Saturday, June 10, 2017 Here’s another shooting weapon, the crossbow. The crossbow in the photo is a toy. Notice the thick green rubber cap on its tip. The fellow is firing at a castle wall with a door he is to knock open with the crossbow bolt. Not many succeeded! Success was rewarded with chocolate. Crossbows were only as good as their metal bow. Some were hard to cock and could give a nasty penetrating hit. Several popes tried to forbid their use due to the nasty wounds they could inflict on non-armored men. The English long bow of yew ( 6 feet long!) had a greater range and better penetration, much to the French nobility’s sorrow at the battle of Crecy (1346) and the battle of Azincourt (1415). Their crossbows lacked the range and penetration power of the long bow. The peasantry used the crossbow for hunting. It was excellent for this – easier aiming, better chance of a hit and quite fatal to the creature aimed at. This was why some rulers tried to confiscate the crossbow, seeing it as a potential weapon of revolt. King Gustav Vasa of Sweden was fool enough to try this in 1542-43. The provoked revolt nearly cost him his throne. ENJOY! And don't let any nasty person of power try to nab yours!