STANDING for aiming may be done in three different ways: acute obliqueness35 wherein the mark is in line with the left shoulder, which is the method of abu-Hashim al-Mawardi; direct facing of the mark wherein it lies, as it were, between the eyes, which method is called the Khusruzvani and is the way of Tahir al-Balkhi; and a position halfway between acute obliqueness and direct facing, in which the mark is in line with the left eye, this being the method of Ishaq al-Raqqi.
The reason for these variations is the desire for effective strength and deadliness. Said God: “Make ready against them what force ye can.” This was interpreted by the Prophet to mean shooting with the bow and arrow. Those who advocate the position of acute obliqueness maintain that it offers greater strength and deadliness than either of the two other positions, because it makes possible a longer draw, a stronger bow, and the most powerful and effective shot. Furthermore, he who uses this position can protect himself with a shield, which he can hold while shooting.
On the other hand, he who employs the frontal position of directly facing his opponent, shortens his draw and, consequently, weakens his shot. Furthermore, he cannot enjoy the protection of a shield while shooting but is compelled to take it off for the operation, thereby exposing himself to the enemy. Only after he has finished shooting can he reach for the shield and try to protect himself. The clumsiness and weakness of this is very clear. Strong and powerful shooting, as well as the safest protection against the enemy, are possible only in the oblique position. It is the correct method, advocated and used by abu-Hashim.
Advocates of the frontal position, which is free from any obliqueness, maintain that it offers greater accuracy and, therefore, is more deadly. Furthermore, though its draw is short, it still has power, strength, and deadliness; for deadliness lies in accuracy. Again, one who follows the frontal position may protect himself with a coat of mail or two, which will not interfere with shooting. On the other hand, the use of a coat of mail will interfere with the shooting of one who follows the oblique position, since it will crowd the tip of the bow and militate against the accuracy of the shot. If the tip of the bow is projected away, the accuracy of the shot will be disturbed, and if it is brought in, the shield will interfere with it. Therefore, the frontal position is claimed to be deadlier because of its greater accuracy. It is the method of Tahir.
Those who advocate the position halfway between the oblique and the frontal, maintain that it has the advantages of both and the shortcomings of neither. It combines a long draw, which insures power and strength36 as well as deadliness, with protection through the use of shields and coats of mail without any fear of interference. This is the method of Ishaq al-Ragqi.
There is a fourth position of standing for the aim, namely, standing with one’s back to the mark and feet together in front; the archer then draws his arrow and turns, pivotlike, on his hips so as to face the mark. Throughout the operation his feet remain firmly planted together.
The oblique position of standing for the aim consists of presenting the left shoulder and left leg toward the mark, with the left fingers and toes in line with it, while the right leg is planted behind the left, firm and straight, and is separated from it by about the length of a cubit. This is an extremely good position for a warrior or for one who is climbing a hill or a mound or an elevation in the earth, since his legs would then correspond to his gait uphill, and, in the event of his tripping over a stone, he will then lean on his right leg.
Another way is exactly the opposite, wherein the archer extends his left leg and bears on the right, which he may move for walking. This method is good for an archer going down hill and is the reverse of the former method used for going up hill. In either case, the feet should be about a cubit’s length apart.
The frontal position, or direct facing of the target, consists in standing straight opposite the target, with the feet about a palm [four inches] apart, or perhaps a little less. This position is known as the Khusruwani, and is good for a near target, trick shooting, and weak bows, because it offers a great deal of accuracy, though it is not so deadly as the other types.
The position halfway between the frontal and the oblique consists in putting forward the left arm toward the target, without either facing it frontally or obliquely, and aligning the target with the left eye, while the feet are about a span apart and the left is planted a little ahead of the right. This is by far the best standing position for warfare as well as for other purposes.
In sitting for aim there are also three positions: acute oblique, frontal, and in between. There are, however, five different manners of sitting.
One is to plant your feet apart and squat upon them while your legs [i.e., from ankle to knee] remain erect, spreading your knees somewhat as you bear down on your thighs. This position is the basis of all other sitting postures, and is good and suitable for all methods of shooting, namely, the oblique, the frontal, and the in between. It is used by most archers in Khurasan, Egypt, and other lands.
Another is to fold your right limb, planting its knee in the ground, hold your left leg [ankle to knee]
erect, and sit leaning upon the left thigh. This posture was used by most of the ancient Persians and is that of the fleeing archer, or one who stealthily approaches his enemy or prey. If he views what he can shoot, he shoots it; otherwise he flees, starting from his left leg.
