The Longbow | Seven fun facts from history
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ค. 2024
- Just for fun, join Kevin Hicks as he looses a few arrows and share seven fun facts from history, a few interesting tidbits about the longbow.
#archery #longbow #history #englishlongbow #medievalhistory #bowman #medieval #arrow #arrows #middleages
For more medieval history videos check out this playlist: • Medieval History
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Just lost a good friend and coworker, his passion was bow hunting, but he would always talk about the English longbowmen as well as the Native American bowmen on this side of the pond. This eased a bit of one pain and stirred another, but the process of grief is just that, a process. Miss you Larry, wish I could call you tomorrow to nerd out with you, and thank you Kevin for the video.
A jolly looking gentleman just casually shooting a longbow as long as a man and hitting the target while explaining history is amazing
He's got big dick energy, I think.
That shot near the end of the video was perfect impact. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that.
Love these bow videos. It'd be good to see a comparison between different types of bow, such as war bows and hunting bows.
Horsebow vs longbow, same draw weight
I guess the hun bow would win
Short bows too
Hunting bows might be smaller, be lower in draw weight (depending in the type), and have steeper string angles.
All bow power is determined by the efficiency, powerstroke, and draw weight. Recurve bows and non-recourse bows can both have long powerstroke and very heavy draw weights (eg. 200s lbs), but the recurve shape will lead to greater prod efficiency.
Hearing a somewhat older gentleman dressed in historical clothing tell me to "hit that notification bell" really reminds you of how we live in a very interesting slice of history. Thanks for the wonderful video.
My pleasure 👍🏻
Quote: ‘I’ll just get rid of this one in case it goes off in my hand’..😂😂 you’re a funny man Kev 😂😂
Hello there from the states. Just wanted to say I’ve watched all your videos and absolutely love them. You can just tell you are not only highly intelligent and love history but that you’re also a great guy with a good heart. Keep up the great work man.
How lovely, thanks very much Dylan 👍🏻
This channel is pure gold, thank you.
Our pleasure!
Fantastic love all the information you have and the way you percent it.
@@trevorjennings721 ok thanks Trevor keep up the good work love watching and learning stay safe
Greetings from Wales 😁
Great video Mr Hicks, I heard you mention the 1461 Battle of Towton briefly in your video, I would love to see you talk about it in more detail sometime in the future as I understand it was one of the bloodiest battles in England during the War of the Roses.
That's for sure and it's on the cards 👍🏻
I've always been fascinated with archery. I finally ordered my first longbow, and plan to take up the sport. Since it's going to take 4 to 6 months to get my bow, I'm going to watch as many of your videos as I can, in the hope of picking up a few pointers.
That's great to hear, enjoy! That's my biggest message to people who take up the bow. 👍🏻
Archery is great, try and find a club, you'll pick up all sorts of tips from other archers. There's always a contradictory point of view so listen to everything try it and see what works for you.
@@stupidhandles, Unfortunately, where I live there are no clubs, and most of the archers around here only use modern compound or crossbows. the only re-curve or longbow archers I know are my two brothers. I think my only choice is going to be practice, and figure it out.
Nice one Kevin - I always enjoy your videos!
Always enjoy listening to and watching your videos I learn a lot
Very interesting facts, Kevin - many thanks. Always good to see you loose-off a few and strike terror into the enemy's hearts (or, in this case, heads!).
My favorite series of videos! Thanks a bundle and have a nice day, Sir.
You are quite the gentleman.
As always I look forward to your videos. Great shooting
Fascinating as always
Good stuff as ever Kevin .
God bless thee and thine pal : )
Your channel is growing so fast! Love to see it.
Cheers Joops 👍🏻
Love it. Thank you sir
... You never fail to educate and entertain;
Thank You .
Any great video, Kevin! Cheers!
Another great video, thanks for putting out such fascinating content as always
Cheers, you're welcome!
3:30 Ah, now that's satisfying! Thanks for another great video, Mr. Hicks! I really enjoy them.
Glad you like them!
Another great video sir thank you. As a fellow Long bowman this is important and fascinating knowledge .
Love your videos!! Those last 2 shots were absolutely brutal!! My god, can you imagine!?
This video are wonderful to watch it's is a nice change of pace from all the stuff going on in the world today Kevin looking forward to seeing you bring us next and have a happy Christmas
Thank you!!
