6 ft 11 in) with an average of about 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in), and were made from yew in preference although ash and other woods were also used. Estimates for the draw of these bows varies considerably. Estimates made on examples from the Mary Rose typically had draw forces of 72 – 82 kgf (706 – 804 N, 160 – 180 lbf ). A modern longbow's draw is typically 27 kgf (60 lbf) or less although there are now longbowmen using 180 lbf bows accurately.

Related Topics:
15th century - Renaissance - Surviving bows - M - Yew - Ash - Mary Rose - Kgf - N - Lbf

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As to the bow length, there is no agreement. In continental Europe it was generally seen as any bow longer than 1.2 m (4 ft). The Royal Antiquaries Society of Great Britain says it is of 5 or 6 feet (1.5 or 1.83 m) in length. {{ref|RoyalAntSoc}} Richard Bartelot of the Royal Artillery Institution said that the bow was of yew, 6 feet (1.83 m) long, with a 3 foot (914 mm) arrow.{{ref|RBartelot}} Gaston Phoebus in 1388 wrote that a longbow should be "of yew or boxwood, seventy inches between the points of attachment for the cord,".{{ref|GFoebus}}

Related Topics:
Royal Antiquaries Society - Great Britain - Royal Artillery Institution - Gaston Phoebus - 1388

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The range of the medieval weapon is unknown, with estimates from 165 to 228 m (180 to 249 yds). Modern longbows have a useful range up to 180 m (200 yd).

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A longbowman could shoot up to 12 arrows a minute. "The longbow was the machine gun of the Middle Ages: accurate, deadly, possessed of a long-range and rapid rate of fire, the flight of its missiles was liken to a storm."{{ref|machine_gun}} This rate of fire was much higher than crossbows or any other projectile weapon of the period, including firearms.

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The construction of a longbow consists of seasoning the yew wood for 1 to 2 years then slowly working the wood into shape, with the entire process taking up to 4 years. The bow stave is shaped into a D-section from a half cross section of a tree or branch. The inner side of the bow stave consists of rounded heartwood and the outer of sapwood with a flat back. The heartwood resists compression and the outer sapwood performs better in tension. This combination forms a natural laminate similar in effect to the construction of a composite bow. Longbows will last a long time if constructed this way and are protected with a rub of "wax, resin, and fine tallow".

Related Topics:
Yew - Heartwood - Tension - Composite bow

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Bow strings were made of hemp, flax or silk and attached to the wood with "horn nocks" which fit onto the end of the bow. Today strings may still be made the traditional way, or a modern synthetic material (usually a string twisted of Dacron wire) can be used as well.

Related Topics:
Hemp - Flax - Silk - Dacron

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