Sep 28, 2020
Following its prominent use in the decisive victory of the English against the French in the Battle of Agincourt, the English longbow was a stalwart image of English patriotism well into the 1590s. Having been a favorite weapon for the famous Kings of England like Henry V, but also Edward III and Elizabeth I’s father, Henry VIII, the English longbow was a tried and true military technology that was as uniquely deadly as it was uniquely English.
While it may have fallen out of
favor among England’s young men by the time Shakespeare
staged Henry
V, the longbow
nevertheless influenced the life of William Shakespeare. But what
was this weapon? How was it used? And why was it effective against
strong defenses like metal armour in battle?
Here
today to share with us how the English longbow is made, which
materials are best for crafting the large and heavy bow, as well as
how the English longbow became established as a permanent fixture
in the history of England is our guest Alan Odinson.