By Robert Hardy
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Additional info for Longbow: A Social and Military History
T h e Norse king fell, with an arrow via his throat. If there have been archers at Stamford Bridge, why have been they so useless at Hastings, taking pictures down f r o m the hill at William's horsemen and infantry, and William's archers under? T h e r e are solutions, which jointly clarify the tragic lack. First, taking the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle's statement that archery existed yet was once no longer a lot utilized in conflict, including the information that archery helped within the victory within the north, it truly is nearly convinced that archers didn't f o r m a part of the English specialist military. while the levies, the 'fyrd', have been referred to as to the traditional, those who have been expert with the bow, as hunters, b r o u g h t their bows with them and used them in conflict, doubtless kind of good organised into conflict teams and deployed to most sensible virtue. So the archers at Stamford have been levies, not just the n o r t h e r n levies, yet f r o m in every single place relevant a n d southern England. yet is turns out most probably that the n o r t h e r n levies can have provided proportionally extra archers than these f r o m f u r t h e r south; being within the previous Danelaw components they might good have had a better culture of archery than the southerners. it's incontestable that Harold marched with the main power of the world in the back of him, understanding that he needs to smash the northern invasion completely if he was once to not locate himself combating either within the north and south, if, as he feared, William did invade, and there has been each cause to believe he may. Harold risked the n o r t h e r n throw and it succeeded. T h e n he wanted a bit time. H e should have gambled on that point, hoping opposed to h o p e that the early storms may deter Duke William. H e misplaced that throw. King Harold, in York, with an exhausted military licking its wounds, heard on October 1 or 2 of William's touchdown at Pevensey on September 28. He was once again in London among October 7 and eleven, and he drew u p his conflict line on Caldbec Hill on October thirteen. T h e march f r o m York to Batde Hill was once greater than 250 miles. each The longbow into Britain 33 guy who had a mount, horse or pony, Harold south. Few of the levies may have a f f o r d e d ponies, fewer nonetheless of the archer levies, simply because they're prone to were principally composed of these who, abilities aside, couldn't a f f o r d the dearer guns and a r m o u r . T h e r e are thirty abnormal archers proven within the Bayeux Tapestry, which was once embroidered approximately eleven years after the Conquest and, of all of them, just one is horsed and just one wears any protective a r m o u r . this implies that, even in William's invasion strength consisting not just of N o r m a n s yet mercenaries from far and wide north-western Europe, the archers have been drawn f r o m a m o n g these of humble place. Peasant bowmen, whose cattle was once most likely constrained to oxen and donkeys, couldn't in general be anticipated to supply horses for struggle. in order that they didn't come south with their king and their sorely wanted support was once to not be had at the day of the conflict.