The bow and arrows used by man as military and hunting weapons were invented so long ago that the history of their creation is shrouded in the darkness of bygone millennia. Such a device, capable of successfully hitting a target, was widely used by many ancient peoples on all inhabited continents of the Earth, with the possible exception of Australia. An improved version of such a weapon was a crossbow. He undoubtedly surpassed the bow in a number of indicators, in particular, lethal force and accuracy of the sight. Crossbows were very common in medieval Europe and were actively used in the era of the Crusades. Ancient chronicles, paintings and frescoes testify to this.
The principle of the crossbow
The simplest bow was not difficult for ancient hunters to make. It was just necessary to think of sharpening arrows, take a suitable arc-shaped stick and attach a bowstring to it. But no matter howAs such structures became more complicated and later improved, they all had a very unpleasant inconvenience. At that moment, when the owner of the bow was aiming, he was forced, pulling the bowstring, to keep it in such a state, which reduced the force of the arrow. That is why people tried to come up with special mechanisms that produce what is indicated for a hunter or warrior. At the moment of the shot, the cunning device released the clip. This was done by pressing the trigger on the shooter. As a result, the bowstring gave a powerful impetus to the arrow.
Crossbow in ancient times
The described problems were successfully solved for the first time in ancient Greece. The crossbow was not widely used here, just according to some historical information, separate analogues of such weapons existed. There is written evidence that they were used in the Battle of Syracuse.
This type of weapon was made and successfully used in the East during the early reign of the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC). There it proved itself from the most excellent side in the struggle of the ancient Chinese with their opponents. However, innovative designs were forgotten for many centuries. And the situation changed only when the medieval crossbow entered the stage of history.
Instrument of War
There is artistic evidence (images on tapestries) that one of the weapons at the Battle of Hastings (1066, October) were crossbows. They rendered excellent service to the Norman warriors. Some written evidence also says so.
Thistype of weapon in the armies of Europeans appeared in the 9th century. An image of a crossbow was also found in the manuscript of a certain Spanish monk, dated to the 8th century. Poems of medieval authors broadcast that three centuries later, skillful crossbowmen stood out among the warriors of William the Conqueror, fighting the enemy with their accuracy, courage and the capabilities of the weapons they use.
In the first half of the 12th century, Anna Komnena, a Byzantine princess, mentioned in her letters the medieval crossbow weapon, calling it terrifying, hitting a target from great distances and possessing deadly power. Indeed, there are known facts when such a military device pierced through bronze statues. And hitting the strong walls of the city during the siege, the arrow pierced the stone completely, sometimes even came out.
How the medieval crossbow was used
It was possible to stretch such a structure in several ways, for example, by holding it with the left hand or with the help of the free right hand. Or, leaning on the semicircle of the bow with their feet, with both hands at once, the warriors pulled the bowstring with all possible force in one jerk. And before aiming, the arrows were placed in a special chute. It looked like a cylinder cut in half and was located in the middle of the device.
The arrows used for this weapon were not very long, but their ends were extremely heavy and thick. They had a special name - bolts. The tension force of a medieval crossbow made it possible to pierce strong iron breastplates and the mostreliable shields. And hitting the body of the enemy, the arrow not only pierced him through, but also continued its flight, almost without slowing down, as if it had just passed the void.
Convenience
The medieval crossbow is a weapon that is convenient for a warrior also because the shooter is protected better than when using a bow. During the shooting, he had the opportunity to be almost completely in cover, sticking out only his head and the tip of the device, while he could choose any convenient direction to hit the desired target.
Although the effort that had to be expended to activate such a mechanism was very significant, the energy of the shooter was saved due to the lack of the need to maintain a certain balance between the speed and accuracy of movements, and it was also not necessary to commensurate them with the expended force, as it is made archery.
Crossbows in Russia
Ancient chronicles about the use of the type of weapon that our ancestors called crossbows give very contradictory evidence. According to some written sources, the crossbow in the Middle Ages in Russia was known and used in battles already in the middle of the 13th century. This is confirmed by historical finds related to rather early periods of Russian history. For example, in the ruins of the city of Izyaslavl, which arose in the 12th century and was destroyed by the Mongol-Tatars about a century later, the remains of a warrior were found. On his belt there was a special hook for a crossbow string. True, the weapon itself was not found. Therefore, this historical evidence has not been unambiguously assessed.