Greetings once again from nova Scotia, fantastic video, loved the stories, and the deadly aim you have. You have a passion for archers and thier skill, that is respect. Keep the good stuff coming, be safe and as always best regards, Arthur
You too Arthur, thanks 👍🏻
Another Excellent video, Kevin. This is a good format, hearing you talk history while knocking a few arrows. And I finally made it into the shoutouts, great stuff!
Haha, you're more than welcome Liam! I really do appreciate your support 👍🏻
Enjoy all the videos on the channel, particularly the archery content. Made me laugh in reference to Welsh / English. Many of my 3rd generation family on both sides were from Wales, however I was born in Hampshire, haha. All the best Kevin.
Kevin I wait in breathless anticipation for you to do a multi part Robin Hood series! Oh that's the ticket right there. (good shots on that head. Looks easy till you try it yourself)
New viewer. I love your archery and midevil videos.
That's great to hear, thanks very much & welcome to the channel 👍🏻
Another informative and entertaining video. Learning all the time!
Sir thank you for sharing your martial knowledge regarding the origins of the war bow. I appreciate the work you put forth in your video presentation. Excellent!
Cheers Fred 👍🏻
Another great video!!
Awesome shots mate.
Great video Kev.
Thank for this Sir.!
Thanks, Kevin. It is interesting to learn tidbits of history from you. I really like the remark about shooting the arrow before it goes off in your hand, LOL. Cheers from Texas.
😜 cheers David 👍🏻
Cool video! Very informative.
Love your videos keep it up mate
Thanks, will do!
Just love this show! Thank you so much for the knowledge. Yr an EXCELLENT shot! I cld sit & listen to you ALL day long! No exaggeration on my part. I really cld.
God bless & have a most wonderful Thanksgiving! 😉👍🙏🏼😁
Thanks D.B. I appreciate that 👍🏻
wonderful video thank you
a fresh History Squad archery serial,nothing better on a lazy Sunday AM. Cheers, Kevin
Haha, you're welcome!
Another interesting video. I’m still saving up for a yew bow I have a different wood type for my longbow but it still shoots well.
Great video Kev 🤘🏹
Cheers Mick!
That accuracy :O
Thanks Kevin, from a fellow Brit.
Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up. Looking forward to your up coming videos
Cheers!!
Thank you
Thanks!
I also, as our previous conversation likely hinted, was absolutely fascinated by the raising of the Mary Rose documentary.
Did I mention I was at the Mary Rose just the other day? I'm also making a model of it, so stand by for a video later this year 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad If you had mentioned it, I have slept in between, so as far as my memory is concerned, it would never have happened :-| . Vasa is also not far (relative), another short list item for me. We're planning a family visit to Cornwall this summer, vastly looking forward!
Great video Kevin.
Thanks for the visit 👍🏻
I love long bows and the legend of Robin Hood to the point that a whole thesis I did for my reenactment society was on Robin, if he indeed existed and if so who the candidates for him might be. The cult of the long bow is really what helped me narrow down my timeline to candidates for Robin, a few of his Merry Men and their comely king. Like most tales with longevity, Robin seems to be an amalgamation of several people mixed with an even more ancient folklore like Jack-In-The-Green and Hern The Huntsman. Do you think you may ever do a film on Robin Hood?
One day for sure 👍🏻
Finding a bow from 2700 BC, has really surprised me. Very interesting ☘️
Do so much enjoy your videos, good knowledge , interesting, entertaining. Enjoy period clothing & accoutrements. Good shooting, really ENJOY THE LONG BOW.CARRY ON KEVIN. BRAVO EH!
Haha, cheers John!!
Nice one kevin
Thats Brill..
The speed and efficiency of that weapon..
Reckon the English bow men, must of become quite a fearsome thing..
Definitely fun facts. Every time you upload another video about the long bow, I want one. Lol. I knew earlier bows were made of yew, but didn’t know they were identified as yew bows. I enjoy watching you shoot-glad you’re on our side.
Cheers Margaret 👍🏻
Very recently I was watching a documentary on Richard ll, and it included a younger version of Kevin Hicks, teaching the spokesman how to shoot arrows 🏹😄, and he could only shoot him in the knee. 😅🤣
Thanks Kevin for another lesson on very interesting historical facts! Kind regards and best wishes from Austria, hope you'll continue teaching me ;))
I sure hope to 👍🏻.
gotta love kevin
Hell, Ötzi the Iceman was found with an (unfinished) yew longbow. He died some 5000 years ago!
