AW: Re: Bow

[Jens Börner]

Hi all,

One question bothers me: why carying arround a bow when not strung =
anyway?=20
When on march, the bows could be placed on a wagon, in barrels, like =
weapons
according to froissart for instance in the 100years war generally. When =
near
to the battle, they will be taken out and strung. So is there really a
reason for a "bowbag" apart from modern ones? Might this be the reason =
why
we only bows strung in pictures? Compared to the crossbow, strings are
mentioned to be worn underneath the clothing, and for instance the =
housebook
from wolfegg shows us crossbowmen on the march carrying their crossbows
without any kind of protection.=20

I personally think before thinking of something like a "bowbag" it would =
be
an idea to examine the situation of bowmen during war, camp and march
situations to find out if such was really necessary.

with kind regards,
Jens B=F6rner
Diu Minnez=EEt
Reconstrution of german and french daily and military live, clothing and
household equipment in the high and late middle ages
http://www.diu-minnezit.de


-----Urspr=FCngliche Nachricht-----
Von: living-history-bounce-at-companie-of-st-george.ch
[mailto:living-history-bounce-at-companie-of-st-george.ch] Im Auftrag von
Jonathan Davies
Gesendet: Dienstag, 30. M=E4rz 2010 11:12
An: living-history-at-companie-of-st-george.ch
Betreff: Re: Bow

Bow bags protect against surface damage which could jeopardise a bow, =
ash,
elm and yew bows do not like being thrown around.  I have owned all =
three
and shoot a war bow and treating them like an old chair leg would =
horrify
me! Bow bags also help protect them from direct sunlight.  You shouldn't
leave a bow out in the sun on a hot day without being aware of the =
potential
consequences.  A bows performance is compromised by both heat and cold =
as I
know only too well having broken a 70lb bow on a cold day through
carelessness.  Bows need protection from the elements and it is natural =
for
any archer to protect his 'valuable' equipment.  Whether the strings =
need
protection from rain is another question, we still wait on the Mary Rose
excavations for some definitive information on the subject.  How they
protected the surface of the bow is another question entirely.
Cheers
Jonathan



On Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 9:17 AM, Christian Folini <
christian.folini-at-time-machine.ch> wrote:

> On Tue, March 30, 2010 10:00 am, Jonathan Davies wrote:
> > Purely on a practical level you
> > would be extremely foolish to risk damaging your bow by leaving it=20
> > uncovered when not in use.  If I do that should I assume that my=20
> > illustrious brethren cared for ther bows less?  If they did not=20
> > protect their bows then why not?
>
> There have to be sources somewhere.
>
> With the hundreds of thousands of bows being in use during the 14th=20
> and 15th century, I do not believe in the total absence of any =
evidence.
>
> Either there has to be an explanation in the sources on why they do=20
> not need such protection. Or there has to be a hint on the form of=20
> protection that was being used.
>
> Hardly any bows survived, so I would not count on the survival of the=20
> protection (bags?). Even more so if they were made from linnen.
>
> On a painting or illumination that protection could look silly and=20
> uncomprohensible to an outsider. So I would not count on a period=20
> illustration either.
>
> So if there is anything, then it is more likely to be in the text =
sources.
> But of course, those are the ones, that are more difficult to access.
>
>
> I never quite understood the kind of protection a linnen bag could=20
> offer to a war bow. A linnen bag protects against minor scratchings on =

> the surface. Anything else will destroy the bow either with or without =

> the linnen bag.
> Also, water should not be an issue. Greasing the wood regularly is far =

> more effective.
>
> Best,
>
> Christian
>
>
>