[Archers] Fwd: Re: Hugh Soar's CROOKED STICK

Sun Jan 8 16:52:26 PST 2012

Forwarded by request.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Re: [Archers] Hugh Soar's CROOKED STICK
Date: 	Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:13:18 -0500
From: 	Garth G. Groff <ggg9y at cms.mail.virginia.edu>
To: 	barysears at verizon.net

M'Lord Barre,

I can't post to the whole group because my computer at home is not
recognized. This is what I sent to Lord Tnek:

"Check pages 106 and 159 for specific references. In addition check Soar's
interpretation of the left-handed child's finger tab on pages 127-128, with
a picture on page 129." By way of explanation, if you don't have the book,
the child's tab was APPARENTLY made for a left-hand archer, with the smooth
side of the leather toward the string. Yet the side that was used is the
rough side, suggesting that the tab was reversed and used right-handed. Soar
speculates that the child was "corrected" by his archery teacher.

Yours Aye,

Mungo

On Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:45:36 -0500
  barysears<barysears at verizon.net>  wrote:
>  My mother used to be left-handed but the nuns took care of that.  I can
>easily imagine a similar situation in medieval times.
>
>  barre
>
>  On 1/8/2012 1:05 PM, Doug Munitz wrote:
>>  Just a quick thought here, but by saying "left-handed archers where not
>>tolerated"  would
>>  that be in a military firing line situation?  I am thinking what it would
>>be like to be
>>  the left handed archer in the middle of a 25 man line.  I am thinking it
>>would have to
>>  do with the way an arrow would be drawn/nocked plus the need for military
>>"precision"
>>  in movements.  I feel that people most likely DID shoot left hand.  but
>>probably on
>>  an individual basis.
>>
>>  Sven
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  On Jan 8, 2012, at 11:55 AM, Kent Baldwin wrote:
>>
>>>  I have a copy of THE CROOKED STICK, and found it to be a good source of
>>>  information on Medieval archery as well. I don't recall reading in it that
>>>  he said that "left-handed archers were not tolerated", but if you say so,
>>>  I'm sure it's in there somewhere.  I find it interesting that he would say
>>>  this, considering the fact that there are numerous period paintings
>>>showing
>>>  archers shooting both left&  right handed in battle, including a couple in
>>>  THE CROOKED STICK itself. (Check out the illustrations on Pages 73&  83.)
>>>  I
>>>  have seen at least a half dozen other examples in several other books as
>>>  well.  While it doesn't definitively prove that the archers were naturally
>>>  left handed, it shows that some archers shot that way, which would
>>>  contradict the logic of Soar's statements. FYI, illustrations on Pages 15,
>>>  31&  33 show a single archer apparently shooting left-handed, but I
>>>usually
>>>  discount ones like this, because it is possible that the original artwork
>>>  was printed backwards in the book.
>>>
>>>  Being a left handed archer myself, I tend to notice these things.
>>>
>>>  Tnek
>>>
>>>  -----Original Message-----
>>>  From: archers-bounces at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
>>>  [mailto:archers-bounces at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org] On Behalf Of Garth
>>>Groff
>>>  Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 9:08 AM
>>>  To: archers at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
>>>  Subject: [Archers] Hugh Soar's CROOKED STICK
>>>
>>>  Noble friends of the bow,
>>>
>>>  Just before Christmas I stumbled on a gently used copy of Hugh Soar's
>>>  THE CROOKED STOCK (Westholm, 2005&  2009). This is an archery book of
>>>  which I had never heard, though I have two other works by Soar (I ought
>>>  to have read the blurbs on their dust jackets). Anyway, I snatched it up
>>>  for just $20.
>>>
>>>  This is really a great book. It is not particularly long or deep, but
>>>  Soar explores a number of medieval archery topics that are not well
>>>  covered in other works (including his own two books on the warbow). For
>>>  example, he devotes a few pages in one chapter on medieval children's
>>>  archery, and shows us a youngster's finger tab (which looks surprisingly
>>>  modern). He also notes several times that left-handed archers
>>>  ("sinistrals") were not tolerated, and if they couldn't adapt would not
>>>  be allowed in retinues. The book continues discussing the changing
>>>  post-medieval fortunes of archery in general, and the longbow in
>>>  particular, almost up to the present. There are many photos of beautiful
>>>  18th and 19th century sport longbows in the author's own collection,
>>>  usually with detailed descriptions. He also covers the brief craze for
>>>  steel bows. Soar even shows us one longbow which belong to the fabled
>>>  Olympic archer and soldier "Mad Jack" Churchill (he's in Wikipedia), who
>>>  potted a German soldier with a hunting arrow during the retreat to
>>>  Dunkirk (though Soar doesn't say this is THE infamous bow). The appendix
>>>  also discusses such side issues as the history of bracers and quivers.
>>>
>>>  Altogether, I think this book is a very valuable work, and fills in some
>>>  important gaps in the history of English archery. I urge you all to read
>>>  it sometime, even the modern sections. It should be easily available
>>>  through interlibrary loan.
>>>
>>>  Yours Aye,
>>>
>>>
>>>  Lord Mungo Napier, Shire of Isenfir TA Marshal
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>>
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