Bows were used by both
Anglo-Saxons and the Normans.
It was the weapon used by soldiers of low rank. In the Battle
of Hastings only one archer is wearing a hauberk
and metal helmet. The bow in the 11th
century was about 50 centimetres (20 inches) long and was made of
yew or ash wood. The bow was only pulled back to the chest and had
a killing range of about 90 metres (100 yards).
The Normans also used a small, horizontal cross-bow
at the Battle
of Hastings. The bolt was laid in a groove along the top
of the wooden tiller. The bolt was released by pressing a trigger.
At the end of the 12th century the longbow
began to replace the bow as a military weapon.
Section
55: Normans using mace,
double-edged swords, lances
and bows at the Battle of Hastings
(Bayeux
Tapestry, c. 1090)
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