Longbows, and yew trees. In the comments I’ve included the first verse of Song of the Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle. This is the Fortingall yew.
Longbows, and yew trees. In the comments I’ve included the first verse of Song of the Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle. This is the Fortingall yew.
2 comments
What of the bow?
The bow was made in England:
Of true wood, of yew-wood,
The wood of English bows;
So men who are free
Love the old yew-tree
And the land where the yew-tree grows.
English longbows in the 16th century primarily used Spanish Yew for their staves. The climate in Spain made for very springy wood which when composited with the tougher, stiffer wood made for a more powerful bow.
Spanish Yew was so vital to the Tudor war machine, that any goods imported from Spain had to include Spanish Yew staves as a form of tax.
Source : Ten years as a living history intepreter at Southsea Castle, Portsmouth.