Re: 'Mary Rose' Longbows | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

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follow that cow May 11, 2005 11:11:43

Replying to FourWinds

>There are no surviving examples of ye olde yew bow<

I seem to recall that there were a number of longbows found within the wreck of the Mary Rose. As to the type or origin of the wood that they were made from, 'don't have the foggiest.

http://www.rickard.karoo.net/articles/weapons_longbow.htm

p.s. earlier in the thread someone said something about the flesh of the Yew berries not being poisonous...... I would get a second opion on that first before having some for supper ;-)

FTC

PeterH May 11, 2005 11:43:58

Replying to follow that cow

I can't get your link to link, but I'm sure you are correct. Yew was not just used for longbows though. The oldest wooden artefact found in Britain is the 250,OOO year old yew spear point found at Clacton - that's Palaeolithic from the Hoxnian inter-glacial.

I believe that even older ones have been found in Germany

StoneLifter May 11, 2005 11:52:22

Replying to follow that cow

Thanks, FW, for that link to the Longbow. Anyone remember Zen and the Art of Archery ? (No, I don't either).

All parts of the yew are poisonous - they seem to stop the heart 'just like that'.

Littlestone May 11, 2005 12:49:20

Replying to follow that cow

> I seem to recall that there were a number of longbows found within the wreck of the Mary Rose.

Yes, I can confirm that; there have been a couple of TV and radio features on the Mary Rose longbows - now possibly the finest collection of longbows anywhere.