Medieval Crossbows

Keith Grable
A prime example of a weapon that was used by different Old World cultures at different times is the crossbow. The ancient Greeks were among the first to make use of portable one-man crossbows. These portable crossbows were never very popular with the Greeks or Romans, and it would not be until medieval times that the weapon would gain wide use in Europe.
The opposite was the case in ancient China, where the crossbow had been the principal weapon of Chinese armies since at least the Han Dynasty. Several tombs dating from the 5th and 4th centuries BCE have been found which contained crossbows. The first major improvement in Chinese crossbow design came in the 11th century, with the development of the foot stirrup. The user would place one foot in the stirrup while bracing the butt end of the crossbow against his chest, giving him greater leverage when drawing the bow. The crossbows principal advantage was that it was simple to operate. It was aimed and fired much like a modern handgun. It did not require the years of practice necessary to master other bows such as the English longbow. By the 13th century, Chinese crossbows were deadly up to 365 meters.
Although crossbows were simple to use, they were complicated to manufacture. Trained craftsmen were needed to manufacture the complex metal trigger mechanisms. Designing the bows themselves also required great skill. The bows were composed of wood, bone, horn, and sinew, fused together for maximum strength and range. The outer surface of the bow was reinforced by the animal sinew, while a layer of animal horn or bone reinforced the inner surface. The skill needed to make such compound bows had already been developed long before by nomadic peoples of Central Asia such as the Mongols and Turks.
After centuries of not being used, the crossbow reappeared in Europe in the 11th century, and it became especially popular in Italy. During the Crusades, the Christians learned from the Muslims that compound bows, as used in Central Asia and China, were much more effective than bows made from wood alone. The Europeans improved bow strength even more when around 1370 they began replacing their composite crossbows with steel crossbows. These steel bows had a range of 365 to 410 meters.
This increased power required a force more than human muscle to draw the bow. Various mechanical devices were invented to aid in drawing the bow. These steel crossbows could now penetrate armour at close range. The Church was concerned with the power of these weapons, and in 1139 banned the use of crossbows against Christians. This restriction was not always observed, and the crossbow would remain a principal item in use by European armies until their gradual displacement by gunpowder.
About the author: Keith Grable is a sports enthusiast, outdoorsman and the owner of an outdoor sports and recreation website http://www.theoutdoorsportsshop.com where a large selection of crossbows and accessories can be viewed.