NICE SHOTS!
The first headshot was just a scalp wound, but that throat shot would take down Harald Hardrade. Ouch!
"This is a yew bow"
"That's not a my bow!"
Good stuff Kevin! Archery is a fun hobby, I shoot a recurve when hiking. Mike.
Great stuff!
There's no way that last arrow actually hit 😄 Great video as always 👏
Nice shooting friend!
awesome
Seven fun facts, nice to see. Wonder what else we can learn about.
You mentioned that the bows from the ship was shorter than normal longbows. Could it be that they was meant for shipboard fighting and there for shorter because of slightly cramped conditions onboard.
A modern type Jack Hargreaves , Love it!
Kind of a odd question but I think I may have seen you shoot a longbow in person once.
Do you remember shooting a long bow for a bunch of student ambassadors (from the US) at warwick castle about 8 years back? A trebuchet was fired twice afterward. Once normal, the next on fire. Before that we did some sword drills. If you don't, or it wasn't you, thats ok. Your videos just had me remember some fond memories from that experience.
Hi there, no it wouldn't have been me I'm afraid, I left Warwick in 2005. It's an amazing Castle. 👍🏻
It would be great if you could bring out the matchlock musket again with an in depth history.
Would that I had one. Maybe one day 👍🏻
Great video Kevin. Amazing to think that the longbow goes back over 2,000 B.C. I lived in Somerset for three years. Where in Somerset was the bow found? Great history lesson, as always. Take care.
Ashcott Heath in Somerset I believe.
@@thehistorysquad Thank you.
Haha well done. Different facts!!!
Another great presentation kevin 👏I read somewhere that Welsh archers used elm bows any experience of this or any other European woods ....
When wood stocks were low, they did use other types of wood 👍🏻
These used Wych elm mostly.
It would be interesting to know your thoughts on some of these podcasts that claim, and they demonstrate , how archers could shoot in Battle or against foes, numerous arrows with precision,and from many angles in a matter of seconds! They use picture of Assyirans and how they would hold many arrows in one hand to buttress this theory!They do seem to perform these acts Kevin!Salute to you!
So regarding holding arrows in either your shooting hand, or your bow hand while shooting.... is that something medieval archers would have done? Would it even be possible? Would love to see a video on the topic with you demonstrating
When you gonna come down to East Tennessee for some Civil war history! You have many fans here in the South and the confederate history is very interesting.
DNA shows that my family have been in Tennessee since the 1600s, I would love to come down one day and bring my bow. 👍🏻
Highly interesting video yet again Mr. Hicks. Your quite right, having your own arrows "returned" to you from the other side would be ironic.... Another way to "shaft" them I would say😅
On the average, do you know how tall they were back then?
A bow that's 6 ft 5.... That's my height ( in my bare feet).
I was rather interested when you mentioned the "Mary Rose" as well.... Shipwrecks are somewhat of a time capsule in a way.
🤣
One of the bowmen they recovered from the Mary Rose, was I believe over 6' tall.
@@thehistorysquad Wow...I was not aware of that fact.
Loved the video Kevin! Really amazing how they where able to create 1.2 million goose fletchings in such a short time. Talk about working overtime haha.
Ps. Italy is beautiful I went to Padua, Italy yesterday to see one of the oldest working clock towers in the world.
Must have been an awful lot of bald geese about 😂😂😂
Fabulous, I must say I'm a little jealous.
😂
Apparently the goose feathers were better in wet weather than say turkey feathers.
Great Vid and talk Mr Kicks Sir! Would love to shoot with you one day, you are a legend!
Cheers Jeff 👍🏻
Kevin tapping out some trivia. 🏹
😜
Greatest English longbow archer ever
Haha 👍🏻
Love your accent!
The curse of high qualty ancient projectiles: the enemy could pick them up and use against you. That´s why the tips of the roman pila (the long javelins the legionaire carried) were of deliberate bad quality. They would bend or break after being thrown. And even if they got stuck in an enemy shield they made it often useless since they mostly couldn´t be pulled out again.
