A LONGBOW QUIZ
By Tim Lambert
Answers at the bottom of the page
1. When was the bow and arrow invented?
2. Where does the word archery come from?
3. What was a longbow made of?
4. What were arrow shafts made of?
5. What was a longbow's string made of?
6. What feathers were used for arrows?
7. At each end of a longbow was an attachment called a nock with grooves to hold the string. What was the nock made of?
8. Did archers carry quivers of arrows on their backs?
9. What was a man who made bows called?
10. What was a man who made the shaft and flights of the arrows called?
11. What was a man who made metal arrowheads called?
12. What was the man who made strings for longbows called?
13. How many arrows could an archer shoot a minute? (Note that you shoot an arrow and you fire a gun!)
14. How far could a longbow shoot an arrow?
15. At what range could an arrow pierce chain mail?
16. Were there different types of arrowhead?
17. How long were longbows?
18. In a naval battle in 1340 archers on English ships shot arrows at French sailors killing many. Can you name the battle?
19. Most people have heard of the battle of Agincourt in 1415 but can you name the battle in 1346 when English archers completely defeated the French?
20. In 1541 Henry VIII passed a law that all males over a certain age must practice archery on Sundays. What was the age?
21. The French did not use longbows but they did have crossbows. Can you name the English king killed by a bolt from a crossbow?
22. When was the last time a longbow was used in battle?
23. In Victorian times did women use longbows?
24. Did Queen Victoria practice archery?
25. What do you call a person who loves archery?
Answers
1.We don't know the exact date but it was at least 30 ,000 years ago!
2. It comes from the French word for bow 'arc'.
3. It was made of yew.
4. Arrow shafts found on the MaryRose were made of poplar, ash, hazel and beech.
5. Usually it was made of linen.
6. Usually goose feathers were used.
7. Usually it was made of cow's horn.
8. Only if they were on horseback. Normally archers on foot carried containers of arrows tied to their belts. It was much easier to get them out in a hurry.
9. He was called a bowyer.
10. He was called a fletcher.
11. He was called an arrowsmith.
12. He was called a stringer of stringfellow.
13. An archer could shoot 10-12 arrows a minute.
14. An archer could shoot an arrow at least 250 yards (about 220 metres).
15. 90 metres
16. Yes there were many different types for different purposes.
17. Longbows varied in length but those found on the MaryRose were between 1.87 metres and 1.98 metres.
18. Sluys
19. Crecy
20. Seven years old.
21. Richard I (Richard the Lionheart).
22. It was in 1940. A British officer took his longbow with him to France and he shot a couple of arrows at the Germans.
23. Yes they did! Archery was considered a ladylike sport.
24. Yes she did!
25. A toxophilite