Longbow

A longbow is a tall bow drawn by hand, with limbs formed from a single flexible stave. It stores elastic energy as it bends and releases that energy to propel an arrow.

Bow stave: The main piece of wood or other material that forms a bow’s flexible limbs and grip. A traditional longbow’s continuous stave bends to store energy.
Holmegaard bow: A prehistoric flatbow design known from Mesolithic finds in northern Europe. Its archaeological remains show that long wooden bows predate medieval English warfare.
Elasticity: The ability of a material to return toward its original shape after deformation. A longbow’s stave must recover after bending to deliver energy to its arrow.
Medieval archery: The practice and military use of bows and arrows in medieval societies. Longbows were one influential weapon within medieval archery traditions.
Compound bow: A bow that uses cams or pulleys to alter draw force and provide let-off near full draw. Unlike a longbow, it mechanically reduces holding force at full draw.
Draw weight: The force required to draw a bow to a specified length. Longbow draw weight determines the force archer and bow must manage.
English longbow: A longbow associated with medieval and early modern England, commonly made from yew. This is the form most closely associated with the longbow’s military reputation.
Yew: A genus of evergreen trees whose dense heartwood and resilient sapwood made it valued for bow staves. The contrast between yew heartwood and sapwood suits traditional longbow construction.
English army: The military forces raised and maintained by the English Crown and its predecessors. English armies organized longbowmen as a major component of their medieval forces.
Crossbow: A bow mounted horizontally on a stock and drawn by a mechanical or manual device. A crossbow holds its drawn string mechanically rather than requiring continuous hand tension.

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