Absolutely 👍🏻. Great comment
I always enjoy your videos, you do a great job
I notice that you don’t make full draw is there a reason for that?
Thanks for watching 👍🏻
To be honest, I don't need to full-draw. I only do a full draw if I'm shooting long distance and want the arrows to really go some.
Cool
Another very interesting video. I've seen some welsh bows, seemed to make them out of wytch-elm, making a very knobbly stave, yet shoot beautifully with a very good cast. Amazing though to think that this weapon goes back into history so far, and relatively unchanged from the original design. I noticed that you tend to cant the bow when loosing. Do you find that it's easier to aim that way rather than the 'straight up and down' position, or is it just simply a personal thing? Just curious as I have seen it said that canting the bow gives a better target 'picture'.
That is straight from Giraldus or Gerald of Wales of the 12th century so wrote a lot of shit. We don't have any archaeological evidence of Welsh bows. There's nothing to know. It's all fantasy.
You can't the bow because it allows the arrow to fly straight. There's too much sideways deviation due to width of the bow. It's not necessary with a center-shot bow
@@MarcRitzMD Whilst you are correct in your assertion with regard to Gerald of Wales giving accounts, there is reliable evidence of of welsh archery 11 years before Hastings, in the account of Ralph, Earl of Hereford and an expedition he led into Wales. When the Saxon horsemen had ridden into the Welsh mountains, they were ambushed by archers who shot so strongly and accurately that, according to the Abingdon Chronicle, 'the English people fled before even a spear had been thrown, because they were on horseback' (source: Longbow, Hardy, Robert, P31) Bows made of Wych elm are also mentioned by R. Ascham, writing in 1571. Wych elm is plentiful in the Welsh hills, and does indeed make a very good bow.
With regard to my question to Kevin, I was specifically asking HIS reason for canting the bow, ie, did he, personally find it easier to aim. Contrary to your assertion , you can loose arrows from a longbow in a straight up and down position. I, (and many other longbow archers) use this position, and our arrows fly straight and hit our targets. That is because wooden arrows are spined, allowing them to bend around the bow, flexing side to side until they come straight as they fly through the air. This is known as the 'Archer's Paradox', and can be seen in slowed-down video elsewhere on youtube if you look. My reason for asking Kevin about it is purely personal - I have tried canting and find it actually more difficult, and, having shot longbow for a good amount of years now, I was curious as to his own experience of that. Also, I shoot a Hoyt recurve, which is 'centre-shot', and my arrows for that do not require spine as they do not have to bend around the bow (unlike longbow arrows), so I am fully aware of how this works.
Finally, if you look at the bow which was found with Oetzi, which is the one Kevin is talking about from the Neolithic times, the bow is a rounded D section, the same as longbows were during the middle ages and are still made today. Therefore the actual design is very little changed from Oetzi's time.
Hi Andrew, canting the bow is just the way I naturally shoot. I've never been trained, it's just the way it developed. Someone tried to correct me once and they in turn were told off by another bowman who's comment was 'leave Kevin alone, he shoots in the old medieval way'. That was way before I got into history.
@@andrewrice2376 - there is no "properly spined". You had a bow and received a bunch of arrows of varying weights and varying dynamic spine. When you make arrow shafts, they won't have s predictable spine either. Same dimensions and wood type will have wildly different spine. Modern shafts are machined and cylindrical. Historical bows were also a lot more massive than anything that compares to a recreational bow today. There is simply a lot more width to move around. By canting the bow, you reduce horizontal variance to your hitting pattern which is a much greater, more significant problem to account for.
- there is also the argument from biomechanics. A slanted bow allows better muscle engagement and less engagement of the wrong muscles. That is why warbow shooters who place the arrow on the "opposite" side would still slant it on the same way, even when the arrow would seem at risk of slipping off. tinyurl.com/Way-of-archery
- I wasn't aware of the account by Ralph and can't say anything about it, except it has no relevance to the bowmaking community. These accounts don't tell you anything worthwhile about the design of the bows. For that, we can only rely on archaeological finds.
