Welsh bow
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The Welsh bow or Welsh longbow was a medieval weapon used by Welsh soldiers. They were documented by Gerald of Wales around 1188, who writes of the bows used by the Welsh men of Gwent: "They are made neither of horn, ash nor yew, but of elm. "[1] He reported that the bows of Gwent were "stiff and strong, not only for missiles to be shot from a distance, but also for sustaining heavy blows in close quarters."[2] He gave examples of the performance of these bows:
[I]n the war against the Welsh, one of the men of arms was struck by an arrow shot at him by a Welshman. It went right through his thigh, high up, where it was protected inside and outside the leg by his iron chausses, and then through the skirt of his leather tunic; next it penetrated that part of the saddle which is called the alva or seat; and finally it lodged in his horse, driving so deep that it killed the animal.[3][4]
The powerful Welsh bow may have later been one influence that inspired the creation of the English longbow.[5]
References
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- ^ Gerald of Wales. (c.1188). The Journey Through Wales and The Description of Wales. Translated by: Lewis Thorpe. (1978 edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd.
- ^ Itinerarium Cambriae, (1191)
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