A bow is a long-range weapon made of wood that fires arrows. The wood has a string attached at either end used to hold the arrow in place. The string is pulled back to fire the arrow. The best wood bends with the arrow.
Bows in Middle-earth were chiefly used by the Elves, but other peoples had archers such as the people of Gondor and Rohan, the Dúnedain, Dwarves, and even Hobbits. People who use these weapons are called Archers or Bowmen.
A Lothlórien bow.
Origin (Speculative)
As Oromë was a great hunter, he may have invented it or at the very least fathomed it for use as a weapon. However, as the Elves were firstborn, they invented it and mastered it, and from there passed it on to men and then on to others.
History
They are used by the Archers of the Elves, Orcs, Goblins, and Men for hunting or warfare, though dwarves disliked them, preferring their axes. The bow is used in all three The Lord of the Rings books/movies.
The human woodsmen in The Hobbit were said to use great yew bows, as did Saruman's Uruk-hai.
As described in Unfinished Tales, the Númenoreans used a type of bow called the Steelbow, which was hollow and made of steel, as its name implies. As it is made of steel, one can make a parallel to the medieval arbalest, which was a crossbow that used a steel bow. Like the arbalest, the Númenórean steelbow probably required much strength to pull, and thus perhaps a lower rate of fire, thought that was countered by fact that Dunedain were much stronger than normal men. It was much feared by their enemies.
The bows of the elves tended to have curves to allow them to fire further and faster making them superior to bows fashioned by lesser races. Bows used by the Rohirrim were made short and compact to allow for more flexible usage on horseback, whereas the bows of Gondor were larger and were used more conventionally on foot.
Orc archers
However, the enemies of the Free Peoples were not slow to realize the devastating potential of the bow and arrow. Sauron's Orcs appeared to have some archers in their ranks, with their bows being crudely fashioned from the horn and blasted wood of volcanic Mordor. These, as suggested, were not particularly deadly weapons, for their range was short and their marksmen had woefully inaccurate aim. Despite this, the arrows were tipped with filth and other foul poisons which felled many an Elf or Man.
Faramir with his bow.
The Haradrim also appear to be skilled archers, with their bowmen sniping several Rohirrim horsemen from the towers of the Mumakil during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. A close-up picture of an Easterling reveals that even their shock troops carried quivers, denoting an archery-intensive civilization and army. The Variags of Khand may have also utilized bows, as they are the least mentioned of all of the peoples of Middle-earth.
Legolas was perhaps one of the most skilled bow users in the history of Middle-earth. His feats included shooting multiple enemies with one arrow, shooting down a Mumakil single-handedly (by climbing it), felling many Uruks at Helm's Deep, and making pincushions out of orcs at a league or more.
The Long Bow
The Long bow was a fantastic and deadly bow weapon favored by Elves and is used by Legolas. It is highly deadly and very powerful and very good for long range. It has a special history and craft that make it stand out from all other bows. It was the best long range and sniper weapon in The Lord of the Rings.
Elves use longbows (in the case of the Elves of Doriath and Lothlórien) which were, as their name suggests, longer bows and shot farther and higher than any other types of bows.
Origin
The longbow most likely came into existence during the First Age of Sun, but could also have been first wielded during the Ages of Stars, either in Valinor or Beleriand. Wherever it made its first appearance, the longbow from the start was seen as an excellent weapon. The first to wield this deadly weapon were the Elves, but of which kind and of what part of Arda they resided in is up to debate. However, many others have also wielded this weapon in many other places of Arda. Let us examine more closely the longbow's uses in other cultures.
The Longbow in Beleriand
Beleg Strongbow got his nickname from the massive bow he used, which was of course a longbow of Elven make. The longbow in Beleriand was used first by the Sindar Elves of Doriath and then spread to other peoples as they entered the region. Those others seen using the longbow were the Green Elves of Ossiriand (later Lindon), the Ñoldor, the Edain and later the Easterlings. The longbow had perhaps its greatest impact in Doriath, where it was used to hunt many orcs and evil creatures seen prowling around the forest. It was used in numerous battles, most notably the Nírnaeth Arnoediad (Battle of Unnumbered Tears), when the reinforcements from Gondolin, led by King Turgon, sent many archers into the fray against Morgoth. These archers also probably covered Turgon's retreat when the battle went ill for Húrin and Huor. When Beleriand fell into ruin, many peoples escaped from the destroyed land and with them went their weapons, the longbow being one of the chief ones.