- He didn't refer to Ötzi either, he just conflated accounts exteemely badly. He referred to the Amesbury Archer. That is why he mentioned "2400 BC" and Somerset. The dating is based on gold jewelry. He was labeled King of Stonehenge for being very wealthy and buried a few kilometers distant to Stonehenge right when the stones were erected. There was NO bow found with him but arrowheads. Definitely no yew bow, that was Ötzi who lived a thousand years earlier and around the Alps (which is ironically also where the Amesbury archer was from based on bone analysis). There are many yew bow finds that predate the English Longbow, but the one he referred to was simply wrong.
- "Medieval bows" as little as that means and as few as we have don't even have all that much evidence for a D-profile. Hedeby and Ballinderry are actual Medieval bows and they don't have D-profiles. See here tinyurl.com/mav8vyss and tinyurl.com/yfepwxhc
Even the Mary Rose bows don't have that sort of uniformity, mostly just something round. tinyurl.com/5ysvs8kb
@@thehistorysquad No worries Kevin - I was just curious. I don't think there is a 'uniform' way to do these things, each to their own and hell, if you can bring down your enemy, then it's a winner every time, whatever method you choose to use! :D
Casually just snipes this thing in between five minutes of irl lore. 💀
Good
Always a good tale. 👍or should i say ✌️
An ancestor of Lance Corporal Jones LB ( licensed butcher) LDV ‘ The French don’t like ‘em up ‘em Lord Mainwaring , they don’t like it up ‘em! ‘
Hi Kevin, thank you for once again a very informative vlog.
The Longbow? Perhaps you could incorporate the strength you needed to be a longbow man coupled with the power and distance you could achieve once you become “ qualified “ in a future vlog.
Thanks again 👍
I'll be doing a vlog on training at some point so would hope to cover some of your questions then. Thanks for watching 👍🏻
You are the first archer I have seen with your arrows in your belt. Was this the most common way to carry the arrows? It certainly makes all the sense in the world to me
If you're referring to back quivers, that's a fairly modern idea, only suitable for modern recreational archery, put one on and bend over and you'll find out why it's not suitable for hunting, war archers would have had exactly what's shown in the video as personal supply well as barrells of arrows placed on the battle field,
I went to an estate sale, Kevin, and found 28 more native American points. These range from sometime between 11,500-11,000BCE, (Clovis! which I have two of!) all the way into the 14-1500's CE. The majority of points I have now, however, are "bird points". All of them, from before there was a bow and arrow, in the Americas. (As far as we know)
It's too bad that people collect arrowheads and never notify any archaeologists so they can do an evaluation. They just grab them and run. Otherwise people might be able to figure out more about the paleoindians who lived in what's now North America. I'm Lakota but there were people at the Koster site in Illinois who buried dogs 10,000 years ago. Arrow points were also used on spears and spears varied too. It doesn't mean that Europeans secretly lived there and we're driven out 🙄
Amazing. 👍🏻
@@gnostic268 Boozhoo. I agree completely. Unfortunately this happens a lot. Some are responsible, and report finds, others simply find, and keep, or sell. My family, as far back as we know, to my knowledge, has only ever found one point, in situe, and that was my late grandmother, when she found an Adena atlatl spear point that had been re-knapped into a blade/scraper, raking leaves in her back yard. She recorded, and reported it. It's now part of my collection. All of these points were never used as "arrow" points. "Arrowhead" used in reference to early First Nations peoples, is a misnomer. All of what I have, are various spear points. All for the atlatl. I know the peoples/regions/era's where each of these points comes from. I'm part Ojibwe.
@@thehistorysquad Kev, you should make an atlatl, some spears, and points. I'm sure you could find some chert, out your way, someplace, and a chunk of deer antler to knapp it with. You can get an arrow sized spear really flying with a good long atlatl. Nearly like a bow, once you really pick it up.... Just make sure to put some modern cut marks in them someplace, so they can't be mistaken for real ancient points. (bump a notch into someplace, with an angle grinder, or bench grinder)
@@gnostic268 Native peoples.........much like today lost things. Most of the collected points are lost or random drops without any context so they have little value to archaeology. Other than being random drops. They're also usually plowed up or washed out of banks by rivers so any soil sampling and dating becomes impossible.
If someone would have asked me yesterday when the Long Bow came into use, I would have bet the farm that was around 1000 AD.
😜
'In days of old, when type was bold & polystyrene none invented,
they made their targets from stale meringue & twanged away contented.'
. . .The good folk of Sherwood made this writer a 'Poet Lariat' - then used it to string him up : )
😂 nice one.