There are also facts that crossbows appeared in Russia only in the XIV century. This type of weaponry was adopted from the Bulgars during the historical military campaigns in those lands of the Russian army.
However, among our ancestors, the crossbow cannot be classified as a particularly popular type of weapon. The explanation for this should be sought in the inconvenience of the design compared to a mobile bow, the difficulties in loading, as well as the large mass and high cost.
Crossfire
Let's now consider what a medieval crossbow was in Russia, the characteristics of this device, design samples and other interesting facts related to this type of weapons.
The main part of the crossbow - the bow - was made of iron or horn. It was attached to a wooden stock. It also had a bed and a special groove into which forged short bolts, usually made of iron, were placed. This device had a trigger lever, pressing on which actuated the entire mechanism, that is, it released the previously hooked bowstring.
Types of crossbows
Hand crossbow for the convenience of foot rest when charging had a special iron bracket. A primitive trigger device ensured the release of the bowstring when firing.
The other was the easel crossbow. This design turned out to be more powerful and massive. If a hand-held medieval crossbow had approximately meter dimensions (the exact parameters are shown in the figure below), then in this case they turned out to be much moreimpressive. Here, the main part of the structure was installed on a special frame on wheels, otherwise called a machine. The bow was made of steel, a thick strong bowstring was made of ox sinew or rope. For cocking, special gear devices called self-firing rotators were used. The tension force of this design was estimated at twenty human forces.
Can I make a medieval crossbow with my own hands?
In our time, there are enough enthusiastic people who are ready to recreate ancient weapons. Including attract fans of this kind of activity and crossbows. But such pleasure requires patience and a significant investment of material resources.
How to make a medieval crossbow? One of the most important parts of the design is the arc. The speed of the arrow depends on it, and it is this indicator that determines the power of this type of weapon, being fundamental. A similar item can be made of metal. Wood is also suitable, this is the easiest material to use, although such designs lose in power. Here it is possible to take oak, birch, maple and other types of wood.
Mechanism assembly
All parts of this design with their dimensions can be seen in the photo. The medieval crossbow was assembled from similar parts. After all the components are cut out, it is necessary to attach the arc to the bed. This is done with an ordinary rope that is threaded through the window, as shown in the picture.
The simplest model of the trigger mechanism should be considered such an option when the bowstring is hooked on the built-in pin. And in order not to shoot ahead of time, you should use the clamp. You can make a bowstring from synthetic fibers using dacron, lavsan and other materials of the same kind.
Efficiency of metal crossbows
What was the range and speed of arrows for a hand crossbow made of steel? According to some data taken from books on medieval weapons, such a movement did not occur too quickly. However, it was carried out practically without loss of speed, which was approximately 50 m/s. At the same time, the arrow flew an average distance of about 420 m. Of course, these data may be questionable, because in those days there was no chronometer, and in our time there are no such types of weapons.
Including in order to clarify the specified information, replicas of medieval crossbows are being created. Recreating this type of weapon helps to refresh the history.
Skillfully made copies have, judging by the reviews, the following indicators:
- with a bolt weight of 85 g, the design efficiency is 56.2%;
- bolt flight speed - 58.3 m/s;
- impact energy is calculated as 144 J;
- when flying at a 43° angle, the flight time is 10 seconds;
- maximum bolt trajectory lifting height - 123 m.
As a rule, replicas are made for artistic shootings, whichhelps to recreate the atmosphere of bygone centuries.
Modern crossbows
This type of ancient weapon is not forgotten even today. Of course, not everyone takes the medieval crossbow in a modernized version seriously, there are enough skeptics. And yet, designs that work according to the principles described above are increasingly being used to make the latest types of weapons.
What explains the renewed interest in the crossbow? The reason should be sought, among other things, in the fact that materials have appeared, the use of which makes it possible to improve the principles of operation of ancient types of weapons. And in view of this, it is easy to eliminate the main disadvantages of crossbows, including the inconvenience associated with the huge weight of the structure. Bows are now made of light and at the same time durable metals, stocks are made of plastic. Moreover, not so long ago designed folding crossbows allow to significantly increase the convenience in carrying and compactness. And if we add other improvements: laser designators, which significantly help to hit the target at medium and short firing distances, as well as collimator and optical sights, and other technical improvements, then the crossbow becomes by no means archaic, but a very convenient modern weapon.
