The Crossbow
By Chris Nogy
[extracted by E. Corse from: Nogy, Chris. Medieval Archery Research Project. 25 April 1995. (11 May 1997). Note: ©Crossbows by Kazimierz 1995. This document may be reproduced in whole or in part provided that this copyright notice is reproduced on each copy made.]
The Medieval Archery Research Project is the first step in an effort to bring information about history, tradition, folklore and legend, and technical information to those interested in the medieval archer.
Chapter 1: History of the Crossbow
The crossbow is a weapon of antiquity. There is plausible evidence that the Chinese developed the weapon as early as 1500 B.C. Surviving examples exist in China from as far back as the third century B.C. These Han dynasty relics display a great deal of sophistication. The lock (chi) is comprised of a cast bronze box which holds a rotating nut and a two lever seer and trigger that locks the release in a set position. Roman soldiers captured and ransomed in Sogdiana in central Asia in the first decades of modern reckoning are credited with bringing the technology of the crossbow to the West.
With this background information at hand, we can now concentrate on the period from the fall of Rome to the middle of the seventeenth century…
The Birth of Chivalry
It is important to understand more than just the technological climate of the period in order to completely understand the development of the crossbow. Military and social forces within a region have a great deal of effect on the direction science and technology takes by determining supply lines for materials and ideas. Thus in this period it is important to understand the causes and effects of feudalism.
It was during the Dark Ages that society began to shift away from the high level of social and political advancement typical of the Roman empire to the barbaric system of early feudalism. Political regions were defined by might in physical combat, and those who set themselves up as rulers surrounded themselves with thugs and minions to keep under control by force what was once guided by law and due process. Thus was born the new class of warrior, the Knight…
The Crossbow in the Early Middle Ages
Although the crossbow is not well documented in the period from the fall of Rome to Hastings, at least a little is known. Much confusion is caused by the lack of specific vocabulary pertaining to the crossbow. For example, the Latin balista and the French arbaleste each refer to both the small hand held weapon and the large siege engine with a similar action. Often we can only judge by context. In cases where references are made to large numbers of devices, and where such devices are described as highly mobile, we assume the meaning to be the crossbow. Another ambiguous clue, riddle 17 of the Anglo Saxon chronicle The Exeter Book, refers to a mechanically released bow-type weapon, some say a crossbow while others say a siege engine. "I am the protector of my flock, fast strengthened with wires...I often spit forth deadly spears...missiles of war fly from my belly."…
The Crossbow at Hastings
We will look at two primary sources for information on the use of the crossbow at Hastings. First, it should be noted that this battle was the first in which Archery can be proven to have had significant results. This is documented by William of Poitiers, the conqueror`s chaplain, in The Deeds of William. Also the Carmen de Hastings Proelio (Song of the Battle of Hastings), either written by or based on the verse chronicles of Guy of Amiens. The first of these is a military log, written by a knight who became a chaplain, and is thus more technical when describing equipment and troop placement and movements. It provides the needed information to form a skeleton of ideas that can support pieces of other less literal sources…