Re: Bow and Orlanthi

From: illuminate33 <inarsus-ferilt-z_at_...>
Date: Fri, 09 Aug 2002 17:13:14 -0000


Thank you for your attention:

> Wulf Corbett
> > I forget the precise reference, but in 'In Wintertop's Shadow'
> Odaylans are said to use some sort of Longbow. Not quite Sartar, of
> course, but I'm sure trade would spread it about.

Linguistic Barrier is serious, but in the Japanese BBS concerned. There are some impressive opinions appeared. (I feel a little bit frustration I don't have enough time to translate them.) But I think they read this mailing list.

Ian:
>
> The reference to the Tarshite longbow in IWS came from Tarsh War by
> Chris Gidlow, Dan Barker and Nick Brooke. I did re-investigate the
> issue (bearing in mind that Gloranthan canon once gave longbows to
> dragonewts alone, along with bone samurai weapons, perhaps because
> they were considered too out-of-period).

Dragonewts? I don't know anything about the fact that they hold long range missile weapon except pure magic....bow made from bone....I can't recall now....

>
> I had no reason to break Tarsh War on this fact. In addition the
> Exiles have always has two unusual unit types for Orlanthi in the
> Dragon Pass boardgame: cavalry and archers. So there is a desire to
> keep faith with that.

I agree with you, but still holds some doubt about the origin as you. (Bow is the weapon of Sun Tribe, as the Orlanth and Yelm (Lukarius) contest suggests.)

>
> Popular tradition has the English obtaining the longbow from the
> Welsh. The Venta were a fierce tribe in the Welsh hills famous for
> fierce guerilla warfare and their wild elm bows. They fit well with
> my conception of the Exiles, even though some scholars doubt that
the
> Venta's bow was a pre-cursor to the English longbow. Some scholars
> assert in fact assert that the longbow was scandanavian in origin,
> but the English only realised the value of the weapon after
fighting
> the Welsh. But that's OK for Orlanthi too.
>

I don't know well about the English History except for the early stage victory of 100 years War against France (and crossbow.) Is there any good material for making good long bows in Quivin Area? (Crossbow is stolen from Mostali and used by Malkioni IIRC.)

> AFAIK, Martin Laurie or someone doubtless knows more, the long bow
is
> a self-bow.

I also expect the opinion of Martin's, if he is not busy.

>It is distinguished from other self bows by having a 100-
> 120 lbs draw instead of a 40-50 lbs draw, giving it the power to
> punch holes through chainmail. The draw restricts usage of the bow
to

1 pound = 0.4536 kilograms.

> those who have spent a years training with it. As the Exiles sell
> their services as mercenaries it seemed not unreasonable that they
> were selling a specialist skill - again the longbow seems
> appropriate. To create a tradition of usage, I needed to suggest it
> was a hunter's weapon, and the reliance on hunting in the hills
over
> farming gives an opportunity to have a body of users to call on.
>

So, aren't there any professional archer regiment even in "Theives Arms" of Sartar?

> Finally, I don't tend to use edges so any armor-piercing potential
is
> irrelevant but the mythology of the waepon does have much going for
> it.

TI

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