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Welcome to Episode #128 of That Shakespeare Life, the podcast that takes you behind the curtain and into the life of William Shakespeare.
Following its prominent use in the decisive victory of the English against the French in the Battle of Agincourt, the English longbow was a stalwart image of English patriotism well into the 1590s. Having been a favorite weapon for the famous Kings of England like Henry V, but also Edward III and Elizabeth I’s father, Henry VIII, the English longbow was a tried and true military technology that was as uniquely deadly as it was uniquely English.
While it may have fallen out of favor among England’s young men by the time Shakespeare staged Henry V, the longbow nevertheless influenced the life of William Shakespeare. But what was this weapon? How was it used? And why was it effective against strong defenses like metal armour in battle?
Here today to share with us how the English longbow is made, which materials are best for crafting the large and heavy bow, as well as how the English longbow became established as a permanent fixture in the history of England is our guest Alan Odinson.
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Alan Odinson is the owner/operator of Odinson Archery and has been an avid archery enthusiast most of his life. He is considered a master archer and is proficient in many forms of archery related skills. These range from the use of traditional longbows to the use of more complex Asiatic styles of archery. He is also an instructor in archery tactics and warfare simulation methodology. His website can be found at odinsonarchery.com
In this episode, I’ll be asking Alan Odinson about :
- Was the English Longbow an effective military weapon historically?
- Are there differences between modern archery and the traditional medieval longbow?
- What was the pull in pounds for an English Longbow? Did you have to be particularly strong to wield this weapon?
… and more!
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