Legolas, a master Bowman.
The Longbow among Elves
Many Elven kingdoms were founded in Middle-earth after the fall of Morgoth, and each used the longbow to great effect. The Silvan realms of Lórien and Mirkwood were highly known for their expert archers, who mostly used the longbow in their surprise attacks. The High Elves of Rivendell and Lindon also had highly skilled longbowmen, such as the famous Elladan, son of Elrond.
Bow of the Galadhrim
A Bow of Galadhrim is the weapon used by Lorien Elves. They were amongst the best bows of all of Middle-earth. They could shoot arrows at great distances. Galadriel gives one as a gift to Legolas after his company passes through Lorien. Haldir also uses one of these bows. They were strung with strings of Elf-hair and they were likely made of wood from Mallorn trees.
The Longbow among the Dúnedain
The famous Númenórean steel bows were among the greatest of the types of longbows. As the name implies, these bows were made of steel, and only the strongest among the Númenóreans could wield them. In the later days of the Dúnedain, the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor both had units of soldiers known simply as rangers, whose chief weapon was a wooden longbow, most likely made of yew or Lebethron. When Arnor fell into ruin, the surviving Dúnedain became known as the Rangers of the North, highly known for their skill with the longbow among other traits. In Gondor, the Rangers of Ithilien were formed when their homeland, Ithilien, became depopulated after Mordor's forces displaced many of the people living there. These rangers were not unlike their northern kin, skilled with a longbow and capable of organized ambushes. Apart from the Ithilien rangers, many other Gondorian soldiers made use of the longbow, such as the Blackroot Vale archers and the standard Gondorian archer.
The Longbow among Northmen
The Men of the North most associated with the use of the longbow are those from the city-states of Dale and Lake-town. Indeed, a famous archer and later king of Dale, Bard the Bowman, is said to have single-handedly shot down the dragon Smaug the Golden through use of a well-crafted longbow. This later led to a formation of Dale archers known as the Bardings, highly skilled and copies of the famous original! In fact, the longbow was an instrument of daily use among some Men of Dale, for hunting was a great pastime among the descendants of Bard. However, the Northmen of Dale were to come into contact with another power that also made use of the longbow, and to great effect.
The Longbow among Evil Men
While the Haradrim are not recorded ever using the longbow, preferring smaller and more composite bows, Men of the East are. Granted, the Easterlings did have a love of composite bows as well, but they are also seen wielding none other than the longbow. It was the famous Wainriders who were the first to be seen with the weapon, for in their great chariots an archer or two was seen giving covering fire to the charioteer. The long-range missiles, coupled with the tremendous charge of the chariot, were certainly a deadly combination on the battlefield. Therefore, at the end of the Third Age of Sun, it was not surprising to see Easterling longbowmen firing on the ranks of Dale and Dwarven defenders at the Battle of Erebor, though they were no longer situated in chariots.
Make
The make of the longbow is simple, yet it adds up to a deadly craft. It is made of one whole piece of wood, which can be anything from mallorn to yew. The string is made from a similar range of materials, anything from beeswax to animal intestines. The wood is of course slightly curved, and depending on the type of bow, may be strung with the curve or against it, the latter style making it a recurve bow which packs an extra punch. Some Elven bows may have been recurve.
The Best Longbowmen
There can be considerable debate concerning which culture boasts the best longbowmen or longbows. An obvious choice would be the Elves, specifically the Silvans like Legolas (who is actually Sindar), Haldir or Beleg (Also a Sindar). However, perhaps one would argue the skill of Bard's folk would be the greater, since it was the product of Northmen that brought to an end the dragon Smaug. Still others might nominate the highly skilled rangers of Eriador or Ithilien, whose shots are as accurate as they are far. In the end, we must settle for the Elves, for they have an infinite period of time to hone their skills and make better and better bows. However, do not question the valour and skill of the longbowmen on the battlefield, for without them a general would be deprived of killing his foe from a distance, thus minimizing his own casualties.
Real-life
The longbow in real life was most often used by the English longbow, and this is likely where Tolkien got his idea of longbowmen.
Other Types of Bow Weapons
- The Crossbow- A similar weapon to the bow.
- The Crossbow is a non-canonical weapon in the Tolkien universe and is only seen in the movies since he never mentioned them by name.
See also
References
- The Hobbit
- The Lord of the Rings Book Trilogy
- The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion
- The Children of Hurin, the Land of Bow and Helm
- A Tolkien Bestiary by David Day