The more focused we’ve become on authenticity though, the less happy I was with that idea. Partly because I reconsidered the wisdom of that much of a culture mishmash, and partly because my eye was getting more educated and less happy with much of what I was seeing on offer: effectively modern American flatbows with curlicue paint jobs.
Before going down another false start, I thought I’d do a quick survey of what’s in the text. I’d expected of course to find again the references to the yew bows amongst men, and classically English feel to the Rangers of Ithlien, with their “great bows, almost of their own height.â€
I had not recalled that the Uruk-Hai at Amon Hen also armed themselves with great yew bows, and that orcs, dwarves, and elves are all noted as at least occasionally using horn bows. The relative commonality of horn bows came as a surprise to me - Earendil's dragon-horn bow could possibly be set aside as legend, and goblins make all manner of strange things - but dwarves? On reflection it makes perfect sense - I imagine the steep sides of Erebor and the Mistys alike were dotted with alpine sheep perfect for crafting bows.
It does make me wonder though - as much as I personally love recurves- and have been carrying a cheap modern horsebow myself as an interim solution - seeing them in the hands of Western rangers always seemed a bit odd and out of place. But perhaps they’re more common on the ground in Eriador than I had thought. Certainly I think one could say any decently travelled Ranger would have come across something similar in construction, if not in aesthetic.
For my own impression? I’m thinking the best - or at least safest - is a selfbow of wood. Shorter and (much) lighter than a proper English War Bow, but if I can find one I can afford perhaps still of yew. I’m not certain what pattern exactly - perhaps with a touch of recurve at the tips, but nothing drastic. I think I’ve seen early nordic patterns that might fit, though I’ve not settled on anything yet.
What do you all think works best for Dunedain?
References:
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Dwarves:
Out of the gloom came suddenly the shape of a flying deer. … Thorin was the only one who had kept his feet and his wits. As soon as they had landed he had bent his bow and fitted an arrow in case any hidden guardian of the boat appeared. Now he sent a swift and sure shot into the leaping beast.
The Hobbit, Chapter 8. Flies and Spiders
Then Thorin seized a bow of horn and shot an arrow at the speaker. It smote into his shield and stuck there quivering.
The Hobbit, Chapter 15 The Gathering of the Clouds
Elves (Mirkwood and Lorien):
Eärendil was a mariner...
his bow was made of dragon-horn,
his arrows shorn of ebony
- FOTR, Book II Ch 1 Many Meetings
To Legolas she gave a bow such as the Galadhrim used, longer and stouter than the bows of Mirkwood, and strung with a string of elf-hair. With it went a quiver of arrows.
- FOTR, BkII Ch 8 Farewell to Lórien
`I know what it was that you last saw,' she said; `for that is also in my mind. Do not be afraid! But do not think that only by singing amid the trees, nor even by the slender arrows of elven-bows…
- FOTR, Bk II Ch 7 The Mirror of Galadriel
Men (of Eriador?)
There were four goblin-soldiers of greater stature, swart, slant-eyed, with thick legs and large hands. They were armed with short broad-bladed swords, not with the curved scimitars usual with Orcs: and they had bows of yew, in length and shape like the bows of Men.
- TTT, Book III Ch 1 The Departure of Boromir
Men - Dale:
But there was still a company of archers that held their ground among the burning houses. Their captain was Bard, grim-voiced and grim-faced … Now he shot with a great yew bow, till all his arrows but one were spent … He bent his bow for the last time.
…
The great bow twanged. The black arrow sped straight from the string, straight for the hollow by the left breast where the foreleg was flung wide. In it smote and vanished, barb, shaft and feather, so fierce was its flight.
The Hobbit, Chapter 14 Fire and Water
Men - Dunedain (Northern):
A little apart the Rangers sat, silent, in an ordered company, armed with spear and bow and sword. They were clad in cloaks of dark grey, and their hoods were cast now over helm and head. Their horses were strong and of proud bearing, but rough-haired; and one stood there without a rider, Aragorn’s own horse that they had brought from the North; Roheryn was his name. There was no gleam of stone or gold, nor any fair thing in all their gear and harness: nor did their riders bear any badge or token, save only that each cloak was pinned upon the left shoulder by a brooch of silver shaped like a rayed star.
- ROTK, Book V, Ch 2 The Passing of the Grey Company
Men - Dunedain (Gondor - Ithilien Rangers):
Men - Rohirrim:If they were astonished at what they saw, their captors were even more astonished. Four tall Men stood there. Two had spears in their hands with broad bright heads. Two had great bows, almost of their own height, and great quivers of long green-feathered arrows.
- TTT, Book IV, Ch 4. Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
Without a word or cry, suddenly, the Riders halted. A thicket of spears were pointed towards the strangers; and some of the horsemen had bows in hand, and their arrows were already fitted to the string.
- TTT, Book III Ch 2. The Riders of Rohan
A few of the riders appeared to be bowmen, skilled at shooting from a running horse. Riding swiftly into range they shot arrows at the Orcs that straggled behind, and several of them fell; then the riders wheeled away out of the range of the answering bows of their enemies, who shot wildly, not daring to halt. This happened many times, and on one occasion arrows fell among the Isengarders. One of them, just in front of Pippin, stumbled and did not get up again.
- TTT, Book III Ch 3 The Uruk-Hai
Orcs
There were four goblin-soldiers of greater stature, swart, slant-eyed, with thick legs and large hands. They were armed with short broad-bladed swords, not with the curved scimitars usual with Orcs: and they had bows of yew, in length and shape like the bows of Men.
- TTT, Book III Ch 1 The Departure of Boromir
There was some cursing and scuffling, and then most of the Northerners broke away and dashed off, over a hundred of them, running wildly along the river towards the mountains. The hobbits were left with the Isengarders: a grim dark band, four score at least of large, swart, slant-eyed Orcs with great bows and short broad-bladed swords. A few of the larger and bolder Northerners remained with them.
- TTT, Book III Ch 3 The Uruk-Hai
Hobbits -Presently two orcs came into view. One was clad in ragged brown and was armed with a bow of horn; it was of a small breed, black-skinned, with wide and snuffling nostrils: evidently a tracker of some kind.
- ROTK, Book VI, Ch 2. The Land of Shadow
Though slow to quarrel, and for sport killing nothing that lived, they were doughty at bay, and at need could still handle arms. They shot well with the bow, for they were keen-eyed and sure at the mark. Not only with bows and arrows. If any Hobbit stooped for a stone, it was well to get quickly under cover, as all trespassing beasts knew very well.
- FOTR, Prologue, 1. Concerning Hobbits
Before Frodo could recover or speak a word, three hobbit-bows twanged and...
- ROTK, Book VI, Chapter 8: The Scouring of the Shire