Still another is the exact reverse of the preceding posture, namely, to fold your left limb, planting its knee into the ground, hold your right leg erect and lean upon the right thigh. This is a good posture, especially for aiming with a strong bow, and is particularly suitable for beginners. ,
Another is one which resembles the standing posture and is called “the competitor’s seat” (jalsat al-muthaqif).37 It consists in bending the left leg [limb] with the knee toward the ground and keeping the right leg unbent, while the feet are separated by as much as the length of the shin bone, or a little less. Throughout the operation, the right leg offers the main support. This is indeed a good posture and is used by most of the archers of Andalusia.
Another posture is to sit with crossed legs facing the target. It is a good posture for near targets, trick shooting, and weak bows only, and is called “the king’s posture.”
Every manner of standing for shooting consists in keeping the legs straight and erect, without inclining either the body or the head, and without throwing either hip to the side or the buttocks backward.
XXXII. On the variations in the length and construction of the Arab bow
Know that the construction of the bow varies for three different things: places, individuals, and objects.
Regarding the variations in places: some archers maintain that the bow with which an archer shoots from above downward should have siyahs of equal size, that is, one not longer than the other; while the bow with which an archer shoots from below upward should have its lower siyah longer than the upper. Otherwise, its construction remains the same: uniform. This was described in the section on the different kinds of bows, where it was explained that the upper siyah of the bow together with the upper arm and the width of a finger on the grip constitute one half of the bow, while the remaining part of the grip with the lower arm and siyah make up the other half. Such is the verdict of the master archers.
The construction of the bow varies, too, in the prevalence of some of its parts over the others as a result of different climatic conditions. Thus, in regions extremely hot or extremely cold, as well as in places which are very damp and humid, the suitable bows are those which have abundant wood and wide limbs; whereas in regions of moderate heat, cold, and humidity, the suitable bows are those which have an abundance of sinew and narrow limbs. The latter are also suitable for use in moderate seasons, such as the spring. In regions the climate of which tends to be cold and damp, like Syria and Andalusia, the suitable bows are those which are scant in wood, abundant in horn, and moderate in sinew and glue.
The Bedouins of the Hijaz use nothing except bows made of nab‘, or shawhat, or shiryan wood, while those who live near water and nearby groups back their bows with sinew and face them with goat horn, as we have already mentioned, because of the intense heat. According to some experts, bows made of nab‘, shawhat, and shiryan wood are useless outside the Hijaz. Others have recommended that in countries of excessive heat the sinew should be saturated with glue made of the best parchment, which is characteristically moist and, therefore, suitable for hot regions but not for those which are cold and humid.
Variations in the construction of bows, because of the different archers who are to use them, are accounted for by the fact that experts have agreed that for each archer there is a particular bow best suited to his own build. They have also agreed that such a bow should be measured with relation to the arrow which is to be shot in it and that the individual archer is, in turn, the basis of that arrow.
They have, however, disagreed concerning the ratio in length of the bow to the arrow, with some maintaining that the bow should be, when unstrung and measured from one extremity to the end of the horn of the other limb, the width of three fingers shorter than its arrow.38 This is the opinion of abu-Hashim, who claims that the arrow of the short bow is quicker in release, stronger in hitting, and deadlier in aim.
Others have maintained that the bow should be, when unstrung and measured from the end of one horn to the end of the other, exactly the length of the arrow.”’ This is the opinion of Tahir and Ishaq, who claim that if this portion of the unstrung bow were longer than the arrow such a length would militate against the cast of the arrow and the power of its impact. On the other hand, if it were shorter than the arrow, the strength of the bow would overcome the archer, who would then be unable to draw it to the full length of the arrow except with difficulty and with the result that his left arm would be shaken, his aim spoiled, and his effectiveness gone, since they depend on the ability of the archer to control his bow. Furthermore, no archer using too short a bow can ever operate it well;
frequently it is broken or its strings snap.
Still others have maintained that the arrow should measure exactly the length of the strung bow;
while some have said that the correct length of the arrow should be exactly that of the strung bow if the siyahs were long, and exactly that of the unstrung bow if they were short.39 The question of the ratio of the length of the arrow to the stature of the individual archer will be discussed later under a special heading.
Variations in the construction of the bow in accordance with the different objects for which it is to be used result in five kinds of bows: a bow for warfare, another for training and practice, a third for target shooting, a fourth for competition, and a fifth for trick shooting.
The bow for warfare should be, in strength, equal to that of the archer himself, with short siyahs-lest they hit the shield or whatever the archer carries-and a straight grip. It should have more horn than wood and, likewise, more sinew than wood. Furthermore, it should not be excessive in recurvature, so that it may be quickly strung and quickly unstrung. Recurvature (ta’jir) is the curving of the bow toward its back when unstrung, and is the opposite of incurvature (inhina’) which is the curving of the unstrung bow toward its belly so that it appears to the eye almost strung.40 It should have more horn than wood because both the weight of the bow and its force depend upon the horn-the more horn it has, the stronger it is-although it is then more apt to become crooked in regions of unsuitable climatic conditions, while the more it has of wood and sinew, the straighter it remains, although its strength is then diminished. Therefore, one should strike a happy medium inclining toward the sparing use of horn.
The training or practice bow should be a little stronger than the capacity of the archer. After a little use it be comes more manageable.41 He should then increase its weight by adding to it one and a half dirhams of sinew. This operation should be repeated whenever the bow becomes too flexible and loses strength, until it has again reached the full limit of the archer’s capacity.42 Furthermore, the training bow should have wide arms, a rounded grip, and strong siyahs. Its sinew should exceed both its horn and its wood.
The target bow should be of moderate size and construction, with its wood less than its horn, and its sinew equal in thickness to its horn. Others have said that its component parts should be equal. The former opinion is, however, better. Furthermore, it should have a slender grip, while its arms should be recurved (mu’ajjarah) and moderate in size and width; the siyahs should, likewise, be moderate in length and recurvature. If these characteristics obtain, the target bow will be free of defects and its usefulness and accuracy will be increased.
The competition bow should have a rounded grip and long siyahs, and be recurved both in the grip and in the siyahs. Its arms should be narrow and rounded, with the lower less prominent than the upper, or, according to others, exactly the opposite, namely, the upper arm less prominent than the lower. Its horns should be of five or six pieces43 and the width of two fingers shorter than the arrow-while the width of one finger may be added to the length of each siyah, which is equivalent to half the decrease in the length of the two arms. The longer and more dominant the siyahs and grip are, the faster and harder the arrow goes; while the looser the bow, the weaker it is and the safer from possible defects and flaws.
The weight in hand of the finished competition bow should be between twelve and fifteen uqiyahs [troy ounces of 480 grains], and the lighter in hand it is [i.e., the less its own heft], the faster and better is the flight of its arrow. Its string is always thin.44
The bow for trick shooting, according to some archers, should be like that of the Persians, with a square grip of moderate size, short and thick siyahs of almost equal length, and arms, likewise, of almost equal length and width. Furthermore it should be very flexible: in weight not more than half the capacity of the archer. In the judgment of the author this statement is correct, except for that part which says that the arms and siyahs of such a bow should be almost equal in length, respectively, as they are in Persian bows; for it must be remembered that the center of the bow, according to the catholic consent of expert archers, is at a point the width of a finger from the top of the grip.
All of the details which we have mentioned concerning the construction of this composite bow are the result of long experience by master archers, all of whom are in agreement. Persian archers, however, have disagreed with them completely and said that the bow should be of symmetrical construction with both arms equal in size and both siyahs also equal, thereby making the central point of the bow at the middle of the grip. Some experts among the Persians, however, have maintained that the upper arm and the upper siyah should be slightly longer than the lower ones so that the
center of the bow will fall at the two thirds point of its grip; that the arms should be wide and long, and that the sinew should constitute the smallest proportion in the construction of its parts. They claim that a bow so made will give a faster, harder, and more deadly arrow.
In the judgment of the author the claim of the Persian archers is decidedly wrong because, if the arrow leaves the bow at a point other than the central, it will be pushed by the bow in two different ways at the same time: with force by the shorter limb of the bow and with weakness by the long limb, with the result that it will wobble along its flight, and consequently its cast will be diminished and its accuracy decreased. It will not hit the mark, unless by accident. This may not be apparent to the eye but, if the disparity between the two limbs be accentuated, the wobbling will become noticeable.
The correct thing is what we have already quoted on the authority of the experts; namely, that the center of the bow should be at a point on the grip the width of one finger from its top, and that the upper arm of the bow together with its siyah constitute half of the entire bow, while the remaining part of the grip together with the lower arm and siyah comprise the other half of the bow. Consequently, the arrow passes at the middle of the bow which is the kabid; balance will then be obtained and the
The correct thing is what we have already quoted on the authority of the experts; namely, that the center of the bow should be at a point on the grip the width of one finger from its top, and that the upper arm of the bow together with its siyah constitute half of the entire bow, while the remaining part of the grip together with the lower arm and siyah comprise the other half of the bow. Consequently, the arrow passes at the middle of the bow which is the kabid; balance will then be obtained and the