Using one of the most efficient Middle Age weapons, medieval archers were, for centuries, an squad able to decide the ressult of a battle or war.
The rapid fire technique could assure a victory, even when the army was in outnumbered. To sum up, the bow was an efficient weapong during the battle, but also during sieges and the defense of fortresses.
Archers who normally took part in the army, were usually farmers. They didn’t wear luxurious clothes that as time went by, were reinforched with leather patches, metal bands or padding clothing. According to medieval texts, they needed at least eight years to become an expert archer.
Incidentally, the sign of victory made with the fingers in form of “V” has its origins un the gesture made by archers to send ther enemies the following message. “Be careful, I still got two fingers to hold my bow and throw arrows”. That´s why, if they were caught after a battle they had their index and heart fingers amputated. For not letting them throw an arrow again.
As for bow and arrow, they have been fundamental tools in the rise and fall of every big empire. The first ones in using it were the egyptians about 3.500 BC. Design and materials used to made them depended on the region, for example, syrians built ivory, wood and leather bows; and turkish handled their bows with a better throw technique.
Nowadays, there is a huge range of functional bows but also, a lot of alternatives for getting a decorative one.
