Close

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-bowNarro.html" title="Facts and informations about bow and arrow">bow and arrow</a>

bow and arrow

bow and arrow weapon consisting of two parts; the bow is made of a strip of flexible material, such as wood, with a cord linking the two ends of the strip to form a tension from which is propelled the arrow; the arrow is a straight shaft with a sharp point on one end and usually with feathers attached to the other end.

The use of the bow and arrow for hunting and for war dates back to the Paleolithic period in Africa, Asia, and Europe. It was widely used in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, the Americas, and Europe until the introduction of gunpowder. Arrowheads were first made of burnt wood, then stone or bone, and then metals. Various woods and bones were used for the bow itself. However, it was not a powerful weapon until the invention of the compound, or composite, bow around 1500 BC on the steppes of Central Asia. A composite bow is made of various materials (wood, horn, sinew) glued together so as to increase their natural strength and elasticity. Bows and arrows were among the dominant weapons used by Assyrian chariots, Parthian cavalry, Mongol horsemen, and English longbowmen. At other times they have been used more as auxiliary weapons for massed infantry or cavalry.

The crossbow, although known in Roman times, was not widely used in Europe until the Middle Ages. In China, however, where it developed at the same time, the crossbow revolutionized warfare. A crossbow is a bow set on a stock. It fires missiles propelled by mechanical energy and released by a trigger. It could be more powerful than the ordinary bow and could fire arrows, darts, or stones. It was, however, slower to fire than the longbow and almost as difficult to wield; even the arbalest, a later crossbow, was clumsy and slow. By the end of the 13th cent. use of the crossbow had declined. At the battle of Crécy (1346) English longbowmen, firing from fixed positions, proved far more efficient than Genoese crossbowmen fighting for the French.

The longbow, which was in use in Wales in the 12th cent. became prominent in the Welsh Wars of Edward I in the late 13th cent. For the rest of that century, the English emphasized skill with the longbow; it was inexpensive, mobile, and easily adapted to a peasant army. Only in England did the longbow survive the introduction of gunpowder; it was superseded gradually by firearms. It was a powerful weapon, but it took great strength to pull and years of practice to master. The Chinese also developed a longbow, which proved much less effective than the English variety. The Asian bow, designed for use on horseback, was shorter and lighter than the English longbow and could be more rapidly fired. The Chinese later developed the repeating crossbow, an ingenious weapon that proved ineffective against repeating rifles in the First Sino-Japanese War.

Since bows and arrows are relatively easy to make and can produce a rapid rate of fire, they were used in warfare long after gunpowder was introduced, for primitive firearms required much time to load, were hard to manufacture, and often failed. In Japan and North America archery was very important culturally as well as militarily. See archery ; hunting .

Bibliography: See R. Hardy, The Longbow (1976); R. Payne—Galway, Crossbow (1988).

Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from HighBeam Research

(Including press releases, facts, information, and biographies)

	With my crossbow. (auction of Renaissance crossbows) Magazine article from: National Review; 4/20/1984; 133 words ; LONDON The crossbow as a deadly weapon died out several...collectors' item. Recently a group of crossbows made in the Renaissance was put up for...9,000 to $12,000) range. Still, the crossbow has a more modern ring to it when one... Read more
	Crossbows: do they have a place in your shop? (Archery Aisle) (Column) Magazine article from: Shooting Industry; 11/1/1994; ; 700+ words ; The use of crossbows for hunting is probably the most controversial topic...archery industry today. But if you're not selling crossbows, you're losing many potential sales. Adding crossbows to your existing inventory is relatively simple... Read more
	Arch Chemicals Inc. Biocides.(Literature Showcase Spring 2005)(Advertisement) Magazine article from: Household & Personal Products Industry; 4/1/2005; 101 words ; The use of cleaning and disinfecting products containing Arch antimicrobials is a powerful weapon for reducing the risk of either product contamination or the transmission of infectious diseases. VANTOCIL[TM] and PROXEL[TM] antimicrobials... Read more
	Officers seize man's crossbow. Newspaper article from: Peterborough Evening Telegraph (Peterborough, England); 6/21/2008; 71 words ; POLICE officers have seized a crossbow after an off-duty officer spotted a...called out Bourne police after he saw the crossbow sticking out of a carrier bag on Wednesday...of the equipment for a neighbour. The crossbow will now be destroyed. Read more
	Rigor Sardonicous.(RICKTER SCALE OF DOOM) Magazine article from: Thrasher; 8/1/2006; 73 words ; ...doom derived from vintage doom and death roots (just think Disembowelment on steroids and depressants). Perhaps the most powerful weapon in my arsenal in terms of guttural instinct and survival, These are their first recordings, including a track from their... Read more
	Battle over International Criminal Court. Magazine article from: Catholic Insight; 9/1/1998; 146 words ; ...to abortion worldwide. But concerns still remain over the direction and implementation of the ICC, which could become a powerful weapon in the hands of those who want radical social control. Pro-life delegates from Europe and the United States, together with... Read more
	Swiping it rich.(Currents) Magazine article from: Latin Trade; 1/1/2005; ; 320 words ; Rocio Brehm sells natural products under the brand Swiss Just de Mexico. She's found what she calls a powerful weapon to increase sales. In September, the businesswoman bought a payment system that accepts credit and debit cards, known as Emprendepay... Read more
	Imagining Ireland's Independence; the Debates over the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.(Brief article)(Book review) Magazine article from: Reference & Research Book News; 11/1/2006; 174 words ; ...history, Central Washington U.) takes a hard look at the policies, problems and personalities, and finds that nationalism is a powerful weapon, especially when wielded by those who had been allowed little experience in self-rule. He addresses the competing visions... Read more
	Crossbow alert. Newspaper article from: Northumberland Gazette (Alnwick, England); 6/14/2007; 80 words ; ...after reports of an incident involving a shotgun and crossbow. Three 999 calls were made to police at about 8.30pm...June 6, reporting a male with a gun and a male with a crossbow on Cedar Grove. Police officers, two armed response... Read more
	Facing Fear.(Brief article)(Book review) Newspaper article from: Internet Bookwatch; 3/1/2009; 105 words ; ...Wisconsin Press 1930 Monroe Street, 3rd Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059 9780976878193, $19.95, www.borderlandbooks.net Fear is a powerful weapon. Facing Fear: Cancer and Politics, Courage and Hope is a scholarly discussion of the nature of fear, its power in one's... Read more

For more facts and information, see all related premium articles

Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses

bow and arrow Book article from: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ...consisting of two parts; the bow is made of a strip of flexible...from which is propelled the arrow; the arrow is a straight shaft with a...the other end. The use of the bow and arrow for hunting and for war dates...and bones were used for the bow itself. However, it was not...the ... Read more

See all related entries