They were so powerful in fact that at one point the Catholic Church tried to ban them. During this 500-year span, crossbows were an essential part of any arsenal, a powerful weapon that could penetrate almost any armor that had been developed. Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador, even used crossbows in his conquest of the Aztecs in Mexico in 1521. Crossbowmen required an entire support team to help with maintenance and cocking the powerful weapon.ĭespite considerable competition from the longbow, crossbows remained in use in Europe until the end of the Medieval period and the popularization of firearms. A crossbow commander was one of the most important military roles in the Spanish, French and Italian armies. Since crossbows were more complicated and expensive to produce, crossbowmen held prestigious rank in the military and were usually paid well. Through the 12th Century, crossbows were a more popular weapon than longbows in all European armies except England’s. In fact, legend has it that Harold was killed by an arrow, which may have come from a Norman crossbow. This would forever change the politics, culture and language of England, something that would ultimately have global implications. The French used crossbows during the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066, when William the Conqueror of Normandy (which is a pretty intimidating name, if you think about it) invaded England and defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Harold. ![]() There is little archaeological evidence of mass crossbow use again until the 10th Century when the French began using it as a siege weapon. While the crossbow was invented in China as early as 650 BC and quickly spread to ancient Europe, its use in both warfare and hunting seems to have died out by the 5th Century. The crossbow actually became popular before the longbow. Longbows had other strengths, as we’ll explore in a minute, but that feature-ease of accuracy-is a crossbow’s main advantage. Their strength, as it is today, was their incredible potential for accuracy, which far surpassed that of longbows. Medieval crossbows, even those with hundreds of pounds of draw weight, only shot bolts at around 140 feet per second, which is not much faster than the longbows of the time. ![]() Skilled crossbowmen could maybe make two or three shots a minute, with accuracy up to 400 yards. As a result, crossbows did not have a high rate of fire. Obviously this was impossible for anyone to draw, so it required cranks or multiple people (or both!). Crossbow StatisticsĬrossbows had incredibly high draw weights, sometimes reaching over 500 pounds. They were also a bit shorter than arrows, as is the case today. The bolts were very light compared to longbow arrows, as little as 1.25 ounces and usually made of wood with a steel or iron head. The bowstring was very thick and usually made of animal sinew, though hemp was popular too. By the end of the Medieval Period, construction was more complicated-steel laths, or limbs, were common, but these increased the draw weight of the weapon so much that a crank or windlass was necessary to cock it.Ī typical crossbow was usually about two feet wide at the limbs and around 18 inches long (though this varied greatly between makers of crossbows). Along the way it explores the challenges in deciphering the crossbow?s early medieval history as well as its prominence in warfare and sport shooting in the High and Later Middle Ages.This fascinating book brings together the work of a wide range of accomplished crossbow scholars and incorporates the author?s own original research to create an account of the medieval crossbow that will appeal to anyone looking to gain an insight into one of the most important weapons of the Middle Ages.These are, perhaps, the more complicated of the two weapons, so we’ll start here: Construction of CrossbowsĪt the beginning of the Medieval Period, craftsmen made crossbows almost entirely of wood-usually yew or olive wood, which was the same material used for the vertical bows of the time. ![]() The first is a technical study of the design and construction of the medieval crossbow, the many different kinds of crossbows used during the Middle Ages, and finally a consideration of the relationship between crossbows and art.The second half of the book explores the history of the crossbow, from its origins in ancient China to its decline in sixteenth-century Europe. Unfortunately, despite its general fame it has been decades since an in-depth history of the medieval crossbow has been published, which is why Stuart Ellis-Gorman?s detailed, accessible, and highly illustrated study is so valuable.The Medieval Crossbow approaches the history of the crossbow from two directions. The crossbow is an iconic weapon of the Middle Ages and, alongside the longbow, one of the most effective ranged weapons of the pre-gunpowder era.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |